The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1919-05-23
PLACES REIMBURSEMENT DATA AT
COMMAND OF BUSINESS WORLD


for the task IN merely matter OF me-
chanlcs IN organization. In
the meantime the council and advisory
commission should accumulate all OF
the literature bearing lpon this ques'
ton and form 1t into working IL
brary.
"It may be that as the war nears IT'S
ends and as the issue between au-
tocracy and democracy becomes ever
sharper and more terrible, the civilized
world Will demand that Immediately
at the wars close all reconstruction
of the worlds affairs be based upon
the dIctum Of Lincoln that no man ~
good enough TO govern any other man
without that other mans consent. to
the end Of approaching the proper
reimbursement Of national, interna-
tlonal and racial relationships. ! offer
this. though, not for the purpose OF
injecting ldealsm In Discretion
where undue accent of 1t does 'aot be-
long but to emphasize anew that none
OF us can see the end Of the road
and that therefore all plans for re-
construction should be bullded so as
to permit OF nexibillty of action and
even Of minor policy at any gives
time. The main thing now Is TO come
to concrete thinking and study Of the
entire problem"
Director Clarkson Immediately be-
gan the organization OF a staff of ex-
perts. including o. M. w. Sprague,
professor Of finance and banking at
Harvard, and Herbert N. Shenton OF
Columbia. Out Of this staff work grew
the reconstruction research division,
which was organized on February 3
1919, with Mr.. Shenton as Its chief.
"rhe reconstruction research divi.
sion" said Charles II. Chase, mem
Der, has come to feel more and more,
as the reconstruction has progressed,
that It's information service should be
made available to the leaders Of pri-
vate enterprise. just as 1t Is made re-
sponsive to the needs Of governmental
agencies. The problems and respon.
slbilities. Of reconstruction tend, as
time goes on, to fall more and more
heavily upon the shoulders of busl-
ness and relatively less upon govern
mental machinery. OF the two grand
divisions Of reconstruction, demobiliza-
ton and reorganization. the former be-
longs chiefly to the government and
the latter devolves mainly upon pri-
vnte enterprise. The former tends
steadily toward Its conclusion; the
latter broadens into the foundation
OF an indefinitely expanding future.
And though the government has, and
Will continue to have important re-
sponslbilltles In connection with the
economic reorganization of the nation,
II must be acknowledged that those
who are to deal with these problems
handto-hand are the directors of bust.
ness undertakings.
1T must be recognized. also. that
we have come out upon n new world,
world war. Our Industrial and COM
merclal reorganization must be effect
ed under conditions that have under
gone considerable alteration during
the struggle. Not only price levels,
but price ratios also, have been
changed, and In many cases perma-
nently so. New industries have arisen !;
markets have been altered; interna-
tlonal economic relations are modified /;
means Of transportation and communal
eat finn huva hAnn N rtt atly ravnlnftAn
lied hut nothing has undergone great.
err change than our social viewpoint.
and especially the viewpoint of labor.
There are new opportunities and new
and promising outlooks, hut they are
not quite like those of pre-war times.
The chessboard has been shaken; some
OF the chessmen have disappeared,
while several others have been moved
forward or backward "A little.
"Not only have purely business fac.
arisen--the social responsibility OF the
business enterprise has become much
more serious matter than Ii used to
be. In the light of world develop
ments II Is obvious that our business
system must prove its resourceful-
ness, II must demonstrate hitherto
unreveaied capacity for reimbursement
Il must show II disposition TO meet and
satisfy certain species of expectation
which have gained recognition during
the war and can no longer be uncere-
moniously ignored or suppressed. As
Secretary Redheld says: We canno,
| he law unto ourselves any more.
General and continuous prosperity
must he underwrltten and guaranteed
II our institutions are Ia avoid the
| risk OF trial at the bar OF public
discomfort. Rules OF thumb are Liable
| to prove inadequate in this period Of
readiustment. Nothing short OF aler,
/ epenmlndedness. reinforced by pos
session OF the fullest available infor,
nation, will serve. In view OF these
facts the business world Is entitled
10 the fullest measure of assistance
that governmental agencies are pre-
pared TO render IL. II Is In the spiri,
of that principle that the files OF the
councils reconstruction research dlyi