New-York tribune., 1920-01-26
DefenseCOu1lcil
Asks Congress
f or $15O,00O
Organization Declares Its
Continuation Necessary
For at Least Six Months
as Preparedness Measure
Vital Peace-Iime Policy
GrOsycnOr b. CIarksOn Tells
House Committee cfWork
Still To BE Performed

The operations Of the Council Of Ma
tional Defense. which served the gov
ernment as coordinating force during
.hc war, thereby preventing waste and
lost motion, are revealed in detail in a
Yeport which has been submitted to the
Housc Appropriations Committee.
The council has asked an appropria-
tlon of S150,000 to carry on It's work
FOR the next SIX months. The necessity
for Its maiptenance for such a period
was stressed yesterday by Grosvenor b.
Clarkson. director of the council, who
now IS in New York
In speaking Of the report made to
the House committee, MIR. Clukson
said:
"Thc council. from its creation in
1916. has expended only S1,5O0, 900, and
this included carrying the Var Indus
ries Board. which it.greated, for near
~ a year, and the erection OF the Coun-
ell of Defense Building. This. of course,
MAS largely made possible by the use
Of the dollara-year man, whom the
council first brought into the govern
mcnt.
Vital to Peace Policy
We believe" continued Mr. Clark
son that the consummation Of pro
posals that have been made by the
council is absolutely vital to any vel
balanced peace time policy Of the gov
eminent Industrial Preparedness, wi; III
which the council is charged by the
Congress ssional act. does not. .catch the
imagination as does purely military
preparedness. But in war as S-acod to-
day it is the only efficient and eco
nomica starting point that wise men
.xrIl n, 1,o
iicient military preparedness without
scientific study in peace time Of indus
trial and economic resources. We must
also know how to furnish supplies
swiftly and economically once we have
located them.
industrial mobilization is now the
hasc of national defense The pro-
posals that have been made by the
council in its report amount in BRIEF
% the establishment Of remarkably
cheap insurance policy for the benefit
oi the government and people of the
United States.'
The report of the council, as sub
united TO the House committee. reads
~ part:
THE council was originally created
As body to study in time of peace,
among other things, the coordination
Of industries and resources for the
national security and welfare Its
peace-time duty vas to survey and
classify the industrial and economic
resources for the national defense so
that IN time of stress these resource $
might be made quickly available TO the
military and naval departments Of the
government The council was pro
proceeding upon these lines when the
United States entered the war 1t
then became an emergency body.
Since the armstce the council has
been ADDRESSING itself largely to recon
structlon research work which was.
under the authority Of the Pres ident.
initiated in June, 1918
Research Work Groups
lhc council. according to It's report.
vii hc active in research work durirl.
the noNt six months and its research
work viii fall under the following
groups; Army and navy requirements,
commodity studies, organization and
use Of the War Industries Board files,
study of national defense files and
special defense problems
Much of the time Of the council, ac-
cording to Mr. Clarkson. will be oc-
cupled with the organization Of war
'lmc records, Regarding this work the
report says:
"rherc arc at present three distinct
pieces Of work TO be done by this divi-
son First, the files must be organ.
iZcd. lndeNed and made generally avail
sole for all the other research divisions
Of the council, and. in fact for all the
research agencies Of the Federal gov
eminent This will require an indeh-
ute amount OF time. II is also essen
tiai 20 the other two pieces Of work
which should be done in connection
with these files. Second, legally
trained research expert should be
rlaced IN this division, whose business
would be to decide what, when anc
SOW Information in the files should be
used IN connection with the settlement
Of claims.
1T would seem to be safe state
nent that sole evidence concerning
ndlhons Of dollars worth Of contract.
and allotments is contained in thes,
hlcs. ihe third task in connection viii
the il!cs IS Il frank statement to th
public IN historical recapitulation 0
the problems Of going to war War /,
America is peoples war Monograp
historical in nature. should from tim
20 time be published. The purpose o
these publications, however. should b
thc building up. especially among busi
mesa mon. OF real appreciation OF tn
problems Of industrial organization O
reorganization for war. This is one o
the things to be done before, not afte1
the event"