U 6ZV CC6 030 ,0 ssaaoNOD do xawaan COUNCIL OF NATIONAL DEfp-ENSE Organized by Act of Congress August 29. 191b Secretary cf War, Chairman Secretary of Navy- Secretary of Interior Secretajy cf Agriculture Secretary of Commerce Secretary of Labor I ADVISORY COMMISSION Provided for in Organi-c Act. Nominated by Council. i^pointed by President. Mr. Ibniel Willard, Chairraan Mr. Howard E. Coffin Dr. Hoi lis Godfrey Mr. Julius Rosenwald Mr. Bernard M. Baruch Mr. Sanuel Gompers Dr. Franklin H. Martin DIRECTOR OF COUNCIL AND ADVISORY COMMISSION Mr. W. S. Giffcrd SECTIONS AND BOARDS OF THE COUNCIL General, iiunitions Board Munitions Standards Board Aircraft Production Board Medical Section CoanerciaLl Ebonomy Board Interdepartmental Advisory Committee Cooperative Connittees on Pijxchcise of Army Supplies \U. S. Chamber of Commerce) Inventions (Naval Consulting Board) National Research Council Committee on Slipping Comaiittee on Women's Defense Work COTiiaittee on Coal Production Section on Cooperation with States ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIMTIOH Secretary of Council and of Advisory Commission Mr. Grcsvenor B. Clarkson I Assistants to Director h IChief Clerk Statistics and Organization FJKCTIONS^COMMITTEES^ AND COOPERATIVE COMMITTfeES OF AEVISARY COMISSION Transportation and Communication Cooperative committees on Telegraphs and Telephones Railroads Electric Railroads Mr. Willard Munitions - Mr. Coffin Cooperative committees on Automotive Transport Public Utilities Ehgineering and' Education - Dr. Godfrey Supplies - Mr. Rosenwald Cooperative committees on Cotton Goods Woolen Goods Knit Goods Shoes and Leather Raw Materials - Mr. Baruch Cooperative committees on Alcohol Aluminum Asbestos, Magnesia, and Roofing Brass Cement Chemicals Coal Tar By-Products Copper Lead Lumber Mica Nickel Oil Rubber Steel and Steel Products Sulphur Vool Zinc Labor - Mr. Gompers Sub-committees on Wages and Hours Mediation and Conciliation Welfare Work Women in Industry Information and Statistics Press Publicity Cost of Living Medicine and Surgery - Dr. General Medical Board Standardization' Martin Washington, D. C. - May 29, 1917 ^^'S 5 f^ O 3. o:. .,- JAN 23 1919 it 9,. " COUilCIL OP lUTIONAL DEEEFSE Vi/aehinetcn . FOR RELH.SE IH 1IG\-/SP;.PEHS OF MOI-TIIY :!0hinE 5. Jims 25. 1^17 . Hots 'Lo tf c lil-ors ; This is the first ofi^'icia] corapre.-onsive stateutTxt of the organisation aiid scconipllKituieiits of the Go-uaoil of National Defense and i-B Advisory CoiTiinisRicn. It is s-'7.£gectoCL that if feo-sTole yoxi treat?: fit rjrovt up and publish it in sec- tions, A KRPOBT mai THI: 'DIK'MOR OF BIL COUjICIL 0? rL;::i 0;i:.L DEFmSB ;J1)"0F- -.To ADVISOPY CO'.EIIGvSfOiT ©3 -JL (iPJ/'Ffrl'JJ OF 'PPJ^ CO'JiiCIL Hay 28, 1917. The Honorable Nev/ton D. Baker, Secretary of V/ar and Chairman of the Council of j-'ctiCEal Defense^ Sir: Herein I have the honor to hand you a statement of the organization and accoraplisliments of the Council of ITationsl Defense, its Advisory Commission, and the various boards, sections and coaxiittees under both the Council and the Conmission. As an introductory statement a fev/ of the acco?;olishments in question niay be concretely instanced as follov/s: The mobilization of the 262,000 miles of railroads of the country for the Government's defense; The close-knit organization of the telephone and telegraph companies of AiTierica to insure to the Governiaent the most rapid and efficient v/ire coiranunicati ons ; - 2 - The settlement of the recent thr«6.tc5»9<3i national yaiXroad strikee; The very general acceptance by labor and capital of the suggestion of the Council that existing laoor staiKlards s:iould not be changed until the need for such action had been determined by the Coujicil v/ith the steadying influence on industry growing OMt of such action; The procureiTient of 45,000,000 pounds of copper for the uses of the An-jTy and Navy of the United States at less tha» one-half of the then cur- rent market price — a saving to the GoverxMient of appro:iimately .