Retrospect - Personal Responsibility

this is Douglas Edwards bringing you retrospect a film Excursion into past events events which form the patterns by which we live today retrospect is brought to you by the office of civil and defense mobilization in cooperation with your local civil defense office and your local station now here's your host Douglas Edwards what all men are really after said Joseph Conrad is some form or perhaps only some formula of Peace in the past 50 years four major peace treaties have been written into the pages of History each at the time of its ratification represented a turning point in world affairs and each was preceded by the drama of a formal surrender ceremony the first and second of these ceremonies occurred 22 years apart in the same city not by coincidence but by an act of calculated irony World War I ended on on November 11th 1918 Germany signed the official surrender document in this railroad car at compen France 7 months later at Versailles Germany submitted a Stern political military and Naval conditions and relinquished large sections of her European territory and all of her Colonial possessions only a few years would pass after this big four meeting before Hitler would be promising revenge for the humiliation of 1918 promising that heads would roll and so it came to pass on June 22nd 1940 France had been in the second world war less than 10 months the majino line said France to the Free World was impregnable but the irresistible force of Hitler's War Machine had found the majino line a pitifully movable object now came that glorious moment the furer had promised the master race the experation of November 1980 and what could be more fitting than that same railroad car at compen in which Germany had been brought to her knees the sweet irony of it was music to the Nazis Marshall Philip pan a hero of World War I represented the French France's grand old Soldier would later betray his country by collaborating with Hitler the French contingent solemnly boarded the train filed in to face their subor Pan saluted the fural and then took pan in hand to seal French defeat in one humiliating [Music] stroke 5 years later Germany's turn came again before the formal Armistice took place Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery commander-in-chief of the anglo-american armies in Europe accepted the surrender of half a million German troops the date was May 4 1945 and then on May 7th at General Eisenhower's headquarters in a Schoolhouse in Reams France an unconditional surrender ceremony took [Music] place signing on behalf of the German government Colonel Gustav yodel Hitler's right-hand man on Military Affairs for the United States General Walter beetles Smith Eisenhower's Chief of Staff general of the army Douglas MacArthur presided over the final Japanese surrender on September 2nd 1945 18 days earlier the Empire of Japan had accepted unconditional surrender terms after almost four years of war Justice and retribution had finally been achieved in a dramatic 20-minute ceremony on the deck of the Battleship Missouri anchored in Tokyo bay a stern-looking MacArthur watched as mamuru shutu son Ed on behalf of the emperor the Japanese all formally attired went through the motions with stiff grimness a highlight of the ceremony came when General hmer perpetrator of the infamous batan Death March signed for the Japanese military establishment he did not even bother to be seated two years later at the war crimes trials in Tokyo General hmer was sentenced to hang after all Japanese representative signed there came the most tramatic moment of the ceremony General MacArthur seated himself at the table to sign for the United States then with a flourish of poetic justice he turned and gave his pen to General Jonathan Wright the courageous defender of corgador a peace treaty of the future would also be preceded by a surrender ceremony and the surrender ceremony by a war if war is to be prevented one way is through preparedness the director of the office of civil and defense mobilization has called upon every American to help strengthen the defense of the country by strengthening the defense of his own home today's guest is Mr George Glenn from The Office of civil and defense mobilization Mr Glenn we've heard about the ocdm national plan now just what is this plan the national plan with its 39 annexes is the blueprint for survival in recovery it is the model for all state and local governments today there are 50 of these State plans 240 metropolitan area plans and over 2500 Community plans our national plan covers the specific jobs for the protection of life and property for example preparations for the continuity of government warning damage assessment Communications maintenance of Law and Order and many many others it also covers mobilization of the national resources the national Manpower Annex for example deals with the nation's Manpower availability the health plan covers steps to assure Medical Care the food plan outlines responsibilities for conservation and distribution of food the list is very extensive but this will give you an idea Mr Glenn are all these plans being converted into action yes for example we have completed an excellent warning system the continuity of government program is completed in Most states we have stockpiled $225 Million worth of medical and Engineering supplies over 2,000 emergency hospitals are stored throughout the country we have 8 billion worth of materials stockpiled for recovery we have an ample supply of food in the commodity credit