The Nome Nugget

CIVILIANS IN THE NEXT WAR

There will be no mass evacuation from American cities in case of atomic attack, says Mr. James J. Wadsworth, Acting-Director of the Civil Defense Office, who points out that any potential enemy fears "our marvelous production capacity" and that this must be kept going at all cost.

Mr. Wadsworth criticized the "take-to-the hills" mentality that has developed, declaring that "if and when chips go down, every strategic target area in America will be manned and fought with every bit of human vigor and every scrap of material resource we have."

For the first time since the Indian Wars, Mr. Wadsworth pointed out, every soldier and every civilian in this country will be equal in danger and personal responsibility. Production capacity must be maintained and this cannot be done without maintaining the communities in which it takes place. Moreover, mass evacuation would be only a stopgap and not a "practical way of life for the average family even in the atomic age."

We call attention to the remarks of this official because there has developed, in some areas, the idea that at the first hint of trouble, it will be necessary to grab a change of clothing, a toothbrush and a few cosmetics and get out of any area that might be attacked. Since no one can foresee where a bombing raid will lead, it will be impossible for Americans, living in industrial areas, to know whether their community will be bombed or not. Certainly, if all our workers rush for the woods, at the first sign of trouble, the United States will go down to defeat before the war gets underway.