Evening star., 1941-01-14
War Cabinet Suggested
Maj. Eliot Proposes National General stoff
To Advise President on Co-Ordinuted Moves


committee and the various commit
ties of both houses of Congress-For-
eign Affairs, Military Affairs, Naval
Affairs, Appropriations-wfffeh are
concerned with its work.
Co-ordinating Units Proposed.
3. The Committee of National
Defense should be empowered to Gre
ate subcommittee for the co-ordina-
ton of the activities of the depart
mentS agencies, such as joint plan
ming subcommittee, a joint intelli-
gence subcommittee, etc. These sub
committees could be composed of any
appropriate persons in the Govern
ment service or otheerWiSe-the
heads of bureaus or divisions with
the work to be co-ordinated, per-
sons having special qualifications,
etc.
A. Under the Committee of Ma
tional Defense, special authorities to
handle particular problems: Eco
nomic defense. shipping, information
and morale and others should be
set up.
5. Congress, in requiring the Ex-
ecutive to establish such a stream
lined organization, might also
activities by establishing a joint Sc
lect committee on national defense,
whose duty would be to coordinate
the work of the various committees
concerned, act as clearing house for
information hold such hearings and
make such investigations as might
be necessary, and to receive Pc
riodical reports from the President
and the Committee on National De-
fense on the exercise of the special
defense powers.
6. A time limit of one year on the
exercise of those powers might be
established. or possibly two years,
with renewal possible after congress
sional approval had been obtained.
Would Safeguard Fleet.
T. Finally. it might be we'll to in
clude a prohibition against the
transfer to any foreign nation of any
vessel of the Navy now in service or
under construction or contract, over
1000 tons standard displacement;
except. perhaps, with the express
permission of Congress. No one
need suspect the Navy minded
President of any intent to give away
the fleet, but such prohibition
would be reassuring to the public.
1t Is in the field of public conf
dence that the proposed committee
might we'll score its first success.
Far from acting as a limitation on
the authority and power of the
President, there can be little doubt
that he would speak and act with
greater authority and with reader
acceptance of the necessity Of his
actions, we're it known that his
major decisions had been taken with
The concerted participation and on
the considered advice of such a
Committee of National Defense. A
great stride forward toward the at
tainment of national unity would
thus have been taken.
We are entering upon struggle
in which we cannot afford to use less
than our full strength, operating
under anything other than the most
efficient leadership and direction
which American genius can provide.
Congress, asked for extraordinary
powers, owes it to the people which
it represents to make sure that those
powers shall be administered and
organized with full efficiency and
ought to require the creation of
agencies adapted to that purpose.
In effect, the proposed Committee of
National Defense is really national
general staff, and its duties are the
same in relation to the national war
effort as those of the Army's General
Staff toward the military establish
ment. Neither an army or a nation
can. without such co-ordinated di-
rection. hope to prevail against an
enemy who possesses it.
Copvrirht 1871 nv New York Tribune Ine