"1941: State Council of Defense was created about the time of America's entry into World War II, as a temporary body with limited powers to facilitate state and local government participation in the National Defense Program. Its main function was to coordinate governmental and private agencies in the defense effort.
This Council consisted of the Governor as Ex-officio chairman, the Attorney General, the Adjutant General, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Director of Public Health, and 20 members appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the Governor subject to Senate confirmation. Two members of the Senate and three members of the Assembly were appointed to meet with and participate in the work of the Council. Again, members received no compensation. It was replaced by the State Council of Defense created by the State War Powers Act in l943.
1943: State War Council
The Legislature passed the State War Powers Act as its first official action in 1943 by special session. It was to increase the emergency war powers of the Governor during World War II and to provide an adequately financed official agency for the coordination of the local, state, and federal civilian war effort in California. The act provided that it should terminate at the expiration of six months after `cessation of hostilities."
The State War Council originally consisted of the Governor; the Lieutenant Governor; the State Director of Civilian Defense; the State Director of Civilian Protection; the State Director of Civilian War Services; the Attorney General; two representatives of city governments and two representatives of county governments, who were appointed by and served at the pleasure of the Governor; as well as two members of the Senate and two members of the Assembly. Council members were not paid. The Governor was to be Ex officio chairman, the State Director of Civilian Defense was Ex officio vice chairman.
The War Powers Act divided the civilian war effort into two operational segments Protective Services and War Services. Protective Services was composed of police, fire, health, rescue, demolition, and repair, and other protective service officials and auxiliary civilian volunteer groups.
The War Services branch was designed to assist in maintaining civilian morale and providing opportunities for constructive volunteer service in the total war effort. The volunteer citizen accomplishments from January 1943 to the close of the war included planning and training programs. The acceptance of the program and public enthusiasm for it was apparent when more than a million volunteers registered in the various programs during the wartime period.
Under this act, the Governor was authorized to create advisory committees to assist in specific fields of civilian defense activity. Appointed advisory committees were made up of outstanding leaders in the various protective and service fields."
Continues next week.
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