Show S CIVIL DEFENSE Home Towners T owners May Be Vital Link LinkIn In Nations Nation's Civil Defense Chain I S 'S This is the Ibe last of a series serle of five articles on civil defense by Walter Waiter A A. A Shead Western Newspaper Newspaper Newspaper News News- paper Union Unions Washington corre corre- By Walter A. A Shead WASHINGTON DC D.C. Whether you live In a city or a small town or on a farm in the rural areas of the nation you have an obligation as a citizen interested in saving your own life and the life of your fellow citizens In the civil defense program Many folks in small towns or on farms may be inclined to take the dangers inherent in a scale full-scale war with a grain of salt There are areno areno areno no barriers to poison or nerve gases gas gas- es There are no limits to biological warfare and the destruction of the means of providing food to our military personnel may be a main objective of our potential enemy Suppose your neighbors in a nearby nearby nearby near near- by city have the most efficient civil defense system possible to workout work workout workout out and an enemy attack knocks out large numbers of its personnel Then it may be the duty of those in surrounding cities and towns and counties to move In as rescue teams to to care for evacuees to improvise hospitals and many other essentials essentials essentials essen essen- of defense work There are hundreds of Jobs for civilians which must be filled airplane airplane airplane air air- plane spotters apprehension of saboteurs guarding against water poisoning or pollution amateur radie radio radio ra ra- ra- ra dio die operators ambulance drivers messengers first aid trucks storage storage storage stor stor- age of thousands of items of supply in medication and transport food-transport engineers housekeeping employees for nursing and dietary departments departments departments depart depart- ments cooks laundresses blood donors watchmen at plants utilities utilities utilities ties and essential services such as dairies and pasteurization plants Immunization of small animals to prevent rabies grave diggers specially specially trained radiation detection teams air raid shelter and dozens of other essential work work- ers Alert watchfulness on the part of farmers to detect dangerous diseases diseases diseases dis dis- dis- dis eases in their stock live-stock and pests and plant disease is highly tant tanto The bureau of animal industry I already has given instruction to a large number of veterinarians In diagnosis of these diseases and at atthe atthe atthe the first suspicion the farmer fanner should call the state livestock sanitary officials officials officials of of- for prompt Investigation In Inmany Inmany Inmany many instances large amounts of vaccine must be promptly available and in any outbreak quarantine procedure and rind destruction of animals animals ani ani- mals and rind their burial may be all all- important to prevent spreading Special equipment for crews should be immediately avail avail- able The same watchfulness is essential essential essential essen essen- in detection of plant pests and diseases C County 0 u II n fl t y agricultural agents farmers and regional state and federal agricultural agencies will advise which crops in their respective respective respective re re- re- re areas are arc most essential for tor national welfare and therefore more likely to be the aim of biological biological biological ical warfare S S C THE STATE AND local governments govern govern- ments are furnishing approximately approximate approximate- ly half hal of the three billion dollars appropriated in the national civilian defense act to provide for this nationwide nationwide nationwide na na- na- na wide tion-wide program But In spite of every every thing the federal administrator tor may do the responsibility of adequate defense rests at each level of local government including the responsibility for tor health service op op- op- op It is up to the state civil defense director to map out his state and to determine in each lo locality locality locality lo- lo just what type of organization organization organization organ organ- must be setup A community then would find itself In one of three categories first cities within critical target areas second mutual mutual mutual mu mu- aid communities and third mobile support communities The folks in the small towns and rural areas would find themselves in one of the last two categories and their principal function would be to receIve receive receive re re- re- re casualties from the nearby principal city and to send health service rescue teams to its aid The mobile support communities may be anywhere from 50 to miles from the nearest principal city And while these latter communities communities communities might not be the deliberate aim of a bombing attack there is is always the possibility of a bombers bomber's error as many communities in Europe Europe Eu Eu- rope and Asia discovered in the thelast thelast thelast last war The organization of these mobile support communities in rural counties counties counties coun coun- ties are of greatest importance to the whole civil defense program The health service in these communities communities communities would be organized to operate as self contained teams in such fields as first aid and radiological defense Larger communities with hospitals or sizable clinics would also be prepared to receive casualties casualties cas cas- and should be able to supply complete surgical burn and shock teams to disaster areas So just because you do not live in a large city do not get the idea ideatha that tha t you and your family should not be trained in every possible aspect aspect as as- aspect of civil defense or that you will not be called upon for aid in case of an emergency disaster You willi will i be If the weight of atomic attack or other of the phases of warfare discussed in these articles ever falls on this nation the responsibility responsibility of defense will not fall so much upon a plan of organization as it will upon the shoulders of individuals individuals individuals in in- who are trained and ready and who know how to save their own lives and the lives of their neighbors So be ready to join the United States civil defense corps |