CBS News learns that plans are afoot to build a fallout shelter for President Kennedy in Hyannis Port, his summer home on Cape Cod. The Army Engineers are doing the construction. They will begin soon. The President has wanted to inject a sense of urgency into the Civil Defense Program. Since he mentioned it on his nation-wide radio and television address, there has been a big rush on mail inquiries. At the year's beginning, the Civil Defense Office received about 4,000 letters a month. Now, they get nearly twice that many every day.
Congress responded to the President's request. More money was appropriated - about $300 million will be spent on Civil Defense this year. Edward McDermott, Deputy Director of Civil Defense, said that one of the best ways to cut national apathy about Civil Defense was for federal officials to set an example, and that is what the President is going to do by getting a fallout shelter in his summer home.