The De Soto County news. [volume] (Arcadia, Fla.) 1898-1924, 1916-05-04
FIELD AIDS
FOR PREPAREDNESS.


The following is an article on Ma
tiOnal Preparedness, which covers q
short synopsis Of the scope and plan
Of the movement ON foot in this coun'
try.
The Florida directors Of the naval
consulting board are L. X. McLain
and X. y. Deckman Of st. Angus
tine r. L. Chandler and F.. II.
Flint, Of Gainesville, and G. s.
Hammatt Of Jacksonville.
This board is giving to the public
the following general plan and poll.
cy Of Field Aids for Preparedness. l."
This is a national organization for
/ industrial preparedness, and, In Its
' comprehensive scope Of activity, re.
-quiring the services OF men Of ability
and experience in their several fields
Of knowledge. President woodrow
Wilson realizing the Importance and
immensely of such an undertaking,
addressed a letter under date OF Jan
uary 10. 1916. to the executives of the
five national engineering societies re.
Ques ting them, the American Society
+ Civil Engineers, the American In
stitutc of Mining Engineers, the
American Society Of Mechanical Engi'
HCcrs. the American Institute Of Elec'
triral Engineers, and the American
Chemical Society. to nominate for the
approval Of the secretary Of the navy
rcprcs cntalivc from its membership
for ach state In the Union. and these
five men I'm each state to constitute
board Of directors, and associate mem.
hers Of the naval consulting board;
and tine boarls Of directors in turn
| are 10 designate field aids who will
| Gather the mlt"rial for an Industrial
inventory from the country's sources
| including production, argaulzatl"n
manufacture. standardization; non
partisan. uun-politcal ana wholly pa
| uiotlc. The scope j. u broad one and
cannot br accomplished by a small
| CORPS Of men or boards. II must be-
done 10y The men Win themsclyc, have
! gc,clupcd thu industries Of th" couu
| try. President Woodrow Wilson hH~
| turned 30 the engineer, Of America a.
| take up this work, It is they who in
| the event Of war must stand behind
! Nm, mlu-tic-. and they are Therefore
called into service I'm tmH oi peace.
! This makes fort mine W rkiug boards
with twr hundred and forty-tirr on.
| .'uocrs. 1rd pledged 'r support them
The entire membership Of these great
societic, with more than 10000 cu-i-
nccr, trained as only American engi.
ncors are trained. All If the state iii
r..tur> from Maine to California ana
from Alaska To Florida have accepted
their nominate ms: and it is expected
that the response from the fcld aid,
will also I've unanimous, and that al
will enter upon the work in the mos
serious and concentrated frame 'oi
mind.
4 inmate. sweeping inventory OF in
duStry will he made by means Of Il
very carefully prepared printed form
/ The Information called for in this
/ nn will lie based upOn What business
/ men consider il necessary to know IN
4 arriving at the physical capacity OF
4 plants and their fitness and reliability
4 Tor specific classes of outpSIt. Such
information has never before been col
Elected by any department of the gov.
ernment. This form has been passed
upon by the army and navy suthori-
ties and the inventory will probably
be shade during the month Of May
TIN program is the fruit of months of
| work and consultation with the best
brains Of the country. Accepting in the
Cravcst spirit the lessons written in
the Industrial upheayal and paralysis
that selzed upon some OF the nations
at the start Of the European war, we
must not wait for war before mobil
izing our resources. We have learn
Cd that for spne million men ON the
lighting line there must he a force OF
three million workers behind, and
that the position of these workers In
the mills must carry with II similar
honor accorded the soldier in the
trenches. 1t will form an industrial
reserve.
The widest possible publicity is de-
sired, that there may be the heartiest
cooperation BY all the citizens OF the
countTy, thereby building the greatest