$10,000,000. Similar accomplishments as to steel, sine and alujuinum. The completion of the inventory, for Hjilitary purposes, of 27,000 Amer- ican manufacturing plants; The money saving to the Government, through appointment over the country oi committees of business men to Assist the quartermasters'^ depart- ment of the -Irmy in the economical and efficient pvirchase of supplies; The saving to the Goverru.ient of millions of dollars by the proper co-ordination of purchases tln^ough tiie ageiicy of the General Munitions Board of tlie Council of Katioaal Defense; The creation, under the medical section of the Council, of a General Medical Board, consisting of many of the most highly qualified surgeons and physicians of the country; The selection by the saivje section of thousands of doctors specifical- ly qualified for membership in tlie medical officers reserve corps, and the standardization, far on its way to cowrpletion, of surgical instruments and supplies; The creation by the Covmcil of the Aircraft Production Board, which is setting out to raake 3,500 air planes and to train 6»000 aviators tliis year; The very definite results obtained by the Council's Committee on Coal Production in the prOctirftiacnt.,and expeditious shipment of coal, both in the civilian and federal interests; ♦ The successful initiation of a movement to co-ordimte activities on the part of the States of the Union for the national defense, brought to a clear and workable focus by tho conference of states lield recently in V/ashingtoh at the call and under the auspices of tls Council. The organization of a railroad coianittee to send to Russia; and Tlie enlistment of reserve engineer regiments to aid in rehabilitating the railioads of Prance. .JX-XS - 5 - Such a summary excludes very many accomplishments detailed in the body pf the report. The Council of National D . . Scott, vice-president of the V/arner & Sv/asey Coi.ipany, an aclciowledged aut/iority in the production of munitions for the vises of modem war; and is composed of seventeen qualified representatives of the War and Navy Departments, and six civilians exclusive of the chairman. It should be stated tliat prior to the organization of the Board, the \7ar and Navy Departments mig^t compete with each other in the open market and even within these two great departments certain sub-departments might compete with each other. The work under the Board of co-ordinating the depart- mental buying has, of course, eliminated any outstanding cases of this nature. The method adopted is simply to furnish a clearing house for the orders that involve material in which a national shortage exists or is anticipated. V/here manufccturing facilities are insufficient, the Board directs its efforts to developing new facilities. The subjects dealt with by the Board and some of the restilts so far obtained are as follows: Sirall Arms - Rifle Contracts : Conferences with manufacturers held; enough capacity to supply 1,000,000 men developed; contract form drawn satisfactory to and signed by Chief of Ordnance. Small Arras - Ammunition Contracts: Contracts covering supply of ammunition for small arms have been drawn and a svixficicnt amount and suitable deliveries have been secured. ■ ziOfiiigo - - 7 - Artillery - Amrnunition ; Conferences with manufacturers held; general prico situation discuasod; specifications in some cases modified; sufficient supply developed; and typo of contract to be used arrived at. Gun Forcings ; Conferences vith manufacturers held; expansion of manu- facturing facilities developed; method for reimbursing manufacturers fa- expansion satisfactory to manufacturers arranged for; manufacture of guns already begun. Ilachining of Gun Forgings 3" to 6 "; Conferences with manufacturers hold; possible sources of supply discovered and developed; sufficient facilities found. Gun Carriages . Limbers, Caissons, Forge Wagons ; Conferences v;ith manufacturers held; sources of supply in process of devolopraunt, and raw maljerial secured. Military Vehicles - aside from Motor Transport : Conferences with manufacturers held; sufficient sources of supply developed; specifications modified and standardized; seasoned timber secured. Motor Transport - including ambulances and armored cars ; Confer- ences held with manufacturers; standardization of type secured; supply of material for ambulance bodies arranged for. A satisfactory production of armored cars was arranged for by the Ordnance Department. Machine Guns ; A reduction in prices to be paid for machine guns needed for the Army and Ilavy has been secured, accomplished by conferences with manuf actiirers . Work is going forward to increase production of these guns. Armor-piercing Shells ; A method for payment on the various size pro- jectiles was developed and suggested. «; :.'-; '• « .