The Washington herald., 1918-05-03
WILL CONSIDER
REBUILDING OF
U. S. INDUSTRY
New Board May Be Organ
ned to Develop Recon
struction Plans.

The creation Of . huge department
to supervise all reconstruction work
after the war 10 being considered by
administration leaders. II is believed
that the new agency win be made .
part Of the Council Of National De-
fense. Immediate steps in Its forms-
tion are halted only by the present
necessity Of concentrating all efforts
on mobflizing Americas fighting
forces on the fields OF France.
The new department. It Is believed.
will not only prepare plans for the
government aids to be given industry
after the war. but will also consider
what part America can play In Aiding
the allies to restore their devastated
lands. In addition the problem Of
aiding the MANNED soldiers and Of
aiding the nation in meeting greater
foreign trade responsibilities will Be
considered.
Under Defense Council
The Council OF National Defense
was orsanized as an advisory body
TO aid in winning the war. II has
suffered a gradual division OF ITS s.
eraI branches until today 1t plaN-.
hut a small part In the active admin
istration of the nations war plans.
Under its supervision the Aircraft
Board was organized. In like Enan-
ners the War Industries Board was
organized, and its work increased
gradually until il was made a sep
arate institution
Today the Council Of National De-
fense has supervision of the State
councils Of national defense, and has
boards concerned with economy in
I the use Of raw materials, in meeting
the chemistry problems Of industry.
in consideration Of labor. and in
! transferring plants from nonessential
10 essential production.
Foreign agents have reported that
despite Germany's super-struggle. her
leaders have established bureaus in
tent on preparing the nation for the
economic struggle to follow the war.
American leaders have insisted that
some effort should be made by the
United States to be prepared to meet
the same conditions.
To Hold Foreign Trade.
Advances made In foreign trade dur
ing the war must be retained, 1t Is
urged. Soldiers returning from Eu-
rope must be given employment, and
government funds for aiding indus
try and for material reconstruction in
foreign countries must be available.
Leaders of the administration have
pointed out that with the passing Of
the Oyerman bill the President will
be empowered to combine government
agencies now concerned in a small way
in considering many of these ques-
tions. Should the war continue five
years, a basis upon which much gov
ernment work is now being planned.
II would be possible for a bureau of
reconstruction. under the supervision
of the Council OF National Defense, to
lay out a complete rlan which would
be available for use the day peace
was declared.
Il is admitted that never before
was the government more active in
gathering information relative to con-
ditions in foreign countries. The need
Of meeting the efforts Of foreign
agents who have sought by political
and economic stratagems to block the
war efforts OF the country has forced
the United States to create a wide
spread system for the gathering of
Intelligence. No department, however,
gathers and correlates the facts re-
ported to the half dozen or more
agencies. 1t 10 contended that this
would be q part of the work given to
q bureau Of reconstruction.