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H-1661, whole no. 3, Summer 1948

Page 2

[Header] PAGE 2   Summer, 1948   H-1661
[/Header] [line across page]
from reaching their "rat-holes" and escaping duties. Quite a number of us are already exempt from anything short of emergency needs due to age or previous service. If our government is paralyzed for even a few hours, more bombs will come to create further disorganization. In that event, no one who has not already been taken will need to worry about much of anything but reachig cover. It probably will be a case of every man for himself. Some will work with each other as long as there is something for everyone, but with the coming of hunger and shortages most men will be selfish individuals fighting only for themselves and their inmediate families. Widner and I merely believerwe would be better off by having  a place to go where we could set up livable conditions for a limited number, and protect them if necessary.

Other comments in the Spring Mailing confirm my belief that most of fandom will passively ignore unpleasant possibilities. It is quite a natural thing to do, and I am almost glad to see such normality in a group of fans. I have long felt, as does Art, that making up any cooperative group of fans alone would be a mistake. The rest of this will interest only those of you who think something can be done by planning, saving, and effort.

Choosing the site of a survival camp would be the one most important act in beginning a program. Don Thompson has lightly suggested Nebraska; I would immediately rule that one out on the basis of undesirable terrain and weather. Art suggests the area around Donner Summit in northeastern California; that seems a good possibility in spite of the poor soil and winters that may be more severe than Art thinks they are. I have two further suggestions that might bear an investigation. The first, which I will pass over lightly, is Baja California, not even in these United States and requiring travel across desert country in the reaching, though easily found. Anybody who is interested in the other can check up on the part of southern Colorado between Durango, Silverton, Salida, and Monte Vista. This one I consider best for a number of reasons. It has all the favorable factors Art mentions, and others. The climate is good, really harsh winters even been uncommon. It is a mountainous region with plenty of timber and abundant mineral deposits. The soil is excellent for farming and there is plentiful pasture land. Game and all kinds of fish are plentiful. The whole are lies in a huge kink in the Continental Divide which will give directional protection from possible nearby bombs.

I lived in Monte Vista as a small boy. The whole area would make a fine choice for a vacation camp if the site never had to be used as an escape hope. I would be interested in hearing personally from Art, Chan, or any others who would be seriously interested in working out a program which would result in giving us all a vacation spot, if nothing else, and quite possibly the potential means of at least the hope of surviving an atomic holocaust.

In closing for this time, I would like to mention that proximity to the West is not my reason for making these suggestions.

Saving...

[Header] PAGE 2 Summer, 1948 H-1661 [/Header] [line across page] from reaching their "rat-holes" and escaping duties. Quite a number of us are already exempt from anything short of emergency needs due to age or previous service. If our government is paralyzed for even a few hours, more bombs will come to create further disorganization. In that event, no one who has not already been taken will need to worry about much of anything but reachig cover. It probably will be a case of every man for himself. Some will work with each other as long as there is something for everyone, but with the coming of hunger and shortages most men will be selfish individuals fighting only for themselves and their inmediate families. Widner and I merely believerwe would be better off by having a place to go where we could set up livable conditions for a limited number, and protect them if necessary. Other comments in the Spring Mailing confirm my belief that most of fandom will passively ignore unpleasant possibilities. It is quite a natural thing to do, and I am almost glad to see such normality in a group of fans. I have long felt, as does Art, that making up any cooperative group of fans alone would be a mistake. The rest of this will interest only those of you who think something can be done by planning, saving, and effort. Choosing the site of a survival camp would be the one most important act in beginning a program. Don Thompson has lightly suggested Nebraska; I would immediately rule that one out on the basis of undesirable terrain and weather. Art suggests the area around Donner Summit in northeastern California; that seems a good possibility in spite of the poor soil and winters that may be more severe than Art thinks they are. I have two further suggestions that might bear an investigation. The first, which I will pass over lightly, is Baja California, not even in these United States and requiring travel across desert country in the reaching, though easily found. Anybody who is interested in the other can check up on the part of southern Colorado between Durango, Silverton, Salida, and Monte Vista. This one I consider best for a number of reasons. It has all the favorable factors Art mentions, and others. The climate is good, really harsh winters even been uncommon. It is a mountainous region with plenty of timber and abundant mineral deposits. The soil is excellent for farming and there is plentiful pasture land. Game and all kinds of fish are plentiful. The whole are lies in a huge kink in the Continental Divide which will give directional protection from possible nearby bombs. I lived in Monte Vista as a small boy. The whole area would make a fine choice for a vacation camp if the site never had to be used as an escape hope. I would be interested in hearing personally from Art, Chan, or any others who would be seriously interested in working out a program which would result in giving us all a vacation spot, if nothing else, and quite possibly the potential means of at least the hope of surviving an atomic holocaust. In closing for this time, I would like to mention that proximity to the West is not my reason for making these suggestions.