ever, to make it very clear that we are expecting much of this seminar.
I hope that you will share my belief that federal, state and local
governments have led the way in this program, and now it is up to
private corporations to pitch in and help. This is not to say that many
of these firms have not already done much to plan for the future.
For example, this afternoon you shall hear from speakers representing
five organizations that have developed excellent mobilization plans.
We can profit by what they have done and follow their lead.

Before I close, I should like to thank personally those firms and
persons who are participating today in this meeting. Also, my thanks
to the Maryland Civil Defense Agency, the Maryland Department of
Economic Development and the Baltimore Association of Commerce
which have assisted me in sponsoring this Governor's Seminar. I know
this will be a fruitful meeting. It must be so because we owe it to our
State and nation. Your preparedness will be a most important step-
ping stone in the complex plan for total national defense.

ADDRESS, DEDICATION OF EXPANDED FIRE SERVICE AND
CIVIL DEFENSE TRAINING FACILITIES, COLLEGE PARK

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND

September 3, 1963

Dr. Elkins, Chaplain Minter, Mr. Byrus, General Van Brunt, ladies
and gentlemen:

This is a happy occasion for all of us as we meet here on the camp-
us of this great University to dedicate new facilities to improve Mary-
land's programs of fire service and civil defense. These two important
State agencies — the Fire Service Extension Department of the Uni-
versity of Maryland and the Maryland Civil Defense Agency — have
a common goal and a common purpose: The protection of the lives
and the property of the citizens of Maryland.

Certainly government performs no higher function than in affording
the people the highest measure of security that is possible. And in
fact, it is established that organized society itself came about as a
result of the perception on the part of our remotest ancestors that
the individual was assured a greater degree of security in association
with others of his kind. And so, we may say that services which these
two governmental units perform are absolutely indispensable. As
Governor, I am proud that the State, in providing the two agencies

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