Imperial Valley press., 1921-05-18
| n D Us 7 R !
URGED TO
PREPARE
FOR WAR
Former Chief of War Indus
tries Board Advocates
Peace Time Readiness for
HOstilities Which Come in
Future.
(By United Press)

NEW YORK, May 1S.-American
industry should be maintained in the
same degree of preparedness for war
as the army and navy, according to
Bernard NJ. Baruch.
The modern application of George
Washington's admonition--"i time of
peace prepare for war"-is explained
by Baruch in his book, "American In
dustry in the War" which is in effect
report of the War Industries Board,
of which he was chairman. Baruch
makes these suggestions:
A peace-time skeletonized organiZa-
ton along the same lines ah the War
Industries Board should be established
to provide congress with accurate and
complete information regarding all in
dustries, and to for mthe nucleus of a
new board in case of a-other war.
The government should encourage
ana assist in development of the pro-
ductlon of certain essential materials.
used both in war and peace, which
have been virtually monopolized in
other countries in the past.
Manufacturers should be prevailed
upon to maintain under government
supervision the skeleton organizations
IN certain departments through which
RAPID manufacture of munitions and
war materials could be developed.
There should be established a
peace-time skeleton organization fol-
lowing the lines of the War Industries
Board" Baruch says.
1T should be headed by a chairman
who should have associated with him
the chiefs OF the centralized purchas-
ing bureaus of the army, of the navy
ana OF any other government depart
ment which might be called upon to
make large purchases in case of war.
10 junction under the several principal
DIVISIONS there should be selected about
oo chiefs of commodity sections. Each
chief OF a commodity section would
name committee to represent the IN
dustry under his charge. The commit
tees OF the different industries could
met separately as occasion required.
Inc main organization should meet in
general conference at least once a
year.
During the war the country was
constantly threatened with a shortage
IN available supply of nitrogen, man
ganese, chrome, tungsten, dyestuffs,
coal-tar derivatives, and several Other
essential materials. These materials
mad always been imported. The Gov
eminent should devise some system for
protecting and stimulating their in
ternal production.
Under the supervision of the proper
departments of the government. Ger
tam war industries should be encour-
aged to maintain skeleton organi2a-
tions through which they could de-
velop the rapid manufacture of gums.
munitions, airplanes, and other direct
military equipment. This might be
oone IN some cases through govern
ment purchases of factories, in others
through the placing of sufficient or
oers to permit the owners to keep the
plants in existence.
:. These measures are suggested as
direct methods of insuring against
some of the heavy losses and unfor-
tunate delays which the country ex.
perienced in the process of converting
It's industries from peace to a war
! Dasis. They involve very small cur.
rent expenditures, but are capable OF
oeing instruments for saving MANY
millions of dollars in an emergency;