The Washington times., 1917-12-22

OF AUTHORITY TO
. .DEINQU|RY RESULT
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.


the bulk OF their advisers and the
executors of most of the Governments
work have been Republicans drawn
from business by their patriotic de
side to help win the war. These men
aud the organizations they represent
have worked in great harmony con
siderIng the different methods OF get
ting results pursued by both. 1t Is
only fair TO the Cabinet members to
say that they have removed obstruc-
tions whenever possible, but in such
departments as War and Navy, they
are, dependent upon their specialized
assistants at the heads of bureaus,
who are surrounded by traditions. Gus
toms. rules, and regulations, written
and unwritten, and that Is why II has
not always been possible to achieve
the results desired in the same manner
and with the same promptness private
business men have been accustomed
to exhibit.
Council Already Formed.
II followed 20 a logical conclusion,
the various Investigations now in
progress will find this situation to
have been at the bottom Of most OF
the mistakes made in The conduct OF
the war. Already Secretary Baker.
in the War Department, has organ
lied a council OF the five highest Of
fcers in the War Department. who
will undertake. with him, a general
supervision of the activities OF that
department. This council will have
in mind not only the domestic prob
lem. but the international problem.
and will work in conjunction with
the reorganization recently created by
the interallied council at Paris ap-
pointed to coordinate the allied con
duct of the war. Mai. Gen. George
Goethals. builder OF the Panama
canal and former head OF the emerg-
ency feet corporation. has been re-
called as acting head OF the quarter
masters department to speed up and
coordinate army supplies.
These are excellent steps so far as
they go, but unless business men and
modern business methods are applied
to the production and distribution OF
such essentials as munitions, ord
nance and quartermasters' and medi-
cal supplies, the relief expected will
not necessarily follow. Wheels with
in wheels will not solve the problems
before the War Department. as has
been discovered in the rase OF the war
munitions board. which was convert
ed into the war industries board and
finally headed by railroad man.
Daniel Willard, of the Baltimore and
Ohio, who. OF course. understands
transportation. Other nations at war
have discovered that the production
Of war munitions alone Is a problem
big enough for one man to under
Take without having supervision at
the same time of all other war in
dustries
Inquiries Find Favor.
So far the investigations Of Congress
have created a favorable impression
here. Facts are being developed which
the country has a right 10 know. Prog
ress is being made in reaching out for
the weak spots in the present organiza-
ton. The whole Government is engaged
in a process of Introspection. II Is hav-
ing its first look at itself as others see
It. and the result Is promising. although,
this far. not far-reaching enough. Oc-
caslOnally the investigating committees
have committed the error Of looking
backward rather than forward. The
country is not so much interested in
what has gone before as what may be
expected in the future. IL will be es-
tablished that the bulk OF the complaint
against the Shipping Board has not 80
much to do with the present organization
and personne' as IL has To do with cr-
rors Of the past. Most Of these have
now been corrected and the organization
is moving forward toward results. Re.
sponsibility is now fixed. This condition
is not true Of other Cover lmental actlyi-
ties except in the food and fuel organ
iZ9tions
Before Congress concludes Its in
vestigaIions n demand will result for
the segregation OF munitions produc.
tion and other essential activities. a
cleaning out OF dead timber and an
tiquated methods, a Capitalization o.
authority and a fixing OF response
bilIty. In such a process, business
methods will triumph over the time
honored and moss-grown department
tai systems so unsuited to the win.
ming OF any war. Congress itself NAV
profit by the disclosure of its own re-
sponsibIlitIes in the premises. and thu.
outcome should be better teamwork
all around.
Have Done Great Work.
On the whole. however, it will be
proved BY the Investigations that both
the Government and the country have
performed a marvellous work in a
short time. When It is remembered
that the country was wholly unpre