«. •.t''..0^;y)' - 8 - Cotton Duck for tentage - cots and infantry eruipment : Manufacturers of cotton duck were assisted in creating a suf- ficient supply of duck for haversacks in tine to meet the needs of the army. Raw Materials - including metals, lumber, leather, high explosives: CoDiraittees on these subjects liave taken the necessary steps toward securing a sufficient supply. Medical Supplies - including surgical instruments: Conferences \;ith raanufacturers v/cre held and means for reducing the recuirenents of the civil and Am^ and ITavy branches to a minirmun v/ere discussed. The supply of surgical instruiients, etc. is being arranged for. Stores V.'ork: Arrangements have been imde for the tuition of large numbers of men anxious to enter the storage branch of the service; stor- age basES have likewise been developed. Cantonment V/ork : Form of contract has been di-awn satisfactory to Quartermaster's Departn^nt and contractors. Certain suggestions have likewise been submitted to facilitate construction and create a saving. Ojjt ical Glass - Military Instrtmients : After thorough investigation a shortage of this material v/as found, and steps are nov/ being taken to standardize and eliminate instr\imcnts not absolutely necessary, and to arrange for increased jjroduction. Recommcnciations of fair and just prices : The Board has been called upon to make reconmendations upon prices submitted the Army and ITavy and Quartermaster's Department as to v/hether these prices were fair and just. In each case these reconmcndations have been made. i^,.-J«i ; ^ii^.-ciQ-tiqi.. . :./),=»:• ■^aioo ■'i?^'^ ?)>•'•* T)rr''«': , '^*rf'^ 9 - Ad justment with British aovern.i.nt on snail am factories in this country; An adjuatn..nt has boon .aado with the British Governnont covering purchase by the United States Govem..ent of .machinery and equipment in ' British si^all arms factorios in this country. ££Qg£ain_of_ConferQnces with English C.n.^.s. ........ The Secretary of the Board has arrangod a program of confor.nccs b.two.n roprosent.tiv.s Of various 7ar and Navy Dcpartmonts and the visiting British Com^^issioners, to discuss various technical subjects pertaining to their departments. Establishment of prxority in machine tool orders and demand for Other material: In cases wh.n called upon by the Army and Navy this Board has instructed certain .nanufacturers to give precedence to ,.x.chino tools desired in connection with urgent governmental work; o^d Ix.ewise has de- cided between the needs of private industry and those of the V/ar and Navy Departments, Investigation of G.,,^p s: This Board has investigated the status Of military material xn this country and in Canada; arrangements have been made with the Bureau of Standards for Calibrating gauges and for the care and custody of master gauges. compilation of StPtl.tins: A confidential list of approximr.tely 660 manufacturers of munition and kindr.d articles has be.n prepared aM submitted to the War ..nd Navy Departments for their guidance in purchr.sing such iTiaterial. The General Hunitions Board has since its organization, through thecoordination of purcha.sing alone, saved mny millions of dollars to the government. - 10 - Munitions Standprds Board On March 20, 1917, the Coimcil of National Defense fornaally created the Munitions Standards Board, previously organized by Commissioner Coffin, the Advisory raemher on Munition work. Itsoptirpose being to standardize munitions specifications, in so far as possible to permit of quantity production of mxmitions at the most reasonable prices ob- tainable. The following experts were appointed to compose the Board: Prank A. Scott, of tlie 'Varner and Swasey Company, Cleveland, manu- facturers of putomatic machinery and optical instruments, chairman; W. H« Vandervoort, of Boot and Vandervoort, builders of special machine tools, and president of the Moline Automobile Company; E. A. Deeds, formerly general manager of the National Cash Register Company, president of the Dayton Engineering Company, and interested in many industrial activities; • Francis Pratt, of the General Electric Company, Schenectady; i'Samuel Vauclain,, of the Baldwin Locomotive Works, Remington and Westinghouse companies; John N. Otterson, vice-president, Winchester Arms Company; Careful investigations have been made and meetings held with manu- facturers of shells, machine guns, etc. with resulting introduction of modifications in specification and design to permit of greater quantity of production. A comprehensive list of manufacturing concerns who had been and were manufacturing munitions for the Allies, was compiled for confidential use and the productive capacity of the country along these lines was developed and tabulated. o.r - ■^BGoq as IB'l 03 Xji ■ ■ ::l- seoqriSv^.. ■ .- '- , ^ ^ - . • .....^&& iyg tin- ^'■"'' ' '■'-: '■/.'