The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-07-13

board, because there Il OF man
in it who can buy an. hing ex-
cepting the secretariesr~- of war
and navy, and the council cannot
direct them what to buy.
'Ru; II Is Il very important board,
nevertheless: it is supposed 10 know jus.
what the government needs for III" car
ryins on of III" war and just where that
can be had Regard it's makeup and y"u
will sec that. The secretaries of WAR
and navy know III" army and navy u"eI.
The secretary Of the interior. who has
IN" geological survey and III" bureau "r
mines under him. is supposed To know
what minerals this country produces and
how they can be had. Tn. secretary "r
agriculture knows what the food supply
is and how il may he stimulated. TIL"
secretary OF commerce knows what W.,
can S.t abroad and what We manufac-
turr here And the secretary Of labor
is in touch with the great primary force.
essential I" AL production.
The Advisory Council.
But when congress provided for this
council It created Il supplemental body
which is sometimes confused with the
council itself. which is called the adj
vis"ry commission. and these are real
business mon. They are nominated by
;hr president TO III" council and appoint
cd bv him. These gentlemen donate
their services anil were chosen because
they wers specialists. I doubt If any
country in Europe could produse 4 finer
body
Mr. Lane briefly reviewed the achieve
,i,entS in tn" business world of those
who comprise tn" advisory commission.
Tho funrti"aS II theS" Gentlemen.
he sail. "iS I" advise tho council of ma
1rtS,
'rhcv. have no executive or admmistrn-
NV. power
That is n" rail- logical machinery
= yn;;i,ril ~ cabinet officers complement
I'd 10y nm advisory commission Of bust
ness man. Congress created both
bodies"
rh.. scrrrtarys attention was directed
20 the fact that much nf tn" criticism
had been aimed Il; tho committee OF
business mon who advised the council re-
sprctiu- copper. lin. lumber. and other
subjects fruuirirg technical knowledge
"Whnt part do these men play" he was
asked.
BY Accomplishments.
..rhat is Il simpl" story. When the
war came We had card indexes and r"-
norris hv tho carload. Put thcS" could
not bc converted into guns and canton
ttrnts and nrroplancs. We had TO move
r,:jckly 50 the council sent for the
men who had hn"n in Eurnp" and knew
What had been done in France and Eng
land and gained the benefit Of their en-
ueri.ncr. We listened for days IN the
n:;rchasinc agents and reports of All the
allied Countries. They talked or cont
mahdrering all tn" priurary resources or
H." country. the ores and the foods ana
the industrial plants. They told Of IN"
contracts they had made and the meth
IDS they had taken for paying for what
they got.
Il; Wa; a thrilling tai" OF mans or
ran;zing skill. his uuickncSs /" adjust
himself to conditions. We heard "a
hnr union n,.n from tho other side and
manufacturers And taen wc called IN
tho r.prs ScutatiEcs nf the army ana
tho navy md asked them what they
had "u hand ami what they needed. We
y,yy 1t once the SIZE nf tho task. There
never was mo like il
"I'udrS.lal" We determined on
start and = quick start. Now. If you
wanted to know what lumber you could
x.r,r.. ~ ono" for building houses for
= million men. what would you do? Or