stock pile as you know the shelter program is moving ahead at a good Pace shelters are being constructed in private homes such as this shelter here for instance such as this for the private homes Office Buildings and schools these are a few of the accomplishments but I must repeat again the individual citizen is the key to an effective civil defense program well now Mr Glenn as a citizen what can I do to help my family survive well there are five steps to home preparedness first know your warning signals and what they mean these signals are the same throughout the nation a steady blast of 3 to 5 minutes means take action as directed by your local government the second signal is a wailing tone or a series of short blasts lasting for 3 minutes this means take cover immediately in the best available shelter second know your community plan for emergency action as I said over 2500 communities already have emergency plans ready to activate in the moment's notice how can we find out just exactly what those plans are Mr Glenn call your local civil defense office Mayor city manager or other local officials if there is no plan exert your rights as a citizen and request that a definite plan be drawn up now third protect your family by providing an adequate fall out shelter and stock it with a 2 we supply of emergency food and water and fourth at least one member of every family should be trained in first aid call either Red Cross or civil defense and find out when the next course is being given in your community Fifth and this is the last step make sure you know the conad frequencies of 640 and 1240 on your AM radio dial in case of attack this will be your only means of receiving official instruction or information these are the five steps Mr Edwards they are not complicated difficult nor will they take much time but they may save your life during a ATT five very important steps indeed thank you Mr Glenn for your information on individual survival steps and don't forget to stop in at your local civil and defense office ask for your free copy of this handy wallet-sized card listing the home preparedness information on one side and the warning signals on the other get your copy carry it with you at all times for centuries the royal family of Great Britain has held a high place of dignity and veneration in the hearts of the British people a Britain who shouts God Save the Queen might also be saying God saved the symbol of our greatness since the turn of the century Four Kings and two queens have occupied the Throne of England this was London as it looked in 191 the 63rd year of the Victorian era Victoria had occupied the throne longer than any Monarch in English History at her death she was known as the grandmother of Europe her five children having all married into other European royal families Edward iith ruled from 191 to 1910 strengthening contact between the crown and the [Music] people when Edward died his oldest living son was crowned George V the new king found the Pomp and ceremony of Royal functions to be annoying he was a good Sportsman fond of hunting and attending the races his greatest period of popularity came during the catastrophic period which he had done his best to forestall World War I George V spent a great part of the war visiting the wounded in the hospitals of World War I on three occasions he made visits to the Troops on the Belgian and French battlefronts in the early 20s the Prince of Wales would follow his father to the throne as Edward VII he made a visit to the United States at that time he had already met the woman he loved the shock of the only voluntary abdication in English History would come only 11 months after his coronation in May of 19 1835 George V celebrated the 25th year of his [Music] Reign 8 months later Great Britain was mourning his death he had been one of the most popular Kings in all of English History on May 12th 1937 after the abdication of Edward VII the Duke of York ascended the throne as George V 6 during World War II the new king and his family shared The Perils of their subjects by maintaining residence in Buckingham Palace throughout the German Blitz when George V 6 died in 1952 Great Britain crowned its first ruling Queen in 51 years Elizabeth II among Englishmen everywhere there was was hoped that their new Queen's ascendancy might foreshadow Great Britain's return to what was known as the spacious age of Elizabeth well before we close the show today this final and vital reminder that we can survive nuclear war if each of us knows and takes action on the five fundamental steps to preparedness one know your warning signals and what they mean two know your community plan for emergency action three prepare a fallout shelter stock it with a 14-day food and water supply four take a first aid course five know the conell rad frequencies 640 and 1240 on your AM radio dial each individual who follows these steps can help protect America we hope you've enjoyed a glimpse of the world in retrospect and that you'll be with us on our next Excursion into the past this is Douglas Edwards saying goodbye for now retrospect starring Douglas Edwards was brought to you by the office of civil and defense mobilization in cooperation with your local civil defense office and your local station survival in the nuclear age is a personal responsibility touching every American Family make sure you take part learn the facts about civil defense preparedness start your home preparedness program today the prepared family builds a prepared Nation civil defense is an American [Music] tradition