The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1919-05-23
Research Division the Council Of National Defense Offers All Its
Facilities to Aid in Reorganization Of Industry and
Resumption OF Trade-Burden OF Reconstruc-
ton Must Fall on Industry

or the services OF an organization thht
for many months has been establish.
Ing connections and perfecting facili'
ties for the securing OF every sort OF
vital Information at the earliest posi-
BILE moment IL Is available. Through
the fact that the council of national
defense itself consists Of six score
tnries of administrative departments
OF the government, and By virtue OF
tho further fact that for more than
TWO years the council has been en-.
gagged In the closest cooperation with
national. state. and local agencies OF
private rs well as public bodies, the
reconstruction research division has
been from us inception possessed OF
invaluable contacts IN all directions.
The material and STAFF now placed at
the service Of business was originally
intended primarily for governmental
use. and they will Of course, continue
to function as the governmental clear.
Ing house Of reconstruction inforna.
tion. The beginning of the councils
researches into reconstruction and re.
adjustment matters in this and for
eign countries followed upon a memo.
randum addressed to the six cabinet
members forming the council by Gros-
venor II. Clarkson. It's director, on May
q, 1918. The president Of the United
States received a copy OF this memo
randum. and shortly afterwnrd author
lied the council to begin It's studies.
In the memorandum In question Mr..
Clarkson. after defining the prime
problem M being that OF Industrial
reconstructlon---ln broad terms, the
reconversion of industry from the
war basis back To the peace-time basis
and the reabsorption into industry OF
the labor employed In the service Of
the United States--sald:
ut IN elementary that after the war
America Will not be the same Amer
lea. Already she has in many direc-
tions broken with her past and she
Is being hourly transformed. The meta
inorph0sis IL going on as much In
the thought OF the country as 1t IL
In the structure; the same thing will
be true In the period after the war.
New conditions and relationships ere
ate new problems for nations as well
as for individuals; and. let me add.
the change will be as great In the
thought and ideals OF the nation as 1t
viii be In It's strictly material prob
lens, whether these be military. com.
mercial. or those having to do with
labor.
Let us grant that we shall gain
military success Let us then not fall
into the danger.trap OF allowing The
material effects of such success to ov-
ershadow consideration of the higher
values which give nation Its life.
The civilized world today. rs we know
that world may be said To be one
great altar of sacrifice. IL that In not
true now. II certainly will be true II
the war continues for another year.
IL IN our duty In any adequate intel
lcctual conception of the task to see
well as the material well-belng Of the
nation shall square with the sacrifice.
A little reflection will convince one
that this aspect of reconstruction Is
the fundamental. aspect and that upon
II must be predlcated all successful
plans In this direction.
"A year ago we were great. lazy
democracy. Lincoln said. A fat hound
won't hunt That sentence illumined
our national disease. The transfer
nation from that condition II already
under way. Soon the spirit of the ma.
ton will be n burning flame. There
win be sloughed OF the scales fostcred
by love of luxury and the loose and
hoastfal thinking that have been our
curse In the last generation, Ont OF
the turmoil ind the sacrifice viii come
discipline and orderly living and think
ing. and. therefore. with sequentlal
and irresistible logic win come de-
mands for new conditions OF living
commensurate Ia the new ideals. Again
| repeat. here Is the fundamental re-
construction In which the American
government should address itself. and
only herein can be found the policy
which shall be the groundwork OF any