On December 7, National Civil Defense Day, I called a meeting of
my top advisers in State departments to review the entire civil defense
picture of our State. I was pleased at that time to hear their endorse-
ment of the civil defense program as it was being run and to also
hear their recommendation that we continue to gradually expand
our activities in that field. I have been pleased to hear from Sherley
Ewing and others that these department heads have been doing what
was promised and are daily offering more and more assistance to the
State Civil Defense Agency in its work. Civil Defense is part of govern-
ment and State government must do its share in the defense program.
Tomorrow at your civil defense directors meeting, I understand you
will hear more specifically about what certain State departments
are doing.

Not only government, but industry and business as well, are pur-
suing the civil defense program. We are happy to hear about these
concerns which are interested in the welfare of our nation. As ex-
amples we can cite public utilities and the banking, food and trans-
portation industries. This is as it should be—business and govern-
ment working together.

I would like to give recognition to the splendid work that is being
performed by our county civil defense directors. They work in many
cases with no or only a minimal remuneration. We have been most
fortunate in Maryland in having top-notch people for these jobs.
Nine of the directors have served since the inception of the Maryland
civil defense program. On the other hand, we have had several va-
cancies to fill during the past year and it has been my pleasure, acting
on the recommendation of the county commissioners and the mayor of
Baltimore, to fill these vacancies. These new directors are leading
citizens in their communities and have been appointed only after
great care by the county and city officials concerned.

Tomorrow is the day for the county directors to have their say at
your all-day meeting. I trust that you will have a most successful
meeting, and I am looking forward to hearing the results of the delib-
erations. The door of the Governor's office is always open if I can
be of assistance to you in your work.

I know fully well that in some of our counties the financial support
of the civil defense program is not all that it should be, and it is
my hope that where it is possible the counties concerned will rectify
this situation when the new budgets come up for consideration. I
hope that the people in these counties will speak up if they are not

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