New Britain herald., 1918-01-05
NATIONAL DEFENSE
 SHOWS SAVING
Work of the Council Shown Through Report Made Known

Washington, Jam 5.--E1peditiouA; production and delivery of war s5 plies and substantial saving in e8 tract prices to the governmenk
 been achieved by the Council
 honal Defense through it's
 advisory commission ,accordinG4
 councils first annual report
 mitted to congress today by thas ident. The report covers the wu4s the council for only four mol from the time of organization, M
 3. 1917. to the end of tho fiscal
 June 30.
 In a broad sense, the council commission have sought to md available to the United States the h1B# thought and effort of American fi1vS dustrial and professional life for tho successful prosecution of the war; the report says.
 'TGe direction of the machinery of American industry for the national defense necessarily involves the cEea-; tion of an organization of great f1exi~ bility. Ire swift changes in strategy and rapid movement in war ma chinery, attended by the equal speed with which implements of warfare are scrapped and replaced at the front, has been reflected by corresponding rapid transformation and stimulation Of the industrial organization within the nations at war. The history oe the first three months of the war in the United States has proven no ex- ception.
 "It has been the effort of the or ganization of the Council of National Defense to hold itself in constant to and to shift its ground and expand its facilities in the interest of the na- tional service. It's organization has been and if necessity must continue in process of evolution rapid enough to keep abreast with the rapidly changing current of the times. and yet conservative enough to prevent confusion or lack of proper co-ordina- ton and control In a peculiar sense 1t has felt itself called upon to be constantly ready to fill in the gaps and assist the regular departments of the government"
 In order to assure the American forces adequate equipment to bring victory, vast increases in the country output of war supplies were ncces- sary. The council ras developed new sources of supply for both raw ma- terials and finished products and pur- chases of supplies for the executive departments have been co-ordinated Standardized specifications for tools and implements used in the manufac- ture of munitions have been intro duced and the cooperative organiza- uon of transportation and electric communication for war service has been enlisted, an aircraft program was inaugurated, motor transportation fa- cilities stimulated, labor leaders or ganized conjointly with representative employers for the effective enlistment of the Workmen in war service, scien- tific research promoted, the engineer ing and medical professions mobilized for war and the coal industry or ganized for more effective production of fuel.
 Assistance also was given by the council to the business of the country in meeting changed conditions and adapting resources to war demands. The local activities of the states were centralized.
 Efforts of American women to as- sist in the conduct of the war re- ceived special attention from the council, which provided means for concentrating their energies effective ly.
 The Councils Aircraft Production board" says the report, state that the lack of previous American experience in battle plane construction led to the adoption to large extent of de- signs developed in the allied coun- tries or adaptions from those designs The difference in shop practice in this country and in Europe resulted in the development of the composite inter- national design, known as the Liberty Motor so constructed and with it's parts so standardized that it lends it. self easily to quantity production with American shop methods.
 Manufacturing resources of the country were adapted to the manu- facture of airplanes, the general pol icy adopted being that of relying mainly on relatively few highly or ganized and manifestly capable estab- lishments rather than scattering or deTs for planes and separate parts among a large number of small shops.
 Competitive bidding between the war and navy departments and be- tween sub-departm ments and commit tees, has been eliminated by the Gen. eral Munitions Board, which acted as a clearing house: particularly for or ders which involve materials in which national shortage existed. Where manufacturing facilities were insuffi- cient the board has directed efforts to develop new facilities.
 "The Committee on Supplies by the securing of options. the begging of