New-York tribune., 1918-03-26
Wilson Defines Baruch
By WILLIAM HARD
(Fyom The NeaU Repubic)

III HE Presidents letter reorganizing the
War Industries Board and appointing
MIR. Baruch to be chairman of it is a
splendid document; because it makes a o1
of things clear that were not clear before
at all. Incidentally. it makes Mr. Baruch
into really very important administrative
parsonage.
The last sentence of it says that Mr..
Baruch is to be "the general eye Of the
supply departments IN industry" The
words supply departments" must include
all branches of the War Department, Of the
Navy Department and of the Shipping
Board engaged in purchasing supplies Of
any sort. Mr.. Baruch is to be their gen
eral eye Already the more shameless Of
the wags of Washington are saluting him
on The streets General I. Bernard NJ.
Baruch" And, besides being general
eye' for the supply departments. Mr.. Ba-
ruch is to be sort of umpire between
them in certain matters. And again, and
further, in certain other matters he is to be
link between the food administration and
the fuel administration and the railway ad-
mnistration and the Federal Trade Com
mission and the Tariff Commission and the
War Trade Board. In short, he is to be
our greatest common co0rdinator.
Detests, but Does 1t
The Presidents view Of "co0rdination" is
remarkably like that of other people. He
detests it and does it. In his letter Of
January ! to Senator Chamberlain, in the
of argument against the idea Of
a ministry of munitions" he said:
81 sincerely hope no such re coordination
will be attempted. ! have had in the last
few months a great deal of experience
ordinating things, and upon every fresh CO.
ordination delay inevitably results, and not
only delay but all sorts Of cross-currents
of Generalization, which very serious
mpediments to the effective conduct Of
business"
Having thus expressed the natural dis
gust which everybody feels for "coordina-
tion," he then naturally and delightfully."-
ended up his communication to Senator
Chamberlain by saying that ono of the
strong reasons against the creation Of a
ministry Of munitions is that it would
"cmbarrass the processes of coordination
upon which I have expended a great deal
of pains and which | believe more ana
more rapidly yielding us the results we
desire'
"Co0rdination' is a vision which the
thirsty administrator curses for a mirage
and toward which he neverthel less forever
presses on
Since January II we have seen two grca-
strokes Of fresh "coordination." The first
was the appointment of General Pierce to
be "Director Of Purchases within the War
Departments; and the second is the ap-
pointment of Mr.. Baruch to be chairman Of
the War Industries Board, with powers and
duties much more definite and much more
extensive than those of his predecessors,
Mr.. Scott and Mr. Willard.
Here we certain step toward the
priN o,Jt Ia, Il
the pages of ''The New Republic" many
months ago. To make that board then was
difficult, To make it now is difficult The
difficulty now is precisely what it was then.
The difference is that the President is now
taking closer and keener interest in ad-
ministration Whatever he looks at, really
LOOKS at, he illumincs. He has now begun
TO do great deal Of looking. And we
shall see further llumnations Of great
t>,.11