Arizona republican., 1919-01-11
COUNCIL IF DEFENSE SYSTEM COMPOSED
 OF 184,400 UNITS

One of the greatest factors in the great world struggle has been the Council of National Defense, system created for the purpose of laying be- fore the people of America the neces- sity of mobilizing the resources and materials, to stir the communal con- science by bringing them to a realiza- ton of the problems incident to win ming the war
 Today, the Council of Defense system comprehends 1S4,000 units. made up of state, county. municipal and community councils of defense.
 On May ?, 1917, the Council of Ma
 tional Defense called in Washington a conference of the states. From this meeting, which was addressed by the president of the United States by the chairman of the council. and by several members of the cabinet. sprang the council of defense system as we now know it. Cooperation was established i between the state division of the Women's Committee of the Council of National Defense and the work was everywhere got under way.
 Under the direction of the Council of National Defense at Washington. l composed of six members of the cab met, headed by the secretary Of war, the work went forward. Toward the end of the war, the direction of the
 work was concentrated into the Field Division of the Council of National Defense under the chairmanship of 1 Franklin K Lane, secretary of the 1 interior The programs of the war, ! 4l+r l.,l.. l departments. the American Red Cross. ! the National War Savings Committee and several Liberty loans were sent In ! complete form to the states and there made clear to the communities and translated into action.
 Many of these programs. and moye i especially those involving the exer-
 else of extraordinary powers or the
 responsibility for handling immense
 funds, required the creation of sep
 arate machinery, which, radiating
 from the national center to the small
 localities, would concern itself ex- clusively with the fulfillment of the | special program of the administration ! and be directly and fully responsible 1 therefor. In the creation of this
 special local machinery. the councils ! of defense and the divisions of the Woman's Committee bore large part Their extensive publicity organization which. because it was always at work and at work everywhere, was un- ! paralleled in the effectiveness and ex-
 tent of it's contact with the press; and
 their complete enlistment organiZa-
 tion and leadership of the women o1 America, have been d mighty source
 of power from which arose much ot
 the strength of these local fedora
 bodies
 And during the war they have
 strengthened and upheld the hands ot federal government and have brough
 the people to the government in eff fective and understanding service
 Now that the active hostilities have {; ended. they are. in response to tho : Councils request making possible
 continuation of this union of state
 national and voluntary forces 10 serv, [ the welfare of the returning soldier and sailors of each state and to mee , the problems of readjustments. The Division of Womens Commit tee are now asked to aid in procurinj ; legal advice to men leaving the ser vice and in providing suitable recep l tion to the returning soldiers ant 3 sailors. Their assistance is asked i increasing food production and foo . conservation. They are asked to carr
 through the Children's Year program which means so much to the comin generation in America. and to securin on a permanent basis the gains i : community organization, in American 4 ization, in child welfare and in simi U lar efforts made possible by and grow
 ing out of the war.