White House Press Release, Address of President Harry S. Truman

HOLD FOR RELEASE HOLD FOR RELEASE HOLD FOR RELEASE May 5, 1947 166 CONFIDENTIAL The following address of the President, to be delivered at the opening of the Fire Prevention Conference in the Departmental Auditorium, Washington, D. C., MUST BE HELD IN CONFIDENCE UNTIL RELEASED. Release is automatic at 11 o'clock A.M., E.S.T., Tuesday, May 6, 1947. The same.hour of release applies to all newspapers, radio announcers and news broadcasters. PLEASE GUARD AGAINST PREMATURE PUBLICATION OR RADIO ANNOUNCEMENT. CHARLES G. ROSS Secretary to the President The nation has been shocked by a long series of spectacular fires in the last few years -- particularly in the last few months which have resulted in such great loss of life and such widespread misery. Just the other day, the Texas City disaster drove home anew the lesson that we must find ways and means to. combat the ever-present danger of fire and explosion. The great hotel fires of last year again showed that we cannot afford to entrust our citizens' lives to unsafe buildings. But these fires which make the headlines are only a small fraction of the total. Thousands of lives are lost annually and tens of thousands of people are injured in the many less spectacular fires NARA which occur hour after hour, day after day, throughout the year. This conference brings together for the first time the highest officials of municipalities, states, the Federal government and national groups interested in fire prevention and in saving lives from fires. We are approaching the fire problem on a truly national basis. Our first concern is for the lives of our people, especially those of young people. Fire strikes hardest at youth. Two thousand children, on the average, die every year from burns, and thousands of others are scarred for life, This toll must be reduced. Next in importance is the fact that we as a nation cannot to ignore the staggering destruction of gods, natural sources, buildings and other property by fire. During the last twelve months fires destroyed more than $560,000,000 worth of our wealth. The loss for 1947 will be more than three-quarters of a billion dollars unless we can reduce the present rate. No dollar value can ever be put on the irreplaceable things which fire destroys. Who can count the value of a human life destroyed by fire? Who can say what a fire costs when it destroys thousands of tons of food sorely needed here and abroad? What is the value of a house the burning of which makes a family homeless during this housing shortage? Who can put a dollar value on a burning forest? The fire loss, in lives and property, which occurs annually in our forest and rural areas makes up a highly important part of the annual toll. Such destruction of our precious natural resources is of concern to each of us. Who can say what fire costs the nation when a single fire in one factory can result in lost jobs and lost wages for hundreds of workmen, reduced savings and reduced volume of trade throughout a community? These are some of the tragic consequences of the 830,000 fires that occur annually in the United States. It is for this conference to determine the causes of this destruction and map out a program of preventive action. We must use all our experience, knowledge, and organizational facilities to solve our fire problems. Great advance has been made in the technical methods of prevention and protection. The concerted effort of all our people is needed in order losses where fire occurs. to make effective the known methods of preventing fires and preventing large A contributing factor in our fire death toll is our legacy of old construction. Also, we have a comploxity of building laws and codes in some (OVER)