Bisbee daily review., 1918-11-14
COMMISSION MAY GUIDE NATION IN
 RECONSTRUCTION
President Plans to Appoint Small Board of Experts to Bring Country From War Basis to Peace
rRv Review Leased Wirel

l WASHINGTON, Nov. 13- - Rresf { dent Wilson has under consideration
 the appointment of a reconstruction 1 commission to develop a comprehen-
 sive program for the nations conVer- | sion from a war to peace oasls. | The commission would be advisory rather than executive in functions and ] the plans developed and co-ordinated by it would be carried out by exist i ing government departments and
 agencies.
 As now considered the commission
 would be representative of commer- cial, industrial, labor, agricultural and social interest: its membership would be small and it would deal with all phases of the great problems of cas- ing the country from war to peace.
 The president is understood to op- pose the plan of a congressional con- mittee preparing a reconstruction pro- gram. He is said to prefer men who can give their entire time to the work and who have made special studies of economic and social problems. The president is said now to be consider ing what emergency legislation may be necessary before the government can proceed systematically to turn all resources of the country to peace time production.
 How to shut off further war produc- tion without closing plants, throwing men out of work and causing finan- cial strain, is the most immediate re- construction problem facing the gov ernment Hundreds of telegrams or inquiry reaching government depart ments today disclosed anxiety of busi- ness men over this question and offered many suggestions. AS clear ing house for such suggestions the re- construction commission would act. Establishment of such board was recommended to President Wilson by Prof. O. M. w. Sprague, an economist of Harvard, who has conducted recon struction research work for the coun- cil of national defense. Government authorities having charge of the plac- ing of war contracts are considering a plan for diverting raw materials from war industries as fast as these curtail their activities, to other in- dustries where they can be used at once for reconstruction needs. War orders will not be cancelled in a wholesale way until such a plan is developed, it is believed.
 In this connection the chamber of commerce of the United States today made public a letter to President Will son citing evidence of anxiety among business men over the governments future course, suggesting development of uniform policies For all depart ments, and some measures for pre- venting a sudden drop. in prices of raw materials.
 "It seems to us," the letter said among other things, that it is pos sible to work out certain common principles which should obtain fin all government departments in affecting settlements on contracts now to be stopped and adjusting them on a fair basis. If one bureau. or department follows its own ideas. another pursues different course, 1t seems that 1t will lead to endless controversy and confusion. For this reason. we be- lieve, the agencies set up in the vari- ous bureaus and departments to deal with the question should be controlled by some common authority fin order to prevent great difficulty"
 The chamber of commerce also has recommened to the president the es- tablishment of an advisory reconstruc- tion commission similar to that he now considers appointing
 Whatever opportunity may be given for supervising the transition, 1t Is considered certain that the govern ment purpose to maintain a central ized control.