The Coral Gables Times

Top Row 1. R. S. Bosworth, Jr., Times, Barrington, R. I. 2. Wallace Conover, Messenger-Gazette, Somerville, N. J. 3. Peter Donaghue, Life, Skokie, Ill. 4. Robert D. Fowler, Daily Journal, Marietta, Ga. 5. Robert C. Hedlund, Geauga Times Leader, Burton, Ohio. 6. Bruce Helberg, American, Bellevue, Wash. 7. Grant Howell, Daily Tribune, Royal Oak, Mich. 8. Al Huneke, Western Hills Press, Cheviot, Ohio. 9. Elmer M. Jackson, Jr., Evening Capitol-Maryland Gazette, Annapolis, Md. 10. Fenwick Keyser, County Paper, Towson, Md. 11. Maurice R. Labelle, Times, Coral Gables, Fla. Bottom Row 12. Bob McCarthy, Progress, Penn Hills, Pa. 13. James McConnaughey, Kettering-Oakwood Times, Kettering, Ohio. 14. Dan McKinnon, North Shores Sentinel, Pacific Beach, Calif. 15. Richard Nichols, Daily News-Texan, Arlington, Tex. 16. Carroll W. Parcher, News-Press, Glendale, Calif. 17. Stan Rose, Scout, Prairie Village, Kan. 18. David N. Schutz, Tribune, Redwood City, Calif. 19. Harry Volk, Sun-Press, Cleveland Heights, Ohio. 20. Houstoun Waring, Littleton Independent-Arapahoe Herald, Littleton, Colo. 21. Kenneth R. Weaver, Eccentric, Birmingham, Mich. 22. James L. Whyte, Sun-Tattler, Hollywood, Fla.

Shelters in the Suburbs? first Round Table on the questions that concern 50,000,000 of us

Ohio) on civil defense—"a billion-dollar boondoggle." Another, following the same approach, feared that once everyone had shelter against fallout, there would develop irresistible demands for shelter against blast and fire—to satisfy which might absorb the bulk of our national resources, [ch?]ecking both our military power and the economy that supports it. Another comment inquired what was the real difference between "death-day now and death-day two weeks or three weeks from now—if the bombs come, we're all lost." One meeting called to consider shelter building wound up with everyone present taking refuge in song—"We'll all go together when we go." There was a tendency to prefer community shelters to private (do-it-yourself) shelters, as likely to give better protection. Also, "There'll be some sort of leadership, some emergency skills in a group, people will come out better prepared to face what comes next." This opinion wasn't universal. Three comments pointed out that ill or otherwise handicapped people might not be able to get to a community shelter. One southern lady cherished family privacy—"No enemy is going to compel me and mine to tend to our basic bodily functions in public for two minutes, let alone two weeks." Another, owner of a cooperative apartment in California, said firmly: "I'll take my chances with fallout sooner than be cooped up for two weeks with the rest of the people in this house." There was concern as to what would happen if the warning came when the family was separated—children at school, father at work, mother out shopping, etc. Would everyone be able to get home and into the shelter in time? A suggestion: Each family should have alternate meeting points arranged, so that if they were separated by having to take shelter in different places, their reunion could be assured after the danger had passed. Other comments touched on the question of whether the owner of a family shelter has the right to turn away shelterless neighbors. Of a group of West Coast ministers queried by a suburban daily, half said No, 11% said Yes, the others seemed uncertain. A southern comment: "How safe will anyone be in a private shelter if there is no other, with shocked, angry, savage, hungry people outside?" Several editors noted a tendency to keep the building of private shelters secret, perhaps because of such fears as this. A vocal minority opinion opposed a shelter program of any kind on the ground that once you accept the idea of shelters you are accepting the feasibility of nuclear war and reinforcing those who believe war is inevitable. All effort, in this view, should be directed toward the abolition of nuclear weapons by agreement, and the settlement of international disputes by peaceful means. Thus, having boxed the compass of opinion, we come back to the fundamental truth-that the interests of America will best be served, not by seeking survival after nuclear attack for X% of our people but by preventing any such attack. On balance this appears to represent a fair mean of opinion amongst the inhabitants of our suburban communities. They are aware of their vulnerability; they know that living in heavily peopled metropolitan regions increases that vulnerability to some extent. They see some sense in trying to save lives if war should come—as one editor wrote, "We would not want to have it on our conscience to advise against shelter building." But in the final analysis, the prevention of war rather than partial survival afterward is the purpose which seems likely to be given the highest priority in suburbia as elsewhere in the nation. Suburbia Today, March 1962 9 "Wilson, as the newest addition to our executive staff, I hereby present you with a key to the company fallout shelter."