Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-10-21
Suggests War Cabinet
Of Eleven Members
Military Critic Argues
For Boord to Free President
Of Major Problems
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.

oy Mu!. 1eOTye rfetutHg EHOt.
1t cannot be repeated too often that
the experience of this war has shown
how indispensable is unity as an in
gredient of successful war-making. This,
of course, means unity of purpose and
effort supplemented by unity of COM
mand and inspired by unified will to
win. The enemy has long had a very
high degree of unity in his two main
theaters of operations, in one of which
Berlin is supreme and in the other Toxic.
In these articles a great deal has been
said about the need for better organiza-
ton of the United Nations to offset the
enemy's advantage in this respect.
But there is also need for better
internal organization Of our own war
effort. Here again the Germans and the
japanese have a tremendous advantage,
an advantage inherent in the authors
tartan nature of their governments.
Democracy must demonstrate its fitness
to survive in world which in the last
analysis is ruled by force. 1t can sur
so to organize its fighting effort as to be
able to deal on equal terms with the
fighting effort of any authoritarian
power.
In this country unity of command
begins with the President as COM
mander in chief. Fortunately, our war
President is a great and inspiring leader;
but when all is said and done, he is only
one man and there is limit to the
capacity for accomplishment of any in
dividual, however energetic, however
self-sacrificing.
The President now is dealing directly
with some 80 governments and agencies
which are responsible directly to him.
No man is equal 20 such task. 1t
simply cannot be done with the efficiency
and the smoothness which the successful
conduct of war demands; and If 1t could
be done, the President would have no
time left from purely administrative
tasks to give to the far greater respon-
sibilities Of leadership and decision in
the higher conduct of this war and in
the relations of the United States with
its Allies.
1t is absolutely necessary that the
President should be assisted and advised
by properly organized war cabinet
composed of men, each of whom is
charged with an important part of the
war effort, and who, having consulted
together daily under the direction of the
President, then go forth to put into
execution the plans which have been
adopted
The composition of this war cabinet
must be such as to include every i'm
portant element in the conduct of the
war. 1t must be kept as small as possible:
. the fewer there are to consult. the
greater will be the speed with which
decisions are reached It is essential.
however. that no one man have too great
or varied responsibility, or he will have
IN less degree the same troubles which
the President now has.
Probably the minimum of Interests"
which require representation in the war
cabinet may be stated as follows: For
elgn affairs, Army, Navy, finance. pro-
ductlon, manpower, shipping and trans
portation. economic warfare, internal Sc
curity and information. Obviously.
therefore, the war cabinet might con-
sist to begin with. of the Secretaries of
State. War, the Navy and the Treasury,
plus the six officers now charged or to be
charged with the control of the other
activities mentioned. All of this latter
group should receive cabinet rank by act
OF Congress with the prestige and au-
thorlty which this legal recognition Of
their status would convey.
The entire war administration then
should be so reorganized that every sim
gle one OF its activities is brought di-
rectly under the control of one member
or another of this war cabinet. each with
full authority under the direction of the
President to hire fire, reorganize and in
general, to run his own show.
But 1t will not be enough for capable
individuals to be appointed to these
tasks and for the President to carry on
his administrative duties entirely
through these members of his war cabi-
net. The war cabinet must not be lust
collection of individuals but a we'll or
ganized team operating under a schedule
OF daily meetings and with a secretariat
10 prepare its agenda, circulate its pa
pers and in general streamline and or
ganize its work. The great adminstra-
1--WE capacities of the Vice President
might we'll be made use of if he we're
permitted to act as a general executive
officer and vice chairman of the war
cabinet, and he could absorb great part
OF the administrative detail in co-ordi-
mating the work of the members. Natur-
ally, 1t would be necessary for the Chief
OF Staff OF the Army and the Commander
IN Chief of the Fleet to attend most of
the meetings of the war cabinet to advise
IN their professional capacities, and
other technical advisers of the Govern
ment might be called in from time to
time.
But the greater need is for unity for
unified direction of our war effort in
oroer that the existing confusion and
duplication Of effort may be eliminated
and in order that our Commander in
Chief may have the time and the oppor-
UNITY to exercise his great powers of
leadership unhampered by the innumera-
Bile complexities of administrative detail,
This is peoples war, and the people
have right to demand that in its con-
duct, on which their future depends.
there shall be no more wasted time, no
more lost motion, but clearcut lines of
authority and responsibility such as are
necessary and are provided for in the
organization of every army, Of every &C.
cupation, Of every great human enter