Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1918-07-26
U. s. Looks Ahead To Big Problems.


twenty years. President Wilsoa has started
a survey which will give the nation the
basis for such preparedness. says q Wash
ington dispatch to the New York World.
Active direction and correlation of this
work has been undertaken by the Council
Of National Defense and the Advisory
Commission. Walter S. Clifford. director
Of both bodies. and Grosvenor B. Clark
son. their secretary. have laid out the pre-
hminaries. and the organizations are al
ready under way.
Ultimately every important economic
and industrial authority will be drawn into
the work. II any plans developed in the
course Of the investigation fit int the war
program they will be turned to that use.
for the vigorous prosecution Of the war is
part Of every governmental activity today.
The greatest task confronting the United
States next to winning the war is that
commonly called reconstruction. The
term is a misnomer when applied TO our
situation which will be more one of re-
adjustment and reconversion OF American
industry and economic life to a peace
basis.
In its research work the council Is exam
lining the postwar plans Of other belliger-
ent countries. These do not form an in
fallible index to our own complicated stu
alton. The problem Of each Of the bel
lieerent countries is peculiar to itself. The
data touching the activities Of these coun-
tries is being gathered and studied. so that
the United States will know exactly what
other countries propose doing in this re-
spect. but no European pattern win be
selected for our own model.
The American problem according to an
outline made by the Council of National
=. Defense, will include:
|. Demobilization of the army and navy
and reabsorption Of industrial war workers
into peace industries.
2. Industrial readjustment to peace con-
ditions. The phases that will come under
this head are: (a) Conversion of war in
dustries to peace needs; ID restoration
Of industries curtailed by war, such as. for
example. the building trades (c) sale Of
government property: I'D cooperation and
regulation versus competition (e) trade
organization.
8. Industrial relations, labor and capital.
a. Foreign and trade problems.
S. Tariff
8. Industrial and scientific research.
7. Fuel.
8. Merchant marine.
o. Railroads.
10. Americanization Of aliens.
II. Education.
IL. Government life insurance.
49, Finance
The placing of the army and navy
on peace footing and the reabsorption
Of war workers into peace industries in
wolves the study Of possible national prof.
ects. such as food control water power
development. national highways and public
works. An ambitious program along these
lines could be undertaken with view to
providing the necessary employment for
labor pending its resumption Of normal
lines of activity.
In the work Of turning the plough share
into the sword the government has organ
lied staff Of factory conversion experts
under the War Industries. Board. and these
same men. representing the keenest indus
trial minds Of the country. will help con-
vert the war plants back to peace footing.
War has disclosed the need for more
widespread technical and vocational train
ing and methods Of inducing such devel-
Opment on big scale will be devised.
Means Of completely assimilating and
Americanizine our vast foreign born popu-
lation will be considered. The experiences
Of the United States in dealing with aliens
since the inception Of the war win likely
be capitalized.
The executive departments Of the gov
eminent are already making inquiries along
the lines which fall within the sphere Of
each. The Labor Department is formula
ting plans for continuing after the war the
spirit Of understanding and cooperation
which has marked the relations between
employer and the employed during the war
The Interior Department is working on
plans TO provide homestead lands for re-
turned soldiers
The State Department, through its for
eien trade advisors. is giving consideration
TO after-the-war trade conditions. The
Commerce Department is giving attention
TO problems that will come within its pur-
view. These problems are being studied
under the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic
Commerce.
The question Of raw materials will loom
large. America has invaluable mineral
deposits. some Of which have been better
developed since the war has cut off the
importation OF many articles. but vast
quantity Of which are yet untouched. The
supply OF raw materials must be allocated
in such a way as TO benefit national in
dustry best Data from German sources
TO which the Council OF National Defense
has had access. show that Germany is
greatly disturbed as to her postwar supply
OF materials.
Germany has possibly given more con-
sIderation to reconstruction problems than
any OF the belligerent governments. This
10 partly the cause Of the well grounded
fear that an economic boycott win be en-
forced by her enemies.
The Council Of National Defense. which
modified American industry for war. is
peculiarly fitted for the work OF assembling
and corelatine the information which is
to guide in determining the post poll
cies Any tentative program will be dis