632 State Papers and Addresses

squads prepare to function as they may be needed. Then there is the question
of emergency food and housing units, to care for those whose homes are
bombed; and rescue squads assemble to remove persons who may be trapped in
wreckage.

These are the most important phases of Civilian Defense, and it is easy to
picture how many workers would be required in all these specialized fields
should, for instance, a city the size of Baltimore be subject to severe aerial
bombardment.

We must recognize very definitely that, while in area, Maryland is one of
the smallest States of the Union, in defense industrial activity it is one of the
most important along the Eastern Seaboard, and as such would be particularly
subject by raiding bombers.

The State House at Annapolis was the scene of a significant meeting on
Tuesday of this week, when the National Committee for the Conservation of
Manpower for Defense Industries met to consider Maryland's problems in this
regard. It was brought out there that no section in the United States is in
greater need of safety work in our plants than this section, which is the heavi-
est contract region in the United States. Fully one-third more contracts have
been placed in the area along the Coast between Maryland and New York
than in any other comparable section of the Country. Naturally this fact, to-
gether with the broad expanse of coastline, makes it probable that this par-
ticular area, including Maryland, would be one of the first to be attacked if
actual warfare should ensue.

For this reason the Maryland Council of Defense has been working at top
speed ever since its creation last August. Not only has it made great progress
in the organization of Aircraft Warning Service, but the police, fire, hospital
and health services are organized to a point where they can be ready promptly
for almost any disaster or emergency that might arise. Local Directors for
Civilian Defense have been appointed in the various counties, and some of the
counties are completely organized with Chief Air Raid Wardens, Fire, Police
and Medical Chiefs; Public Utilities and Works Service, Emergency Service
Chiefs and Public Information Service.

And as the counties form parts of an integral whole which is the State,
so the efforts of all the 48 states are part of a complete national plan. The
result is that any attacking force would find the same type of complete organi-
zation for defense no matter where it might strike. Furthermore, even if
such an attacking force should have some initial success in one or more states,
as it sought to extend its conquest, it would meet with the same complete
defense that is being built so vigorously and so speedily now in Maryland.

Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of conferring with the Commander-in-
chief of our Army and Navy, President Roosevelt, at the White House, regard-
ing defense planning in Maryland, and was privileged to convey his views on
various phases of State Defense Planning to a meeting in Chicago, of the Ex-
ecutive Committee of the Governors' Conference, charged with integrating the
defense activities of all the states.

On December 3, another chapter will be written when the Governors of the