The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1917-08-11
BIG MEN GIVING SERVICES
c~o-ordinstlnp the Industries Of the
Country So That Each Can Rem
der the Limit Of Its Potential
Service TO Government.
BY EDWARD q. CLARK.

! ClhAlg AgA NAAOAOAEAAf AA1C oNOOds IA
Council Of National Defense itself con-
sists simply of six cabinet officers. the
secretaries of war, navy. interior, agri-
| culture, commerce and labor. The adj
visory committee Of national defense.
which is affiliated with the council.
consists Of a commission of seven BUSH
ness men who. with the departments
assigned to them, are as follows:
Daniel Willard, transportation and
communication (president Baltimore
& Ohio ~railroad), chairman.
Howard E. Coffin, munitions and
manufacturing Including Standard
zation) and Industrial relations, vice
president Hudson Motor company.
Julius Rosenwald, supplies (includ-
Ing clothing, etc.), president Sears.
Roebuck & Co.
Bernard NJ. Baruch, raw materials,
minerals and metals, banker.
: DR.. Hollis Godfrey, engineering and
education, president Drexel institute.
Samuel Gompers, labor, including
conservation of health and welfare OF
workers, president American Fedora
ton Of Labor.
DR.. Franklin Martin. medicine and
surgery, including general sanitation.
secretary General American College Of
Surgeons, Chicago.
All Freely Undertaken.
Upon these men devolved the task
Of so co-ordinating the Industries OF
the country that each and all, fgura-
lively speaking, could render to the
government the limit of it's potential
service at the pressing Of a button.
Less than 100 salaried persons are
working for the government under the
advisory committee OF national de-
fense-of the members of the COM
mittee itself only one or two have
even rendered expense bills. From
400 to 500 men, whose incomes from
their business ranges from $1,000 to
more than 100000 a year, are giving
their services to the government that
the United States may perform its
share Of winning the val against Ger
many.
The vital thing at first vas to as
certain the needs of the country, 10
learn the things industry must supply
TO put our soldiers into the field and
keep them there and to supply the
needs Of ourselves and our allies. A
dozen major subjects instantly sug-
gested themselves when the business
men began to put their heads togeth-
err: the best use to be made of the
railroads, both for the transportation
of troops and of material to keep our
industries going and our citizens fed
the part the waterways should play In
the scheme OF transportation; the mo-
bilization of military and industrial
resources; the increase Of agriculture
and manufacture to meet the abnor-
NAL demands incident TO war; the
building Of ships, and the compilation
Of an enormous mass of data from
which any reasonable question with
reference to military and Industrial ca
pacity could be answered.
Railroads and Telephones
Already the 100000 miles of rail-
road In the United States have been
virtually Communicated by the advi-
O committee, which, through Chair
nan Willard, can issue to them more
arbitrary orders than President VIII
son. under the most drastic law, prob
ably would care to issue. This is a
voluntary service of the railroad and
admittedly possibly Is intended as IN
answer to some of the railroad criti-
cisms In congress.
One man also now governs the tele'
phone-Theodore n. Vail, president OF
the American Telephone and Tele-
graph company. For the first time In
telephone history regulars and indie
pendents are working side by side fol
the good of the country. More thas
10000 miles of wire have been SCI
aside for the special use Of he army
and the navy and some of b othei
departments. Modern methods fol
using the telephone are being intro
duced and new systems installed. one
of which will cover completely tne
signal service In the field. Washing
ton is being taught how to use TINS
telephone properly and a new centra
office with a capacity OF 10000 n
is being provided.
In the mobilization camps ane
among the lighthouses and coast guare
stations new telephone facilities are
being created, requiring 0 miles o.
submarine cable, 300 miles of pole
and more than 1900 miles OF wire
The soldiers of the National Guart
who are guarding railroad bridges
and water supply systems ave beer
put in touch with headquarters. L
secrets could be told. the story OF thu
extension of the telephone service IL
the navy would make the people ID