selves in case of attacks. Provision has been made for the legal succes-
sion of key government officials, for the preservation of essential
records and for emergency operational locations. Industrial organiza-
tions throughout the country have developed substantial plans for
self-protection in the event of national disaster.

In the realm of continuity of government, the people of Maryland
ratified a constitutional amendment providing for an orderly suces-
sion in the office of the chief executive—Governor, President of the
Senate, Speaker of the House, Comptroller, Attorney General, in that
order.

In the headquarters of the Civil Defense Agency in Pikesville, we
have established a "little State House" for emergency operations,
with all the required facilities, including communications with all
the essential agencies of State government and with the governments
of the civil divisions of the State.

As individuals, you and I have our interests and our responsibilities
in the area of the civilian aspects of survival. Survival of the indi-
vidual and the family is perhaps the most important of the respon-
sibilities we face.

As I said in the beginning, the defense of the civilian population
in the event of an enemy attack is an important element in our
overall national defense. On this point, General Lemnitzer, Chairman

of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said:

"A well-prepared and safeguarded populace in itself provides a
major contribution to our nuclear deterrence posture. "

And so, small fall-out shelters such as you have built here, which
I understand is the only federal government prototype on the East-
ern Shore, have great significance. I hope to see many of them erected
in Maryland in the near future.

For this effort in promoting the idea of civil defense, I extend my
heartiest felicitations to the Ocean City Chamber of Commerce.

ADDRESS, CIVIL DEFENSE MEETING
ANNAPOLIS

September 28, 1961

I requested that you come to Annapolis for today's meetings because
I am deeply concerned with the condition of our civil defense pro-
gram I think we ought to recognize that, at this moment, our State
and our nation are woefully unprepared to face a nuclear attack....

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