of Governor Herbert R. O'Conor 259

training and experience. He will be known as the Director of Public Safety
for State Defense. Realizing that our already existing State Police Force
would, undoubtedly, be called into service in cases caused by sabotage and
espionage, we plan to link together these two units in order to have the widest
coverage in the event of the greatest emergency.

Under the plan it is proposed to have a State Guard of approximately
one-half the strength of the present National Guard of Maryland, which
would mean a State Guard force of about 2, 000 officers and enlisted men.
This force will be made up entirely of infantry units.

Our present plan contemplates the organization of the entire force as one
regiment, with the headquarters in the Fifth Regiment Armory, Baltimore.
The regiment would be composed of a number of battalions. At present it
is contemplated the organization will consist of three battalions in Baltimore
City and six battalions throughout the counties, allocated as follows:
One each to the following sections—

Lower Eastern Shore

Upper Eastern Shore

Southern Maryland

Upper Central (Carroll, Baltimore and Harford Counties)

Washington Section

Western Maryland

There is contemplated the early organization of units in all of those towns
throughout the State in which armories are located and, in addition, in
towns where no armories are located but suitable facilities can be provided,
to consider favorably the location of additional units.

This entire organization will be on a voluntary basis, and it is my purpose
to avail myself of the services of war veterans, reserve officers, members of
rifle clubs, ex-officers of the National Guard and others who care to offer their
services, and under these circumstances it is my well considered judgment
that we will experience little or no trouble in organizing a force of 2, 000 men.
Anti-aircraft units are contemplated and provisions for the call for a
State Nurses' Corps are, also, a part of the general program. In addition,
special plans for the use of volunteer fire departments of the various counties
are to be pursued with measures designed to safeguard persons and property
in the event of sabotage, air raids and incendiary bombing.

* Under the Director of Public Safety would be placed the training programs
of the State Guard, which would replace the National Guard during the latter's
Federal service. Also, he would assume direct control of the State Guard
when it would be ordered in active State service and in general would be
charged with the responsibility of coordinating the action of all State agencies
in their attention to matters of defense. While it would not follow that the
State Guard would be primarily a police organization, nevertheless in order to
avoid over-lapping of activities, it is essential that its work be coordinated
with that of the State Police.

I, also, propose greater facilities for more unified action between and
among State, City and County enforcement officers, as well as with the
constituted authorities of 'Other states. The plan calls for the installation of an
inter or intra-state communication system, such as the teletype, as result of
which the authorities of Maryland could be in constant touch with one another.
Additionally, through this system constant communication back and forth