Evening star., 1917-03-18

The returns from the vast industrial
inventory which has been made in every
| nook and corner of the
Industrial United States, and which
r. are now in tho hands Of
inventory. the council Of national
defense. mark a new and vital rela-
tion between the business men OF
America and tho federal government 1t
is understood that of the 30.000-odd
plants of sufficient size to tabulate, re-
turns have already been obtained from
$1,000. This work was started by the
committee on Industrial preparedness
of the United States naval consulting
board, and the figures have been turned
over to tho national defense council, or
ganized by an act Of Congress during
| the last session.
The information gathered is the first
fruit of the work of the army of 10000
American engineers. members Of five
eminent scientific bodies. who form the
| field force of the committee organized
to find out for the federal government
the real industrial resources Of the ma
| tion in time Of war.
| For this sweeping canvass the whole
country was highly systematized, with
directing boards Of the leading en-
gineers in every state. Many OF the
states were split up into counties. with
chief field aids in charge. This mar
velous smooth-working organization OF
unpaid experts has accomplished def
mite results, and the great inventory, as
| shown by the reports of state chair
men, is moving swiftly and satisfac-
torily to its end. 1t is said that the COM
mittee accomplished in six months,
| with the voluntary aid of the engineers,
| what 1t probably would have taken the
| federal government several years to
| obtain il 1t had not had the aid OF
these engineers and the manufacturers
| of the country.
1t is said by the officials in charge Of
| the work that the manufacturers OF the
nation. recognizing the highly qualified
| and non-partisan personnel OF This
movement, which has the strong sup
port Of the President and the military
responded with the most intelligent
patriotism and the deepest interest In
| this close-knit movement for a thor
oughgoing industrial preparedness. prepare ness.
comprehensive information on the
adaptability of their factories, mills
and mines to federal uses from the hour
of military mobilization. the data to be
| sole scrutiny and benefit Of the War
and Navy departments of the United
\ States.
| A few manufacturers have doubted
| the ability of their plants to aid the
government in war time, 1t Is said
They have almost invariably changed
| their views. however, when shown how
little doubt there is that on the out
| break Of war practically all concerns
| not engaged in lines of work essential
| to the national needs would be strip
ped of their labor. either for the army
or for manning other industrial plants
vital for the supply of such needs, and
| that in the event of hostilities prob
ably so per cent of the industries Of
America would of necessity be concen-
| trated on producing the myriad ele-
| ments Of twentieth century warfare. 1t
has been made very clear to such busi-
ness men that in the last equation 1t
| will be to the material interest of every
American manufacturer to have deter
| mined now. in time of peace and plenty.
just what he can do for the republic in
| time of emergency. Finally, there has
been made equally plain the necessity
| for having the least possible shock to
economic and labor conditions on the
advent of war. and the advantage,
| therefore, Of having the greatest pos
sibIe number of plants kept at work.
The great European war has taught
| the astonishing adaptability OF national
| industries when properly inventoried
| instance. that a dye factory may be
transformed within a week or ten days
| into a plant for the production of high
explosives.
said. some $4,000 firms have been in
| ventoried. In no case, so far. has the
| New York board met with definite re-
| fusal to give the desired information.
| To gain preliminary information be-
fore the actual inventory work began
| letters were addressed to $50 of the
leading manufacturers. The responses
showed that almost unanimous desire
business men, many of them of inter-
| national reputation, to support the
| work.
The council itself is composed of the
Secretaries Of War. Navy. Interior.
| Agriculture. Commerce and Labor, be-
| ing supplemented by an advisory COM
mission of seven civilians. 1t was
| given an appropriation of 100000 at
the last session of Congress to carry
| on its work. The advisory commission
| has divided it's work into the following
committees: Transportation and COM
munication: munitions, manufacturing.
including standardization and indus
| trial relations; science and research.
including engineering and educational; /;
| supplies, including food. clothing, etc; !;
| raw materials, minerals and metals:
labor, including conservation of health
and welfare of workers, and medicine
work already has been accomplished by
| the council which will be invaluable
! to the country at almost a moments
notice when the time comes.
X
| The restoration and maintenance of
| the commercial fisheries of the United
States and the devel-
| Develonment opment anu extension
of the fish-producing
| VI 1AsAoAios' area of it's interior
waters is the aim of Uncle Sans bu-
| rcau of fisheries.
| The needs of the greatest fishery in
dustries, embracing large investments
of capital and contributing important
| food supplies of salmon, shad cod. lob
ster and other sea foods are para
mount The work of assembling and
Matching the eggs of the commercial
species and the liberation of the re-
| sulting fry in suitable waters are
! prosecuted to the full extent of the
| bureaus facilities, and every possible
| opportunity for the development of
| new fields or the extension of old ones
| is taken advantage OF.
| Young fish furnished for the stock
ing of streams, lakes and ponds in the
| interior are produced at hatcheries
maintained for that branch Of the bu-