Evening star., 1921-03-28
PLANS TO COMBINE
BUREAUS PROGRESS
Administration Seized in
Earnest With Passion to
Unite Activities.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

The passion for coordination seems
to have seized the Harding admins
tration in earnest. scarcely . cab
met meeting is held but that some
plan is discussed for recognising
different branches of the government
service and consolidating bureaus.
fortnight the executive will begin
conferences with legislative leaders,
so that laws may be framed permit
ting fexibility.
on three important phases of gov
eminent service. wherein effort is
said to be too widely distributed.
first, the handling Of communica-
tions. including wireless. cables, tel
egraphs: second. the absence Of any
investigating bureaus and detective
agencies of the government whereby
fraud and other violations Of the
many laws Of the United states are
investigated, and. third, the lack of
a general supervisory bureau or de-
fleets of the government outside the
Navy. such as the revenue cutters, the
lighthouse and steamboat inspection
service. the life-saving service. the
dred activities. All use ships. but
equip them separately. and are more
or less in competition with each
other both in scales Of pay and the
purchases Of supplies.
Cable Organization Needed.
The need for some definite organi-
zation which shall take charge of
the communications of the United
States has been emphasized. as a con-
sequence of the several controversies
in which the government is engaged.
There is, for example, the contest
with Japan over possession Of cable
base in the Island of zap. Then
there is the naval radio situation. in
volving certain equities for the pub
lie AS between the use of the naval
facilities to supplement private oper-
ations, and the encouragement. on the
other hand. of private companies of
purely American ownership.
The legal fight between the West
ern Union Telegraph Company and
the government over the landing of a
able in Miami, Fla, and the entire
cable situation as it affects South
America has opened up such intricate
questions of vital Importance to the
1 future trade of the. United States
F, that no branch of the government Is
I authorized to handle the entire sub
| ject of communications under present
| statutes.
!. Cabinet officers recognize that the
cable and wireless interests OF the
| American people and their govern
ment require more protection nova
days than ever before, in view of the
tendency of governments to regulate
| incoming and outgoing cable business
| by the issuance of cable permits con-
! tanning provisions that are absolute
| The International conference on com
, munications which has been held here
! has opened the eyes of government
| ials ha
! the American merchant may be sub
! iect unless free communication 10 as
| sured.
Speeinlists Are Required.
| The department of state has been
! handling the international phases OF
| the controversy. but 1t requires. in
! addition, specialists in communica-
| ,ion. and the moment the wireless is
| introduced into the discussion. as i,
inevitably must be. the Navy Depart
ment has jurisdiction. or else the De-
! partment Of Commerce. IL domestic
| There is no agency which can sur
| yey the whole matter Of communica
| tions-cables. wireless. telegraph and
] telephones-and protect the public
from exorbitant rates. At present
the consumer must appeal to an al.
! ready overburdened Interstate Com
merce Compission to get justice or
the matter Of communication rates.
! Perhaps the most serious situation
which tho Harding administration ii
anxious to cure involves the secre,
| service, the bureau Of investigation
of the Department Of Justice. the In.
spection service Of the Post ONCE De.
partment. tho naval and military In.
! telligence bureaus and other investi.
/ eating machinery. At present prac.
| tically every department has its own
system Of detecting fraud or Violation
OF law This means an unhomogen.
| eous group Of government investixa.
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