The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1918-06-21
new SCHOOLS
UNDER BAN OF
WAR COUNCILS
OTHER BUILDINGS, CHURCHES
OR IF NECESSARY RESIDENCES
SHOULD BE USED.
CHAIRMAN SMITH WRITES LETTER
Any Movement Now to Construct
School Houses Should be Discour-
aged as Such Activity Is Not Essen
tial to the Winning of War.

tia to the Winning of War.
Erection of new school buildings at
this time would be distinctly con-
trary to the national interests and is
in direct oppositio nto the will Of
the nation as interpreted by the Coun-
Gil of National Defense, the war in
dustries board and Secretary of War
Baker. This fact, heretofore editor
tally stated in The Herald, is force
fully stated by Chairman Rutledge
Smith, of the Tennessee State Coun-
Gil Of National Defense, in letter to
r. d. Mills, chairman of the David !
son county board of education.
Mr.. Mills wrote to Chairman Smith
to ask him if the erection Of $4,000
school building would be contrary to
the nations policy and Chairman
Smith promptly replied in the affirm
alive. The Davidson county board of
education acted promptly in accord
ance with this request or order and as
result 1t has been stated that $40, 900
that would otherwise have been ex-
pended in that county this year for
new school buildings will not be used
The letter OF Chairman Smith to
Mr.. Mills will be Of special interest in
this county where there is agitation
at this time fer the erection of new
school buildings. In some instances
where communities have sought to-
act contrary to the will of the war
council Maj. Smith has exercised his
authority to direct the railroads to
refuse shipments of materials for
that purpose.
| The letter of Major Smith, together
with letter referred to from. Newton
d. Baker, Secretary of War follows:
June 3, 1918.
"Mr. r. d. Mills, Chairman David
son County Board of Education
Nashville, Tennessee.
"Dear Sir
This will acknowledge your letter
Srd in which also you personally re-
quest an immediate answer You
state in your letter that it is desired
| by the County Board of Education for
Davidson county to build school
building near the old golf club on the
Harding Pike at cost of about $4,000
For your information | enclose
capy of letter from Secretary of War
and Chairman Council of National De
Tense, Hon. Newton D. Baker, and
copy of resolution of the War Indus
tries Board. No enterprises must be
undertaken unless fundamentally for
the purpose OF winning the war. Man
power, money and supplies must not
be diverted from the one great task
of winning the war, which is the only
thing we can have in mind at the
present time. We are not unmindful
of the necessity Of schools and edu
cation. Your school work should go
on without interruption and for that
purpose you can use other public
buildings, residences or any other
form of building unoccupied. If you
are reading the public prints and in
touch with current events in this
country and Europe, you must know
that the diversion of man-power and
supplies at this time for non-essen-
tails would be nothing short of Grim
inal and in order to prevent this mis-
direction of energy, the Council of De-
Tense will use every power at its
command to prevent you from doing
it. Railroads are already overburden-
ed with carrying essential freight and
the industrial and agricultural condi-
tions in Middle Tennessee are taxed
beyond their capacity and it is incon-
ceivable how you gentlemen could
take your time from the essential
thought of winning the war to dis
cuss non-essential of this character
with an organization created by Con-
gress, as stated in the Act For the |
purpose of organizing the Nation for
war" Work or Fight
yours truly,
RUTLEDGE SMITH,