Evening star., 1943-07-06
Nation Must Organize
On Army Pattern
Major Eliot Argues
For 'Stoff of Chiefs
To Advise President

To Advise President
BY Maj. George Fielding Eliot.
This is the third OF series on
american problems OF ,Oar organisa-
ton and leadership)
In the preceding two articles we have
reviewed certain principles Of military
organization and leadership. We have
seen that modern war has grown so
complex that the higher leaders must
have the assistance of competent staff
in order to perform their tasks. We have
seen likewise that despite this necessity,
the personal qualities of the leader are
still of paramount importance.
How can the principles and tech
niques which experience has shown to
be essential for the leadership OF armies
be applied to the leadership of the Ma
ton as whole, the Nation at war? OBJ
viously the problem is essentially the
same. 1t differs only in increased COM
plexity and difficulty.
The basic idea on which the general
staff system of the Army is organized
is to simplify the work of the COM
mander, to relieve him of detail. There
fore the organization of the staff is itself
as simple as possible. AS we have seen,
its basic subdivision Is between %
means, and CD action.
The general is given his mission by
hiohor oIIthnrity-Whof IL IN
He Is given certain means with which
to do it.
(D Men, dealt with by the personnel
section OF his staff and
90 Things, dealt with by the supply
section of his staff.
He must then take action in further
ance of his mission, for which he needs:
&c, Information of the enemy and the
existing situation, dealt with by the in
telligence section of his staff. This is
submitted to him in the form of an
estimate of the situation.
When he has considered this, and
taken into account his means in men and
material, he makes his decision, and the
details Of carrying that decision into ex-
tions section Of his staff.
Once begun, these processes are con-
tinuous. The replacement OF men and
things expended, and the procurement
OF additional men and things to meet
new requirements goes on day by day.
The estimate of the situation Is kept
constantly up to the minute, is always
roaHv uyhnnavor tho roH,,ro
It, The general makes new decisions,
alters old ones. The carrying out of
these decisions keeps the operations Sec
ton constantly at work.
But it should be noted that the gen.
eral has to deal with only four staff
officers. as far as his general staff is
concerned. The fewer the number, the
greater the simplicity of the system Yet
every essential element in the making
OF decisions Is represented.
Every higher commander, in addition
to his general staff, has technical staff
of specialists-an engineer officer, a sig
nal ofdcer. a medical oflcer. chemical
warfare officer and so on The advice
Of these officers is available to the gen.
ca al ctdlA, VI W lllC COAlAldIluCl 4llLllSCA
when necessary. But they do not form
part of the general staff, and most of
them have dual function of staff and
command. Thus the engineer of1cer of
division stan is also the commanding
officer of the divisional engineer bat
talon.
The need Of the President as Com
nd i, hiaS1 ~ g..
the same in principle as that of a gen.
eral in the field-he requires a compe-
tent general staff, and competent TECH
nical advisers in various specialties. His
general staff should be as small as pos
sible, but should represent every element
necessary to his decisions
Its basic subdivision should be between
those elements which have to do with
action, and those which provide the
means by which action is taken. In
this highest echelon of command, the
active elements include not only the
fighting forces with which we are strik-
ing at the enemy. but our relations with
enemy. With these elements-foreign
affairs. Army, Navy-the President must
| deal directly. They form the sphere Of
his major responsibility as Commander
In Chief
| AS to the means by which action is to
be taken, this composes the so-called
home front. A simple division into men
and things is not sufficient, for the Ma
| ton, unlike the Army, must find the
money for everything, must produce as
we'll as use, must take into account the
needs of the civilian population and the
| force of public opinion.
Probably the major subdivisions under
this head requiring representation on
the presidential staff are manpower, pro-
duction, transportation, food and internal
security. These five require co-ordi-
nator, to relieve the President Of the in
f1nitude of detail in making adjustments
between them. much as the chief of the
supply section of general stan main
tains coordination among the various
supply Observation-Disclosures ord
nance, transportation, and so on.
Finally there are three elements which
affect both the external front and the
home 'front.' and are of such Importance
as to require separate representation on
the Presidents staff These are finance,
economic warfare and information.
Every activity of the Nation at war
should be brought under the direction
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