Evening star., 1918-02-17
Advisory Bodies Give Way to
Those Which Will Act With
Full Authority.
POLICY RECOMMENDED
BY CONGRESS ADOPTED
Committee Heads Of the Council of
National Defense Applaud Reduc-
ton of Their Activities.

With no particular blare OF trumpets
President Wilson and members of his
cabinet gradually are placing under
authoritative jurisdiction many war
time activities which hitherto have
been performed by advisory agencies.
Step by step the administration is dis
placing advice by authority, policy
urgently recommended by members Of
Congress who urged the war cabinet and
the ministry of munitions measures.
Gleefully Watch Moves.
Most of the functions being placed on
this basis have been performed by the
Council of National Defense commit
tees, it's advisory commission, or its
War Industries Board. Strangely
enough, the councils committee heads
present the unusual spectacle Of glee-
fully watching their activities being
extensively curtailed and taken over
by various departments. Walter 5. Gd-
ford, the director of the council: Ber-
nard NJ Baruch, chairman OF its raw
materials committee, and Daniel Will
lard, before he resigned as chairman OF
the War Industries Board. all coun-
seled that many of the councils advis-
ory functions be further legalixed.
Here are ONE of the ways In which
the councils activities have been
transferred to agencies with more di-
rect power; to act:
The President last week put into the
hands of the War Trade Board author
ity to regulate all foreign trade OF the
United States by licensing imports and
exports. Thus the efforts Of the coun-
far as these industries are affected by
export and import trade in concerned are
now under the War Trade Board.
Finanpipg Corporations
The domestic direction Of essential
and non~essential industry would be
n9 , as s1psst 81 ss va
Industries Board by the passage OF the
measure recommended by Secretary
McAdoo providing for "a $500,0o0.000
fund for financing corporations during
The entire housing program. devel-
-oped and fostered by the councils COM
mittee on labor and experts on the sub
ject, was taken. oyer bodily. last week
Eidlitz as director Of housing for the
Labor Department. rHenceforth- the
housing program, involving the expend-
iture of the $4,000, ,000 asked. of Con-
gress for such construction. will be un-
der the Labor Department.
Earlier Encroachments.'
Earlier encroachments upon the pur-
chasing advisory functions of the coun-
Gil were made when Secretary of War
Baker created the office of director of
purchases. to which he assigned Col.
Palmer E. Pierce. and made Edward r.
stettinius surveyor general of supplies.
named a committee to study inland
transportation, he gave an added au-
thority to Gen. W. NJ. Black, who also
headed the councils inland water
work of the committees on educa-
ton of the advisory Commission.
SO far as it relates to the Army,
will be taken over by the special COM
mittee Of Army officers to study tech
nical training to meet wartime emer-
gencies, and another committee of ci-
villains to act as an advisory board to
the officers committee. Long since the
councils committee on coal production
became inactive because of the positive
authority granted the fuel administra-
ton.
This does not mean that there is any
conflict between the council and es-
tablished governmental departments
officers. and it's advisory commission.
the War Industries Board and it's other
branches are subsidiary to these cab
met officers. Rather it means that the
cabinet officers are taking the advice
of their advisers on the council and
fast giving an official status to peces-
sary and extraordinary wartime actiy-
tiles which had to be deyeloned
| through the councils advisory func-
tions.
New Problems Taken Up.
Neither does it mean that the coun-
ellis committees have been wholly re-
| lieved of their duties. New problems
are taken up there as they arise. The
Commercial Economy Board is deyel-
opins and expanding its work in seek
| ing to advise manufacturers in more
| efficient methods of production, a sery-
! ice which will have a permanent value
after the war. as well as during the
| struggle. The finished products diyi-
! sion and the raw materials division
| still are at work.
IT,