HomeMy WebLinkAboutKeynote remarks by Gov. John Connally Keynote Remarks of Governor Connally
State Civil Defense Meeting
Austin
February 3, 1964, Monday 9:30 a.m.
It is a pleasure and a privilege to meet with you at a time when we are in the
midst of the greatest national defense effort in our history.
I assure you of my complete confidence in and full support of the Civil Defense
Program, which is, of course, an essential part of our total national defense
program,
The nation is going through the difficult process of digesting the hard fact that
under some circumstances, however unlikely they may be, our cities, towns,
and homes could be reached by nuclear destruction of vast proportions.
Those who are shaping and constantly improving our national security are trying
to do so through a combination of military strength, economic progress at
home and abroad, diplomacy and arms control, This must include defensive
measures, both militaryandcivilian. America has always maintained strong
defenses and the realization is spreading that realistic defense against nuclear
attack depends on civilian, as well as military, preparations.
The defense organization is not something to be built for a single purpose and
then laid on the shelf for use only when that one circumstance occurs. By its
very nature, it is a most vital and useful tool in emergencies which actually
do occur and place our people in jeopardy- -and quite frequently at that.
In a sense, Civil Defense is not an organization - -it is an emergency function
of government, requiring planning and organization to perfect the ability of
our people to survive and recuperate from disaster of any kind.
The responsibility for carrying out Civil Defense and Disaster relief functions
falls upon the executive heads of local, state and federal governments. The
central problem of Civil Defense is to create a broad base of leadership.
Municipal, county and state governments must create a capability in each
community in the country to stand on its own feet for a period of weeks follow-
ing an attack, or for shorter duration in the event of lesser disaster.
Using Federal support, the initiative must be taken by you and by me as the
heads of local and state governments, to organize local efforts to create
shelter space, to develop local plans for using it, to arrange for training for
some of the people assigned to each shelter to be shelter managers, radio-
logical monitors and first aid practitioners.
I know that all of you are familiar with a program called Medical Self -Help,
which has the firm endorsement of physicians and paramedical personnel.
An effort is being made to train one person in every family in Texas in Medical
Self -Help techniques. This is a worthy project with an ambitious goal, and I
urge your full cooperation as an important part of the Civil Defense program.
Above all, we must join with the President and Congress to provide leadership
on this difficult subject, which the public will only gradually come to under-
stand and accept.
We are engaged in a Civil Defense program unequalled in our history.
President Johnson in his fiscal 1965 budget has recommended increased
expenditures for Civil Defense while reducing the entire Defense Department
budget. His budget document proposes that the total obligational availability
for the civil defense program for 1965 be increased from 100 million to 400
million dollars, or an increase of 300 million dollars. He recommended
Congressional approval of the dual - purpose shelter development program and
said that to reinforce the total defense effort, the Congress should authorize
funds for fallout shelters in public buildings, schools, hospitals and other
nonprofit institutions.
The President's budget document states that the 1965 program also provides
for continued work on systems to warn the population of an attack, equipment
for monitoring the level of radioactivity, construction of protected regional
centers for emergency governmental operation, training and education for
emergency preparedness, research and development, financial assistance
to states, and procurement for provisions for fallout shelter spaces.
Closer to home, and here at the state level in this operation, I am frankly
proud of the developments since I transferred the Office of Defense and
Disaster Relief from the Executive Department to the Texas Department of
Public Safety.
That such a move was justified was strongly indicated prior to the transfer,
and has now been proved in fact.
It appeared to me then that this was the logical thing to do —to place the
Defense and Disaster Relief function in the state agency created for the
protection of life and property from all causes, rather than to continue to
maintain a separate office at another location and under a different administra-
tion, so to speak.
It was apparent that this Department had two of the most important capabili-
ties for such a program: personnel throughout the state trained to handle all
foreseeable emergencies, and a top -flight communications system.
Under the able administration of Colonel Garrison, and operating under the
established policies and procedures of our efficient Department of Public
Safety, I can say that the State Defense Office is now operating with greater
economy and with far greater efficiency. Experiences of tie past year have
borne this out.
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But the key to this whole matter lies within the minds and hearts of you,
the local directors to whom your people look for guidance and leadership
in times of trouble. Your challenge is great, and must be met initially as
it is being met in many localities, by crashing through the wall of public
apathy in times of serenity to achieve the overall public support for prepared-
ness.
It is clear that there is no ready -made, prefabricated solution which each
and every citizen and community can use as his very own. There is, in fact,
no "national average" situation. Each community must assess its own
particular situation and tailor -make a plan for the specific problems of
that particular locale.
As I see it, there are really no obstacles in our path to providing the leader-
ship in Civil Defense rightfully expected of us by the people of our State.
I am sure you will agree that a job worth doing is worth doing well.
Let me say once more that your job at the local level is the most important
of all . Help in planning and preparation will come from those of us at the
state and federal level, but your task, after all, is the most difficult: to
sell your people on the idea of helping themselves by buying preparedness
for difficult times.
I pledge you my continued interest and cooperation.
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