Evening star., 1942-12-03
War Council Is Urged
By Herbert Hoover 10
Direct u. ). Activities
Former President Offers
Twelve Recommendations
To Administration
BY the Associated Press.

pN lHe SSSOCldJeu fTeSS-
NEW YORK, Dec. 3.-EXperi-
ence in every major nation in
this war and the last shows there
should be war council of head
administrators sitting directly
with the President, Herbert
Hoover told the National ASso-
citation of Manufacturers today.
The former President said:
There was war council or a
war cabinet ins every principal ma
ton in the last war. There is one
in every principal nation in this
war, except the United States"
Mr.. Hoover continued in a pre-
pared address that every important
aspect of war direction should be
in the hands of single admin
istrator rather than board or COM
mittee, and the top administrators
form the war council with the Pres
dent.
Especially in war" he said, Eve
need leadership, and leadership
COlilCS llClll lllulFIIld llltll.
1t is the experience of $50 years in
the whole productive economy of
the United States. We can no more
administer civilian activities in war
with a committee than we could
direct a battle with a committee"
Makes II Recommendations.
The former President said those
who helped organize World War I
had much to offer those directing
World War II and offered IL princi-
piles to consider, not as criticism,
but as recommendations"
Mr.. Hoover's IL principles follow.
in brief:
First" - All civilian activities
should be directed by civilians and
within limitations laid down by the
legislative body. Otherwise we shall
be military dictatorship with all
its implications.
Second" Civilian activities
must be directed by single headed
administrators. In every country
in the last war-and in this war
the United States, Britain, France
and for that matter, Germany, all
boards, committees. or commissions
proved a failure except in advisory
or judicial functions.
"Third-The third principle is
that all functions and authority in
respect to a particular activity must
be concentrated in the hands of
single administrator. The
problems of production, distribution.
conservation and price fixing in any
particular material are interlocked.
The same single head must direct
all of these functions. Otherwise
we have infinite confusion, con-
f1icts and waste.
For instance the munitions ad-
ministiator, whatever his title, must.
OF course, have many subadminis-
traitors, but each should have all
the authority and all the functions
that relate to his particular job.
War Council Members.
"Fourth-The head administrators
for such major groups should COM
prise war council sitting directly
with the President. Here alone the
general economic and civilian
policies should be determined. and
conflicts and overlaps planned out
with the President present as the
final umpire.
"Fifth-The first civil necessity
OF total war production is the max
imum production of war essentials.
The high-cost producer must
be brought into action. And with
drastic taxes on excess profits, the
low-cost producer does not get away
with anything consequential.
There must be no rules of labor that
restrict or retard effort or output
beyond those which safeguard
health.
Sixth We can better ap-
praise our manpower If we calculate
the male manpower available and
assume that women can do the rest
There are certain jobs that only
men can do.
Seventh Fix prices of a
given commodity or raw material
at as near the source of production
as possible and - regulate the
subsequent percentage addition for
professors and the mark up for
merchants. General price ceilings
COR legal maximum prices as they
were called in the last war; were
tried out in every nation in that
war and proved failure. 80 Fix
ing Of wages is not wholly a factor
(see HOOVER, Page A-ls.)