Evening star., 1921-05-25
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

Consolidation of the War and Navy
departments into a single department
of national defense. as urged upon
Congress by President Harding. has
been given special consideration by
the Institute for Government Re
search. in its recommendations to the
joint congressional committee on re-
organization of the administrative
branch of the national government.
with 4 personal representative of
President Harding as chairman.
Two other general recommendations
are Notwithstanding of duties be-
tween the two departments and trans
fer of services Of IA non-military char
other departments.
Tn" proposal for the consolidation
of the War and Navy departments
into u S!ngl" depart uent does not
mean a consolidation of the Army
and Navy into a single field cstab-
lIShmcnt. II means merely that these
two esta ablishmentS viii be brought
under a common direction and control
This being so. the question of as
signment of specific duties and re-
sponsibilties to the two services is
an important one in the reorganiza-
ton program.
4 Fundamental Principle. !.
No principle of reorganization is
more fundamental the institute as
sures Congress. than that the per
fcrmance of clearly defined function
should be intruSted to a single Scrv-
ice. and when this function involves
engaging in q variety of activities
to single department comprehend
ing all of the services having these
specific activities in charge. Any de-
nytI
divided responsibility and authority.
conflicts and overlapping of JurIsdIc-
ton. duplication OF organization and
work. and unnecessary expenditure OF
public funds.
This principle is most fagrantly
violated in the provision for the per-
Torrance of the function of national
defense. In the existing War and
Navy departments and their field es-
Establishments. the Army and Navy.
the government now has two dis
tinctly different services intruSted
with the performance Of single
function.
Notwithstanding the fact that both
have for their purpose IN" achleve-
ment of the same end. and that no
case can arise meaSurably testing
our resources when these two serV-
ices do not have to work IN close
co-operation each is organized as
completeIy independent and self-con-
that the two departments. with their
field establishments. duplicate each
other from top to bottom.
Sweeping Changes Favored.
Recommendations made for redis-
tribution of duties between the war
and Navy departments are, speclhcal-
ly as follows:
1. Concentration of responsibility
for the defense of our outlying de-,
tendencies in the Navy.
. Transfer of the Army transport
service to the Navy.
3 Transfer of responsibility for
our seacoast defensrs to the Navy
Department.
4. Erection of Marine Corps into
a special expeditionary corps.
The detailed recommendations Tor
transfer of military services
from the war Department to other
departments are:
Detailed Recommendations.
l. Abolition of the bureau of in
sular affairs and the transfer of Its
duties to the proposed bureau of ter
ritories and dependencies in the state
Department.
service and the transfer of its duties
to the coast and geodetic survey.
. Transfer of the rivers and har-
bors Improvement work and control
of navigable waters from the Enei-
neer Corps to the proposed depart
ment of public works.
T. Transfer of jurisdiction over
national. military and other parks
from the Engineer Corps to the ma
tional parks service.
) Transfer of jurisdiction over
national monuments and memorials
from the Engineer Corps to the pro-
posed department of public works
s. abolition of the Office of public
buildings and grounds and the trans
fer of it's duties to the government of
the District of Columbia.
:. Transfer of jurisdiction over the
maintenance and operation of the
ashington aqueduct and water sup
ply of Washington from the Engi-