The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1918-10-28
Scope of the Council Of
Defense

Baton Rouge, La, Oct. 25.-Agai
emphasizing and impressing upon tn
people of the various states the i'm
portance of avoiding duplication O
activities in war work and going int
details as to why this should b,
avoided, Grosvenor B. Clarkson, di
rector of the Council of Nationa
Defense, sent the following message
today to John Marshall secretary Of
the Louisiana State Council of De.
Tense, and director of publicity for
Louisiana Of the Council of National
Defense:
The President of the United States
has written to the Secretary of War,
suggesting that he communicate w ii
the heads Of all Federal Departments
and Administrations the wish Of the
President, that when they are cc1-
slderlng extension of their organi, a
ton in the states, or new work TO
be done in the states, they determine
carefully whether they can not u :
lze the State Council system, til IS
rendering unnecessary the Great; IN
of new machinery, ands that til y
transmit all requests for action Nv
State Councils through the Council
of National Defense.
The primary functions of tie
State Council Of Defense are, the =
fore:
l. To perform on behalf of the
Federal Government such of it's war
work in the state as does not require
the creation Of a separate admins
trative organization extending into
small communities.
2. To perform on behalf of the
representatives of those Federal De-
partments and Administrations hav-
ing organizations extending through
out the states such of their war work
as they feel can be performed by the
State Council organization.
3. To perform such independent
activities as will enable the state to
contribute most fully to the welfare |
OF the Nation and of its own citizens
IN the prosecution of the war.
4. To centralize and coordinate
the war work Of the state.
In order to fulfill these functions
it is essential that the State Council
OF Defense create an adequate Or
ganlzatlon for reaching the people
and directing their efforts, and build
up and maintain the public morale.
10 create and direct local Councils (
Of Defense is, therefore, essential to
the execution of all the functions
IF the State Council of Defense. j
BY creating this organization and
performing these functions the State ]
council save) the Nation the ire
nendous expense of creating elabor- !
lte new administrations for the per- ]
-ormance OF new war activities and 4
also, IN the conduct of the work of !
It's established administrations. the
Expense of creating or maintaining F
many parallel organizations where a !
common machine can more efficient s
y serve them all. The efficiency of I
he United States war work within !
his country, therefore, to a large
xtent depends upon the State Coun-
ills of Defense.
As the official representative of
ne Council of National Defense !
ne State Council of Defense bears
ltal relationship to the Council of
NATIONAL Defense and should main t
ain close contact with it. |
Many voluntary organizations and
ocieties have been created or have h
cen enlarged to undertake various +
ypes of war work. The Council of S
'ational Defense has adopted a reso- +
ltlon requesting the State Souncil 7
o. act as the central co-ordinatinpl
gency for all such voluntary patri =
tic war work within the state. II II
also requested that the State Coun-
IL endeavor to concentrate the ma
riotic activity of the citizens of the
tate In as few organizations as pos
IDLE so as to prevent the growth of
lew and duplicating voluntary So i
leties which will hinder rather than
clip the efficient mobilization of the
Iation for war service.
(Signed):
GROsVENOR B. GARRISON,