(b) Wage Stabilization Board: Handles questions on wage and hour changes and wage stabilization regulations. Contact regional director, Wage Stabilization Board.

(c) Office of Rent Stabilization: Administers Federal rent regulations on ceiling rents. Contact area rent director in areas where controls still exist.

9. Federal Communications Commission

Provides for clearance of emergency communications and use of frequencies for amateur operators. Does not control repair or restoration performed under original authority. Contact engineer-in-charge, Federal Communications Commission, major cities.

10. Federal Reserve Board

The Federal Reserve banks are authorized to relax restraints in installment credit for repairs or replacement of disaster losses under Regulation W. Regulation X pertaining to real-estate construction is automatically relaxed when disaster occurs. The Board can extend credit or participate in loans not exceeding 5 years maturity. Contact any Federal Reserve bank.

11. Federal Security Agency

(a) Food and Drug Administration.-Has responsibility to prevent use of products constituting a menace to public health. Will assist in organizing teams-Federal, State, and local-to survey all foods, drugs, and cosmetics exposed to disaster action. Will assist in salvage of usable articles exposed to disaster. Contact nearest districtc hief, Food and Drug Administration.

(b) Public Health Service.-Will provide technical advice and assistance in relation to contaminated water supply, disruption of sewage services, disposal of garbage and dead livestock, rodent control, contamination of dairy producing facilities, and general hazards to public health. Will assist in supplying watertreatment facilities, spraying of contaminated areas, and cleanup of living and working quarters. Works in close cooperation with State departments of health and welfare. Contact regional office, Federal Security Agency, or State health department.

(c) Office of Education.-Advice and assistance regarding repairs to educational facilities. Contact regional office, Federal Security Agency.

12. General Services Administration

(a) Public Buildings Service.-Has responsibility for maintenance and operation of most Federal buildings. Will furnish advice on repair of public buildings. Source of engineering and architectural personnel. Contact at regional offices, General Services Administration.

(b) Federal Supply Service.-The Federal purchasing agency. Can advise on location of Federal surpluses and sources for purchase. Contact through General Services Administration regional offices.

(c) National Archives and Records Service. Advises and assists on preservation of public documents. Contact through General Services Administration regional offices.

13. Housing and Home Finance Agency

This Agency has administered Federal disaster assistance program from March 1951 to January 1953. The Community Facilities and Special Operations Division have investigated and supervised repair and restoration of public facilities under all major disasters during this and preceding periods. This Agency may be a source of personnel and effort if additional help is required. Contact Regional Housing and Home Finance Agency offices.

(a) Federal Housing Administration. This agency may insure up to 100 percent loans for replacement of homes destroyed by disaster and waive requirements on downpayments for repair and rehabilitation in disaster areas. Contact district director, Federal Housing Administration.

(b) Public Housing Administration.—This agency has handled necessary provision of emergency housing occasioned by disaster through delegation. A source of advice and assistance on housing requirements. Contact district or State public housing administration director.

14. Department of the Interior

(a) Bureau of Mines.-Has major Federal responsibilities in mine disasters and will assist by providing engineers and safety personnel for inspection and fire prevention, explosions, and other hazards, such as escaping gas. Contact through State department dealing with public safety.

(b) Bureau of Reclamation.-A widespread organization with major responsibility for Federal reclamation projects. Will assist with personnel and contract organizations on wide variety of work including flood control. Contact regional director, Bureau of Reclamation.

(c) Bureau of Land Management. This agency has an extensive organization with trained personnel, equipment, and material located principally in those areas of public domain. They have snow-removal and road-repair functions on Federal reservations and may be extremely helpful in disasters to be anticipated. Contact regional administrator, Bureau of Land Management.

(d) Bureau of Indian Affairs.-Agency has primary responsibilities on Indian reservations for roads, public buildings, and welfare of inhabitants. Contact through area director, Bureau of Indian Affairs or superintendent of any reservation.

