Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-06-12
New Survival Plan Puts
Escape Burden on US.

ana military raolOlOSlCal CSdIllS
will check food and water sup
plies for Pathological contamina-
ton, the report said.
These checks will enable the
evacuees to leave, their shelters
for limited periods Of time within
from "a hours to three days
after a bombing. according to
the plan.
Timing Factor Decides
What the 1886, 900 persons in
the Metropolitan Area did in the
event of an attack would de-
pend on warning time.
With three hours, the plan
calls for a thinning out" Of
population. Some 1.3 million
evacuees from the city and its
environs then could be expected
to move out beyond a 20-mile
zone ringing the District to ~
operating units" or counties
and cities in Maryland and Vir-
ginia.
Residents of land lying in a
strip from 10 or 20 miles from
the Washington Monument would
stay put. They would receive
and house about 100000 per-
sons. mostly defense profess
SIGNALS and volunteers. and
evacuees escaping on foot or
bicycles.
This would leave at least
100000 persons in the zone
defined in circle 10 miles from
the monument. They would
seek shelter and live or die. ac-
cording to where the bomb ex-
ploded.
The report calls the outermost
zone the reception" area: the
midzone, the static" area, and
the innermoSt, the evacuation"
area.
Basement Refugees
Without warning time, Wash
ingtonians would take refuge in
Easements. Col. Beers found
sufficient space available. F"
Then rescue squads from Mary
land and Virginia would be or
ganized to move in on the dam
aged area to succor the injured
and bury the dead.
The Beers plan fixes defense
strategy on the basis of major
assumptions about an attack. 1t
visualizes the bombing like this:
The enemy would use nuclear
weapons. Major targets would be
central Washington and nearby
military installations. But at
tackers would try to destroy the
area within 10 miles Of detona-
ton. Light blast damage would
extend 20 miles.
People would begin to move
given warning time, from three
natural sections of the "evacua-
ton" zone.
From the north would come
100000. The north area is
bounded. in the plan by the
Upper Potomac river, Chain
Bridge, Nebraska avenue, Mill
tary road, Missouri avenue
South Dakota avenue and the
Anacostia river. Some $4,000
would move northwest, dropping
$4,000 in the static" zone; ST.
900 would go to Montgomery
County for billeting. and the
balance Of 281 900 would speed
via Point Of Rocks and Bruins
wick Bridges. to Loudoun,
Frederick. Shenandoah and
Rockingham Counties in Virginia
973.70O From South
From the south would come
973.700 people. This area is de-
fined. by the lower Potomac and
Anacostia Rivers, South Dakota
and Missouri avenues: Military
road. Nebraska avenue. Chain
Bridge and the upper Potomac.
Some 90l.700 would move west
and southwest. dropping 10000
in the static" zone of Virginia,
and 781.700 into 20 counties and
communities Of Virginia.
In the southeastern section
would be 260.200 persons. Some
245,2 would be able to move
out Of this area bounded by the
Baltimore Washington parkway
the Anacostia and the lower Po-
tomac Rivers. They would flee
south. dropping 10000 in the
static" zone; $4,000 for recep-
ton in Charles County. and 1861
900 into six other Virginia re-
ceiving units"
The units" should be organ
lied by county and city officials
the report said. 1t defined the
civil defense area as the District
five Maryland counties Of Mont
{, gomery. Prince Georges. Calvert
Charles. st. Marys; % Virginia
counties of Arlington. Fairfax
Loudoun. Clark, Frederick
Shenandoah. King George, Caro-
line. SpotSylvania. Louisa. Flu
wanna. Stafford. Prince william
Fauquier, Rappahannock, Gull
pepper, Albemarle. Amherst
Greene. Augusta, Madison. Mel
son. Orange, Page, Rockingham
Warren. Highland and Bath. anc
eight Virginia cities OF Alexan.
dria. Falls Church, Winchester
Fredericksburg. Charlottesville
Staunton, Waynesboro and Har.
risonburg.
Limited Diets
Each reception area ought Il
be able to feed, clothe and care
for its evacuees for 30 days with
supplies from the area. Each
escapee should be limited tC
2000-calorie diets daily. Tht
Federal Government would con.
troll wholesale sources and loca
authorities would ration retail.
ers' distributions.
The Beers report found room
enough for evacuees who coulc
escape dense areas If three
shared available rooms in receiv.
ing centers. Such rooms woulc
be in private homes. Institutions