The Washington herald., 1921-11-20

((@P PEN diplomacy" does not seem to rule at
~ the War Risk Bureau For some weeks
there has been much than rumor that its
decentralization" was to be made effective, and
the working forces along with the records and
files scattered throughout the fourteen districts into
which the country is divided. This report has been
denied in high places. 1t has been affirmed, how
ever, by those of the working personnel who said
they had had to designate the districts to which
they would prefer transfer.
Finally it is now admitted that the bureau is
to be decentralized, but Col. Forbes says this will
not reduce the number employed under him. He is
undoubtedly exactly correct in this statement.
Wherever these employees are, they will be under
him. They will merely be transferred from WASH
ngton out into the districts. That is, Washington
will lose 1000 employees, which could rightly disturb
one, if it was for the good of the service Right
here comes big question mark.
The records and files of the bureau, are
informed, are all originals. There are duplicates.
They will now be "decentralized," scattered among
fourteen Cities liable to loss and displacement in
transfer, to FIRE and to many risks incident to
subsequent transfers, as the subjects themselves
move from place place, from locality to locality
Americans are a restless people. The fire risk
alone will be material, will be that lack OF unity
and cohesion sure to follow this disintegration.
The work and records had just become we'll
systematized. They were practically up-to-date.
The files compact and complete and will now
have to be pulled apart and recognized by geo.
graphical location. The real value of decentraiza-
ton, also, already secured by the activities Of
the American Legion Posts whose officers and
members are in direct touch with the individual
cases, more intimately, indeed, than can be the
fourteen scattered centers. The posts kept in
touch with the bureau here, with more loss of
time or effort than will result from the fourteen
centers, while these separate organizations
hardly be as we'll administered, as efficient and as
effectively managed as when combined single
great unit
This is the experience of every government ac-
tivity. The more any of them is divided up,
the more is disointed and scattered, the greater
the expense and the less the efficiency. The army
has found it with its many posts, its many
quartermaster stations and its general disocaton.
The navy has had the same experience, as have
other departments. No doubt there is demand
for the relocation of these 1000 employees of the
War Risk Bureau and il is certainty that the
total of the bureau will have to be increased, as to
large extent the fourteen sets of executive officers
with their assistants, will duplicate each other.
But fourteen cities will get on an average
around 500 to 600 each added to their payrolls
This is enough to warrant the politics of the move
but not its economy; and economy is supposed to
be the watchward of this administration. 1t is a
fair statement that decentralized the bureau will
cost millions of dollars year more than it now
does and will be far Less efficient in its operations