(e) Geological Survey.-Has Federal responsibility for information and facts concerning Nation's minerals and water resources. Has vital information in connection with extensive water supply programs. Contact district geologist. (f) National Park Service.-Has major responsibilities for all installations in national parks. Has equipment and trained personnel who may be utilized in flood and snow disasters. Contact superintendent, national parks.

(g) Fish and Wildlife Service.-Authority on fish and wildlife with widespread organization and some equipment. Primary responsibility in game refuge areas. Source of personnel. Contact regional director, Fish and Wildlife Service.

(h) Defense Electric Power Administration.-Assists in obtaining electricpower equipment. Contact Administrator, Defense Electric Power Administration. (i) Defense Solid Fuels Administration.-Will assist in direction for movement of solid fuels to disaster area, if required. Contact Administrator, Defense Solid Fuels Administration.

15. Department of Labor

(a) Bureau of Employment Security.-Works with State employment security agencies in providing unemployment insurance and placement service. Workers unemployed because of disaster can file claims for unemployment insurance at offices of State employment security agency or may find jobs through public employment offices. Contact regional director, Bureau of Employment Security. (b) Wage and Hour and Public Contracts Division.-This agency handles wage and hours problems in connection with disaster operations. Contact regional director, Wages and Hours Contract Division.

16. Department of the Treasury

(a) United States Coast Guard.-Provides assistance to civilian authorities in nature of boats, aircraft, and communications in connection with rescue and evacuation. Contact commanding officer, any Coast Guard installation.

(b) Division of Disbursement.-Distributes Federal funds upon certification by proper Federal agency. Will handle payments to States and local agencies under approved disaster project. Contact regional disbursing officer. 17. Reconstruction Finance Corporation

Has disaster loan fund of adequate amount to effect loans at 3 percent interest for disaster damage rehabilitation. Loans are available to individuals, business concerns, churches, or nonprofit organizations which have suffered disaster losses. Maturity of loans is fixed at maximum of 10 years under most conditions. Some construction loans have maturity of 20 years. Availability of funds is conditioned on a disaster declaration by Reconstruction Finance Corporation which may be made independent of Presidential declaration of disaster. Contact manager, Reconstruction Finance Corporation, or any Federal Reserve bank. 18. Veterans' Administration

Has certain authority to waive requirements for downpayments on homes to replace disaster damaged facilities. Loans up to 100 percent of value with maturities of 30 years may be guaranteed. Loans for repair and rehabilitation to a maximum of $500 are available for homes where Veterans' Administration has mortgage on property. Consult Veterans' Administration regional office. Senator LEHMAN. I just want to say that I know, of course, the fine service that our Army, the Red Cross, which is a quasi-governmental agency, the Corps of Engineers, and other Federal branches of serv

ice rendered in this emergency, as they have in emergencies for the last 150 years. We expect that. They are very useful. Private citizens have helped. States have also.

I know, for instance, the State of New York sent a fleet of pumpers up to Connecticut to help pump out water in certain localities. Of course, the State was only too glad to do that.

What I am trying to get at is what the function and the authority and the powers of the Civil Defense Administration actually are. I have felt for a long time, although I have not been as familiar with those functions or with the law as I have become in the last hour, that they are quite inadequate. I think that the States are left to their own devices and to their own resources to an extent that is not justified by the seriousness of an emergency situation such as atomic attack or some great disaster that is caused by or comes about by natural causes. I want to ask you one more question, Mr. Aitken.

Mr. AITKEN. Yes, sir.

Senator LEHMAN. Would your agency be willing to accept responsibility for flood and disaster risk insurance to administer that insurance? The reason I ask that is that that is a suggestion contained in the draft of the bill which I have submitted. I have not studied the other bills very carefully. I think it may very well be in some of the other drafts.

There must be some place to house this responsibility, to lodge this responsibility, and I am asking you whether in your opinion your agency would be willing to assume that responsibility and to administer the law both for flood and disaster insurance.

