Evening star., 1923-02-16
CONGRESS BEGINS
CONSIDERATION Of
REORGAN|z|NGPL PLAN
Chairman Brown Tells Full
Committee How System
Is to Operate.
PUBLICITY FIRST AIM
IN SWEEPING CHANGES
Extension of Time May Be Asked
Before Drafting of Legisla-
tion-Details Charted.

The plan for reorganization of the
executive branches of the government,
as worked out by the President and
his cabinet, with the assistance of
Walter F. Brown of Ohio. chairman
of the joint congressional committee
on reorganization, was given prelimi-
nary consideration today by the full
joint committee.
Mr.. Brown explained in a general
way the changes proposed. including
the combin alton of the War and Navy
departments, into n department of
national defense, and the creation of
a new department of public welfare.
Other committee members only briefly
discussed the plan.
The committee also authorized SEN
ator Smoot, republican, Utah, one of
its members, to seek an extension of
the period for formulating legislation
granted at the time the committee
was created. The authority of the
committee expires with the present
Congress, and, inaSmuch as ii VIII be
impossible to draft legislation en-
bodying the reorganization plan with
in the next two weeks, ii was de-
cided that an extension should be
asked.
COnfers With President.
Following his appearance before the
reorganization committee, Chairman
Brown conferred for a few moments
with President Harding at the White
House The nature of the conference
Mr.. Brown declined to state.
The first aim of the joint committee,
arrive at the proper means of pub
licity regarding the plan. and this
feature will occupy the greater part
of the time of the joint committee
when it again meets. probably tomor-
row or early next week.
The committee is anxious to ex-
plain the various features of the plan
to the public in general throughout
the country, that they may thorough
ly understand the reasons for the pro-
posed changes in the governmental
departments and that they VIII be
able to see the benefits to be derived
from such changes.
Chairman Brown said that he wss
greatly pleased to note that while
there is some quStioning of the ad-
visibility of certain changes as pro-
posed in the plan, there have been
many complimentary remarks made
especially by senators and representa-
tives and others prominent in official
life.
War-Navy Change Radical.
The proposed coordination of the
War and Navy departments" ex-
planned Mr.. Brown, naturally call for
the greatest amount of comment be-
cause of it's drastic nature. Some
seem to think that the joining to-
gether of these two arms of the de-
fense of the country will be the finest
thing to be done, while others are
quite sketical. / am of the opinion,
though, when the proposition is given
more explanation and is more thor
oughly considered, that the average
person will be ready to agree with
me that the proposed change is high
ly cOmmendable and that the results
of such a consolidation would be very
beneficial to the country"
The complete scheme has been
prepared in the form Of a chart,
which tells, by departments, where
each bureau, division. commission or
activity would be placed il the
recommendations are approved by the
joint committee and Congress.
The new arrangements follow:
Placing of Each Branch.
The President, secretary and stan.
Independent executive establish
ments-Budget bureau (Treasury),
Civil Service Commission, bureau of
efficiency. bureau of purchase and
supply (new), including govern
ment fuel yards Unterior); govern
ment printing Office (Congress),
Shipping Board and Emergency
Fleet Corporation, Tariff Commits
sion, Railroad Administration, In
terstate Commerce Commission. Fed
eral Trade Commission, Federal Re-
serve Board, War Finance Corpora
tion. Coal Commission, Railroad
Labor Board, World War Foreign
Debt Commission. Public Buildings
Commission (Congress).
Department of State-Secretary Of
State, diplomatic service, consular
service, United States sections of in
ternat1onal commissions; undersecre-
tary OF state, office of the economic
adviser division of Latin American
affairs, division of Mexican affairs,
division of current information. divi-
sion of publications., office of specfal
agents; assistant secretary, division
of western European affairs, division
of near eastern affairs, division of
eastern European affairs, division of
appointments; assistant secretary.
division OF passport control, wise of
flee, diplomatic bureau, bureau of in
deXeS and archives; assistant secre-
tary, office of ceremonials, division Of
far eastern affairs, bureau of ac-
counts, war trade board section: as