The Sentinel=record., 1918-11-14
ANXIETY or BUSINESS MEN
SHOWN OVER MATTER
Fear That Should Wholesale Cancel
alton OF Contracts BY the Govern.
ment Take Place Business Affairs
Would Be So Badly Upset as tc
Cause Generalization.

Washington, Nov. l3s-President
Wilson has under consideration the
appointment of a reconstruction com
mission to develop comprehensive
program for the nation s conversion
from a war TO peace basis. The
commission would be advisory rather
than executive in functions and the
plans developed and co-ordinated BY
II would be carried out by existing
government departments and agencies
AS now considered, the eommiss-
ion would De representative of com
mercial, industrial, labor. agricultur
al and social interests. its member
ship would be small and it would deal
with all phases of the great problem
OF easing the country from war II
peace. t
The president is understood 10 bo
distinctly opposed to the suggested
plan Of having congressional commiss-
ion prepare a reconstruction program,
He Is said 10 prefer men who can
give time to their work and who
have made specia! studies of econ
omic and social Problems
The president IS said nov to be con
sidering what emergency legislation
may be necessary before the 60. crn
ment can proceed sys.cna a'i..ly u
turn all resources Of the country to
peace time production.
How to shut off urthcr war product
ion without closing plants. throwing
men out OF work and causing fnan-
clal strain, Is the most immediate re-
construction problem facing tnc gov
crnment.
p hundreds OF tceSrams of inquiry
reaching government departments to-
day disclosed anxiety OF business mon
over this question and offered n mui-
titudc Of SUGGESTIONS for dealing with
it. As a clearing house for such
suggestions the construction com
isi0n would function Establishment
Of such a board was recommended to
Presideat Wilson by Professor O. NJ
Sprague, an economist OF Harvard
who has conducted reconstruction
research work for the council OF ma
tional defense.
Government authorities having
charge of the placing of war con
tracts are considering a plan for di-
verting raw mateials fom war in
dusties rs fast as these curta.l their
activities, to other industries whore
they can be used at once for recon
struction needs. War orders viii moi
be cancelled in a wholesale way until
such a plan Is developed, it is Delicy-
cd.
In this connection the chamber oi
commerce Of the United States today
made public letter to President Vii
son sighting evidence Of anxiety
anon gbusiness men over the govern
ment's future course, suggested de
Yelopment OF uniform policies for al
departments and some measures fol
preventing n sudden drop i'll prices
of raw matedias. (.
''As you are doubtless aware" thC
letter said, the ca~ccllation OF con.
tracts by some government agencies
during the last ten days has cau5o(
a great deal OF apprehension and dis.
turbance. the etxent OF which for
tunately has not attracted public at
tention because the war ncws has $,
greatly oversnaGased it The devel
opments incident to the cancellation
referred to Indicate the difficultie
we will have to face unless tn
transtion is. gradual, and the vas
]abor and financial interests involv
ed are most carefully safeguarded
The stoppage Of work in the small
number OF Instances where step