Mr. AITKEN. Senator, I would answer that question this way: From my immediate standpoint, the responsibility for determining the organizational place for this function, if it becomes a function, rests with the Bureau of the Budget.

But I would say this: If it is the wish of the Congress and the Budget that FCDA should do this job, then we will do it. We are at your service, and we are here to do any job that Congress wants us to do.

Senator LEHMAN. Would you be qualified to do it?

Mr. AITKEN. Well, sir, quite frankly, I would say as of now we do not have people on our staff experienced in insurance-type activities. But I think that perhaps most agencies would need to expand their competence in this respect, and, in line with your very appropriate comments at the beginning of this session this morning, this is a very complex subject in any event, and it involves many unknowns. In a good many respects, and this is a personal view, that data will almost have to be developed from scratch. In other words, you are going to have to start at the beginning, so to speak.

Senator LEHMAN. Any other questions?

Senator BUSH. Mr. Chairman, I have here an advisory bulletin, No. 165, Disaster Series. It is a memorandum of understanding between FCDA and the Department of Agriculture relating to disaster operations. Do you have such similar memoranda of understanding between other departments and the FCDA?

Mr. AITKEN. Yes, sir; with most of the departments and with the National Red Cross. If you would like to have these, sir, for the record, I will be glad to furnish them.

Senator BUSH. Mr. Chairman, I suggest he submit copies of these to the committee, and we can then decide whether to put them in the record.

Senator LEHMAN. I hope you will.

(The material referred to follows:)

STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE FEDERAL CIVIL DEFENSE ADMINISTRATION AND THE AMERICAN NATIONAL RED CROSS RELATING TO DISASTER OPERAATIONS UNDER EXECUTIVE ORDER 10427 AND PUBLIC LAW 875

To insure understanding and agreement on interpretation of Executive Order 10427 and Public Law 875 (Federal Disaster Relief Act), this statement is issued by the Federal Civil Defense Administration and the American National Red Cross for the guidance of National and Regional Offices of the Federal Civil Defense Administration, State and local civil defense organizations, and national headquarters, area offices, and local chapters of the American National Red Cross. Nothing in this statement affects in any way other agreements between the Federal Civil Defense Administration and the American National Red Cross relative to Civil Defense responsibilities under Public Law 920 (Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950).

Executive Order 10427 was issued by the President on January 16, 1953. This order directs the Federal Civil Defense Administrator to take certain action authorized by Public Law 875, 81st Congress, 2d session, as amended, providing for a continuing means of supplemental assistance by the Federal Government to States and local governments in carrying out their responsibilities in alleviating suffering and damage resulting from major disasters.

It further directs the Administrator to coordinate activities of Federal agencies in planning for and furnishing assistance in disasters and to foster development of State and local plans and organizations to cope with major disasters.

In addition, the order authorized the Administrator on behalf of the President to coordinate activities of Federal agencies affording assistance under their own policies, practices, and statutory authority in the event of any disaster which will not permit delay in the commencement of Federal assistance and pending the determination of the President whether or not the disaster is a major one.

Public Law 875, as amended, provides in section 3 that upon the declaration of a "major disaster" by the President, Federal agencies are authorized to provide assistance "(a) by utilizing or lending, with or without compensation therefor, to the States and local governments their equipment, supplies, facilities, personnel, and other resources, other than the extension of credit under the authority of any Act; (b) by distributing, through the American National Red Cross or otherwise, medicine, food, and other consumable supplies; (c) by donating to States and local governments equipment and supplies determined under then existing law to be surplus to the needs and responsibilities of the Federal Government; and (d) by performing on public or private lands protective and other work essential for the preservation of life and property, clearing debris and wreckage, making emergency repairs to and temporary replacements of public facilities of local governments damaged or destroyed in such major disaster, providing temporary housing or other emergency shelter for families, who, as a result of such major disaster, require temporary housing or other emergency shelter, and making contributions to States and local governments for purposes stated in subsection (d). The authority conferred by this Act, and any funds provided hereunder shall be supplementary to, and not in substitution for, nor in limitation of, any other authority conferred or funds provided under any other law."

