Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-12-21

matters would move more quickly to-
ward the end of war accomplishment
The press has carried the word that
the national council of defense has
announced a new and large "co-ordi
mating body" to include seven members
| of the cabinet and the heads of the
/ civilian boards which concern them
selves with shipping, food, fuel and
war industries. On this council bring
| about complete order and make out
of the different elements one machine,
all of whose parts will work in unison,
without friction, and turn out rapidly
the things needed?
In statement made by the council
of national defense this is said:
"Since the Council of National De-
Tense, composed of Secretary of War
Baker, Secretary of the Navy Dan
fels, Secretary of the Interior Lane,
rotary Of Commerce Redfield, and Sec
rotary of Labor Wilson, represents the
military aims of the government, as
well as. those federal executive depart
ments dealing most directly with the
vital resources of the Bstion, this larg-
er co-ordinating body will work toward
unification of the machinery neces-
sary in the prosecution of the war"
Aims of New Council.
This new war council, with three
cabinet members ADDED, will deal with
the larger affairs of government en-
gagged in war The attempt will be to
see to it that there is coordination of
purchases for the army, ravy and the
allied and neutral countries; that
there is quick handling of all war sup
plies at home; that the direction of the
industrial energies of the country be
firm in method and rapid in maneuver,
and that in short everyone of the
great affairs of country at war be
managed without loss Of time, without
fear of duplication of effort and with
a view singIy to getting quick results.
If such a program can be put
through; if all friction such as that
which developed in the shipping board,
for instance, can be avoided; if no two
men do the same work daily, neither
one knowing that the other is doing
it, and in short, if system can be made
master of the situation, expedition will
be the result and weight of worry
will be lifted from the minds of the
officials of the administration and from
those of the patriotic people.
There is another matter of co-ordi-
nation of work which is not taken into
consideration in connection with this
effort to secure harmony and a syste-
matizing of effort by means of a. high
American war council in Washington.
Bureaus Need Attention, Too.
Things cannot move smoothly nor
quickly anywhere along the line which
runs from the top of things to the bot
tom If things unless the rough places
below be smoothed as well as the rough
places above. Every man connected
with this new war council is a chief
| of operations so to speak in his own
| right. He may direct that things be
! done in a certain way and the order
will run down the line, but if it is
| found impossible in some of the lower
| official spheres to make things run
smoothly, the whole effort, if not lost,
! is delayed in its result.
There are bureaus in the war depart
ment today in which ten men are en-
gagged at work where the work of only
one man was necessary in the times of
| peace Into the charge of these bu-
reaus come daily multitudinous masses
| of material intended for the army and
| the navy and in some few instances
| for the pacific branches of the govern
ment.
The different branches of the war
department have been run Tor years
along certain we'll defined lines. There
was not great deal of material to
handle, nor was there a mass of detail
to master. A few officers, trained to
do the work Systematically, succeeded
in doing 1t satisfactorily. IN times Of
peace there was no great hurry in NOV
ing material from one place to anoth-
er. Now everything is changed.
When a request comes in for certain
supplies of different kinds it means
that they must be forwarded immedi-
ately. There are a thousand new men
on the job and thus far few of them
have definite information as TO the ex-
act nature of their duties. Neither is
there any one man who, as should be
the case, can tell instantly where those
things or the other things are stored.
The result is delay but there are signs
that King System soon will begin his
reign.