Survival Stocks Placed In University's Shelters

The Cambridge Department of Civil Defense is going ahead with its plans to stock all the fall-out shelters located in University buildings, although a spokesman for the Department said Monday that "Harvard has not given us all the co-operation we had hoped for."

According to Mrs. Mary Draper, one of the Department's secretaries, the Civil Defense agency felt it advisable to convert the basements of quite a number of Harvard buildings into fall-out shelters, but the University has been unwilling to sign licenses authorizing the action for all of them.

Mrs. Draper said that many more shelters are needed to provide adequately for the safety of the students and the community.

Administrative Vice-President L. Gard Wiggins, who signed the licenses, admitted that he had not approved action on all the shelters which the Civil Defense had wished to stock.

"We just don't want to waste spare on shelters that may not be absolutely necessary," Wiggins explained. "You would be surprised at the room shortage and the large number of University supplies that must be stored in basements." Wiggins added that he is giving the matter careful thought.

Arthur D Trottenberg '48, assistant dean of the Faculty for business affairs, agreed with Wiggins's view. "The University is right in proceeding very cautiously. This is a new problem that no one knows very much about yet."

The buildings for which Wiggins signed licenses last spring are presently being stocked with special "survival" crackers, large tanks of chlorinated water, medical supplies, and a Geiger counter. The supplies will be replaced every five years.