Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1917-04-12
U, S, MUNITIONS
BOARD is NAMED
Body to Coordinate Vast Civic
and Military Demands.
EXPERTS WILL HANDLE WORK

Precedence Of Army and Navy Orders
and Military and Industrial Needs
Of Country TO Be Under Direction Of
New Body Named by National De-
fense Board.
Washiratcn, April 10.-The work of
promptly equipping and arming the
United States military and naval
forces called into the nations service
20 make war on Germany was placed
under the control Of a general muni-
tions board, created by the council of
national defense after session Of
many hours devoted to consideration
Of pressing war measures.
TIE immediate efforts Of the board
will be directed along lines calculated
to coordinate the making Of pur-
chases by the army and navy; to as
sist in the requirement Of raw ma
terials and Of manufacturing facilj-
ties and to establish the precedence
of orders between the war and navy
departments and between the military
and industrial needs of the country.
In an official announcement by the
/ council Of national defense it was
stated that it is not intended that the
newly created board shall have au-
! thoritY to issue purchase orders or to
! bind the government in contracts for
! purchases, as such matters will con-
tinue to be done by the respective fed
eral departments Nor is it intended to
disturb the order of delivery Of mill
! tary and naval material, botn domes-
tic and foreign under existing con-
tracts
In obedience to the announced poll
! cy of the President and his advisers,
! the board will AXE full cOgniZance Of
! the Importance of early and prompt
delivery of war materials now under
contract, or subsequently to be or
dered, for shipment aboard to the en-
tente nations
Personnel of Board.
+ Frank A. Scott of Cleveland o.,
! vice president of the Warner and
Swasey company, munitions experts,
is chairman Of the board, which is
, composed of the following:
For the army: General Thomas
Cruise, Colonel F. G. Hodgson, Colonel
H Fisher, Lieutenant Colonel J. E.
Hoffer, Major P. E. Pierce, Major
Charles Wallace and Captain A. B.
Barker
For the navy: Admiral H. H. Rous~
! seau, Admiral W. S. Capps, COmman-
der R. H. Leigh, Commander T. A.
Kearney, DR.. R. c. Holcomb, Paymas-
er J. H. Hancock, Lieutenant Colonel
w. B. Lomly, and L. McH. Howe.
For the advisory commission: Ber-
nard M. Baruch chairman raw ma
terials; Howard E. Coffin, chairman
industrials; julius Rosenwa1d, chair
man supplies: DR.. Franklin Martin,
chairman medical. Chester c. Bolton
was appointed secretary Of the board.
| The officers of the board were desig-
mated by the chiefs of the several de.
partments and bureaus, under author.
ities Of the secretaries Of war and
navy.
No Minister Of Munitions
From the highest administration
source the definite statement is forth
coming that President Wilson's cabi-
net will not be further increased to in
c1ude ministers of munitions and
transportation. The administration
will rely for such technical aid as it
may need upon advisory boards of
highly specialized men in their respec-
tive fields.
Denials came from the war depart
ment that Major General Leonard
Wood, assigned to command the new
ly created department of the south
east, would remain in charge of the
defense Of New York. The present
plan is for General Wood to take
charge of the new department about
May 1, as originally ordered.