The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-04-05

print arc not sufficient. There must
be o plan, and 1t is a very definite
practical plan on which this commit
tee has been engaged for the last
three months and which is even now
under way.
Three Initial Steps.
There are three distinct initial
steps. The first Is to find out what
American industry can actually pro-
duce in munitions Of war. The Sec
ond is to apply that knowledge in a
practical way which will put the
plants OF this country into the service
OF the government behind the army
and navy. The third step Is to form
such an organization of skilled labor
as will not get of the job when war
comes. that will not allow skilled
workers to so to the front only to be
pulled back later. more or less de-
moralized, to tasks from which they
should never have been taken. It, is
now well known that allowing skilled
labor to enlist at the outbreak OF hos
tilities created very serious state of
affairs In the factories OF European
countries.
I'm the first step, that Of making
the industrial inventory, we cannot
depend on any small corps Of men or
board. The work must be done by
the men who themselves have devel-
oped the industries Of the country. In
short, we must enroll and we are pro-
ceeding to enroll, American indus
try at Its source. We have turned to
the engineers Of America to take UP
this work. 1t is they who in the event
Of war must stand behind the indus
tries and we have called them into
service In time Of peace. Briefly, IN
every state Of the union board Of
five directors has been formed, each
director being q leading business en-
gineer Of his state, familiar with his
states factories, mills and mines.
These five men are chosen, one each
from five great technical societies
the American Society Of Civil Engi-
neers, the American Institute of Min
ing Engineers, the American Society
OF Mechanical Engineers, the Ameri-
can Institute OF Electrical Engineers
and the American Chemical Society,
which have themselves, with the only
standard that Of efficiency and integ-
rity, selected these directors, who re-
ceive appointment at the hands Of the
secretary Of the navy. This gives us,
including Alaska, five men each, in all
forty-nine working boards Of 245 en-
gineers Of the highest standing, and
under them will work. the more than
10000 engineers belonging to the five
great societies. all of these men
trained as only American engineers
are trained. All the state directors,
from Maine to Alaska, and from LOU
isiana to California, have accepted
their nomination. The engineers are
entering upon the work in the most
serious and concentrated frame OF
mind.
THE method Of procedure will be
that under the direction of this COM
mittee and Immediately in charge Of
W. s. Giford-who, as chief statisti-
clan OF the American Telephone and
Telegraph Company. is probably the
leading business statistician in the
country, trained to national per-
specttye. and whose services have been
offered free by his company as a pa
trtotic act---a minute, sweeping inyen-
tory Of industry will be made by
means Of q very carefully prepared
printed form. The information called
for in this form will be based upon
what business men consider It nee
essary to know in arriving at the
physical capacity Of plants and their
fitness and reliability for specific
classes Of output. Such information
has never before been collected by any
department Of the government.
Every Bit of Information.
1.-THE form in the first instance will
go to some 10000 concerns, and It
calls Tor every bit Of information nee
essary 70 the government in time Of
war. The formb will go to the manu-
facturer through the state directors,
who will pass 1t on to the best quail
fled engineer in the field, who will be
known az a field aide, and will be held
personally responsible for the filling
out Of .ha form. This form has been
passed upon by the army and navy
authorities. and the inventory will
probably be made during the month
of May. Nothing has been left to
guess work. The program is the fruit
OF months OF work and consultation
with the best brains in the country.
Everything is now ready for rapio
movement.
fBut-and here we come second
step. we will not stop at the mere
gathering of this information. The
detailed record Of producing faciii-
ties, for that Is what It will be, will
not be enough for our purpose. We
have accepted in the gravest spirit
the lesson written In the Industrial