Section 4 of Public Law 875 states "*** nothing contained in this Act shall be construed to limit or in any way affect the responsibilities of the American National Red Cross under the Act approved January 5, 1905 (33 Stat. 599) as amended." The American National Red Cross will continue to carry out its traditional services to those in need as a result of disasters by providing such assistance as food, clothing, shelter, medical care, household furnishings, building and repair of homes, and occupational rehabilitation. The Red Cross in carrying out its relief program will, as heretofore, exercise administrative and financial control over its own operations. Nothing in this statement shall be construed to invalidate or change existing understandings of cooperation between the American National Red Cross and Federal agencies for joint or sup

porting action in discharging those disaster relief activities for which the Red Cross is responsible.

To secure full coordination of effort in the exercise of their respective responsibilities, the American National Red Cross and Federal Civil Defense Administration agree to and will be governed by the following:

1. Arrangements will be made nationally and regionally for continuing liaison, mutual planning, and exchange of information regarding disasters.

2. Similar arrangements should be established between Civil Defense and Red Cross organizations at the local level.

3. Federal Civil Defense Administration will cooperate with and encourage State and local Civil Defense organizations to assist the American National Red Cross in discharging its defined disaster relief responsibilities.

4. American National Red Cross will cooperate with Federal Civil Defense Administration and encourage Red Cross chapters to assist the Civil Defense forces in discharging their responsibilities for disaster relief.

5. Federal funds authorized under Public Law 875 will not be used to reimburse States and localities for expenditures made by them within the area of Red Cross disaster responsibility, as outlined above, nor is it intended that Federal funds will serves as a substitute for, or make unnecessary, voluntary contributions by the general public which provides the Red Cross with the funds necessary to discharge its responsibilities in disasters resulting from natural J. J. WADSWORTH,

causes.

Acting Administrator, Federal Civil Defense Administration.

FEBRUARY 5, 1953.

E. ROLAND HARRIMAN, President of the American National Red Cross.

FEBRUARY 6, 1953.

SUPPLEMENT No. 1

SUPPLEMENT TO STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE FEDERAL CIVIL DEFENSE ADMINISTRATION AND THE AMERICAN NATIONAL RED CROSS RELATING TO DISASTER OPERATIONS UNDER EXECUTIVE ORDER 10427 AND PUBLIC LAW 875

To implement the terms of the understanding negotiated between the Federal Civil Defense Administration and the American National Red Cross, and to guide staff members of these two organizations in making effective their cooperative efforts during operations occasioned by natural disasters, the following procedures have been agreed upon:

I. Interchange of information

A. The Red Cross through the area director of disaster services will advise the regional director, FCDA, of the occurrence of a disaster and pertinent information concerning the kind, extent, persons affected, damage created, and relief measures being taken whenever in the opinion of the area office the disaster is one, or is likely to speedily become one, in which one or more Federal agencies are or will be furnishing assistance. Additional facts concerning the disaster will be provided in the same manner through periodic reports during the emergency period.

B. The regional directors, FCDA, will similarly provide the area office of the Red Cross, through the area director of disaster services, such information concerning a disaster whenever he has knowledge that assistance of one or more Federal agencies has been or will be requested.

C. National headquarters of the American Red Cross and the national office of FCDA will maintain continuous liaison and will exchange such disaster information received from the area office of the Red Cross and the regional director, FCDA, respectively.

II. Liaison arrangements when field headquarters has been established

The Red Cross area office through the area director of disaster services will notify the regional director, FCDA, whenever a disaster field headquarters has been established, providing the location of such field headquarters, the name of the director of the relief operation, and similar information. In the same way the regional director, FCDA, will advise the area director of disaster services whenever the FCDA establishes a field headquarters for its operations in a