Evening star., 1942-01-11
BY MAJ. GEORGE FIELDING
ELIOT,

BY MAJ. GEORGE FIELDING
ELIOT.
The basic conditions Of this war
are two:
l. The eremy has the initiative
due to superiority in weapons and
is trying to gain decision while
that superiority continues to exist.
g. Our immediate task is to stave
of decisive defeat in any part OF
the world until such time as our
superiority in resources has been
translated into superior fighting
power.
To do this we need organization
both inter-Allied organization for
the coordination of our common
efforts, and an internal organiza-
ton in order that the united effort
of the whoe Nation may be eff
ciently and swiftly harnessed and
directed toward the attainment of
victory.
Experience has shown time and
again that the organization of a
nation for war must possess Ger
tain well-defined characteristics.
It must be simple. Complicated
and confused arrangements are
hampering in peace, in war they
may be fatal.
Direct Flow Of Authority.
1t must provide a direct flow of
authority in order that orders may
be swiftly and efficiently carried out.
It must provide direct and clear
cut channels of responsibility.
The greaoer the authority and
the heavier the responsibility of in
dividuals. the greater must be the
degree of freedom of action which
they are allowed in the discharge
Of their functions within the gen.
eral limits Of the missions assigned
them by higher authority.
There must be an adequate and
smooth working system for CO.
ordinating the efforts of the various
departments and agencies of the
Government, including the fighting
forces.
We do MT now have an organi-
zation which fulfills these require
ments alth Mgh there are signs that
we are moving toward one. The
real answer. and probably the only
workable answer, is that which the
British found in the last war after
much experiment and loss of time,
and number of painful defeats at
the hands of a better organized
enemy. That answer was g. war
cabinet.
Advisory Staff Needed.
In this country the basis Of our
war organization must be the broad
executive POWERS of the President
in his caIacity as commander in
chief. In order to exercise those
powers he needs a staff to advise,
inform and assist him, as does any
other commander in war.
In the realm OF the highest de-
cisions, it s hard to see how this
staff can be anything other than
the cabinet. Considering merely
the question of obtaining men of
national sanding and ability, it
seems essential that they should
have the support and legal sane
ton Of cabinet rank established by
law.
The war cabinet-the staff which
is to direc, and coordinate our ma
tional effo-t under the authority of
the President-should be as small
as possible, the smaller any such
body is. the more quickly and ef-
f1ciently II functions. It should,
however, include q representative
Of every necessary element Of the
national effort, in order to obtain
full coordination Of power.
These elements are as follows:
l, foreign affairs; 2, finance; 3,
Army; 4, Navy; S, production; 6,
economic warfare; Z, shipping and
transportation, and 8, civilian de-
Tense.
From tie first four we get i'm
mediately four necessary members
Of the war cabinet, the Secretaries
Of State, The Treasury, War and
the Navy. -Four other necessary