The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1917-11-30
DEFENSE BODIES
WELL ORGANIZED
Local Councils Have Been
Formed in Practically Every
State in Union.
MACHINE WORKS SMOOTHLY
Value Of GENERALIZATION Is Shown by
the Reports That Have Been Re.
celved at National Head
quarters.

war purposes Is approaching cO1nple-
tion, according to report just made
to the several state councils by the sec
tion on cooperation with states of the
national council of defense. In every
state In the Union there is by this
time an official state council Of de-
Tense; and In 43 of the 48 states a
chain of county or local councils has
been developed. Two more states have
planned to begin such local organiza-
tion ut once. Every week the section
on cooperation with states hears of
new districts organized and new activ-
tiles undertaken by the local organiza-
tlons.
The reports which come to Washing
ton from the state councils show the
value of the decentralization thus OBJ
tained. The most useful sort of war
work is that done locally by indivfd-
uals who come into personal touch
with oil the elements in their COM
munity and who know their field like
book. Not only are the county and
town councils of defense useful in do
ing work for which there is unique
demand In their own locality, but they
are especially valuable in carrying
through projects initiated either in
Washington or In the state councils.
Machine Works Smoothly.
The great machine is now working
smoothly. Suppose Washington wishes
local cooperation throughout the coun-
try In some particular task. Through
the section of cooperation with states
II calls for the help of the state coun-
ellis; the state councils pass on the
work to the county or town councils;
and these In turn In some cases direct
the work of subordinate councils and
communities. With minimum Of du-
plication the work Is carried on local
ly under federal direction. And the
machine works the other way, too.
Any suggestion from local organiza-
ton may be transmitted to Washing
ton and be made the basis of work In
as much Of the country as is prepared
for 1t. .e
There are many interesting varia-
tions in local organization. While the
county Is the usual unit Of state sub
division, In many Of the smaller east
ern states the township or municipal
ity has been taken as the unit. while
several states have town councils
working under the county councils.
There are three distinct methods of
choosing the members of local coun-
ellis. In majority of the states the
members were appointed directly by
the governor or the state council, but
In few states certain county officials
were ex-officlo constituted the county
council, and In many, cases the state
council arranged meeting of promi-
nent citizens, at which the county
elected Its council members. The rela-
tion between state and local organlza'
tion varies from Wisconsin, where the
work of the state council is law and all
the activities Of the county councils
are supervised with greatest care, to
Massachusetts, where the municipal
councils are held competent to manage
their own affairs and receive nothing
more binding than suggestions from
the statehouse. 1t may generally be
said that local organizations are given
~.