Civil defense, of course, is a factor in the third category—the will
to survive. A point he makes is that if two belligerents are equal
offensively and defensively, the will to survive becomes decisive.

If our enemies ever conclude that by a single nuclear blow they
can knock out a significant portion of our population, the temptation
to strike might be great. On the other hand, if they are convinced
that a large part of our population would survive the initial blow
and be prepared to make a strong counterattack, there would be far
less temptation to strike. In other words, there is much more to civil
defense than our survival as individuals. Our freedom and inde-
pendence as a nation is at stake. And for that reason alone, if for
no other, we cannot afford to be apathetic and lackadaisical about
civil defense.

I think most Americans will agree that we have not taken civil
defense seriously enough in this country. It is encouraging, therefore,
to note the greater emphasis that is being placed upon it by our
government.

Last May, President Kennedy pledged "a new start on civil defense",
and, in a speech he delivered last July 25, he announced an additional
appropriation of $207 million for that purpose. "We have another
sober responsibility, " he said. "To recognize the possibilities of
nuclear war in the missile age, without our citizens knowing what
they should do and where they should go if bombs begin to fall,
would be failure of responsibility. "

In execution of the President's plan, the Defense Department just
this week announced its proposal to build and equip fallout shelters
for 50, 000, 000 Americans. This is a relatively modest program, but
bold in comparison to anything done heretofore.

The brunt of the responsibility for civil defense will, of necessity,
fall upon the federal government. But there is much that can be
done at the state and local level. And there is much that we can do
as individuals in support of the purposes of civil defense.

In 1958, the federal government issued what it called "The National
Plan for Civil Defense and Defense Mobilization, " a basic document
presenting the program of national survival as a composite of (1)
military preparedness, (2) continuity of government, (3) survival of
individuals and families and (4) survival of industrial capability.

As we know, military preparedness is exclusively the responsibility
of our Department of Defense. Federal, state and, in some cases,
local governments already have produced plans to safeguard them-

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