Civil Defense: Signs of Progress

For all the public interest in fallout shelters, the U.S. Government has been slow to organize and guide the nation's civil defense efforts. Last week came some encouraging signs of progress. On a post-Thanksgiving visit to the President in Hyannisport, Mass., Defense Secretary Robert McNamara reported that a $207 million program to locate, identify and stock shelter areas in public buildings (maximum capacity: 50 million people) will be completed by next June—six months ahead of schedule.

The Administration is also moving slowly toward resolving other civil defense problems. A long-delayed booklet on fallout protection is still under discussion, but should be approved and released by year's end. The President has also decided that civil defense should emphasize community fallout shelters (for which some federal aid may be made available), although the Government will not in the least discourage individual homeowners who want to build their own.