■■.. " ■ * ■;•'"■■. ^ ■'». - ; " . ■ ' '' . fCa'kO IsiioJ+e"? ?'ft .t" • ■ . -• .• • i*irij ■ . .; * - . ■' ■. ■ ;|..^9 ./ /._^ - 11 - Airci'gft Production Board The Cotincil authorized this Board as organized by Commissinaier Cofi'in to proceed v/ith this program in accords-nce v/ith the plan hereiiiafter set forth: 1. Engineering; : To cooperate with the plane and engine de- sign departments of the ^'<.rmy and Navy, with all manufacturers, engineering laboratories, private, individual, etc., to advance the science of aviation and aerostation, and to stimulate the production of a better type of aircraft, 2. Specif ications and Standardization : To advise and assist in such standardization of material and parts and, as far as is practicable, of types of aircraft as will aid in increasing the productive capacity of the industry in the most efficient forms of aircraft. 3. Production : To investigate the source of supply of air- craft of all kinds and the materials entering into tliera and to assist in the formulation and execution of such plans as may be necessary to enable the Government to purchase all kinds of air- craft of the types and in the quantities desired. This will cover advice in connection with: (a) Co-ordination of designs of all aircraft matters through the officers of the allied countries stationed here for that purpose. (b) Arrangements v/ith existing Junerican factories as to kinds of aircraft best suited to their organizations and facil- ities and cuantities to be built by them, (c) Suitable arrcngements v/"nen necessary to advance government funds v/liere larger contracts are considered than can be privately financed or to riake arrangements on a cost-plus basis, (d) Utilization of such idle facilities aid creation . of such nev/ sources of supply as in the judgment of the Board are necessary to meet the needs of the Government. 4. Inspection ; To cooperate v/ith the inspection organizations of the Army and Navy and to assist in co-ordinating their present systems of inspection to the end tlxi t if possible tlere be one system, one standard and one organization for the inspection of air- craft in this coiontry. !..j£,|^,. 'i\- i^^iiCiOiiSiS-^ ni :;ji^ - 12 - 5. Avlgtion Schools ; Fallowijig the selection of site® by the military departments, to sdvise in regard to buying or leasing the land, preparing it fer use, pnd erecting p11 buildings, 6. Supply De ijots; Following the ?pproval of sites, to ?dvise in •rogsrd to leasing the land, erecting the necessery buildings. ''* P yj-ority : To advise regarding priority of deliveries of sircrpft material as between the departments in accordance with a general policy as determined by the Council of National Defense. A condensed report of the work already accomplished in connection with aircraft production under the Aircraft Production Board or under direction of its chairman previous to organization of the board itself follows; Assisted in the organisation of the Pan-American Aeronautical Exposition in New York last Pebnaary. Assisted in organizing the aircraft manufacturers into an assooiationV Negotiated %"ith the Wright-Martin Aircraft Corporation and Curtiss Aeroplsne Cemppny and others to secure a basis for the settlement of the Airplane patent situation. Agreement has been reached between the parties at interest subject to the preparation of prrper legal cross-licensing agreement. Evolved in cooperation with the chief signal officer a training plan for aviators. Assembled the presidents ♦f six military engineering universities and assisted in starting six schools for the preliminary training of aviator — J cadets. ) Arranged for the sending of professors- to take instruction at Toronto on this cadet instruction work. Developed in cooperation with the chief signal offiter and the Aero- nautical Division a standard type of aviation school buildings snd equip- ment of buildings. Arranged ftr conjjlete working drawings, estimates of cost, etc. ~ 13 - Assisted the Aeronauticr.l Division in investigating sites for aviation schools. Investigated the production facilitius of aeroplanes in the United States and raade recommendations to the chief signal ofiicer covering orders that should be placed at once. Assisted in the preparation of leases covering training fields authorized by the War Dopartnent. Arranged for etandardization of training type of machine between English, Canadian and United States service. Plans for battle types of machines are being developed and orders for machines are actually being placed by the military authorities. Medical Section The Iledical Section is under the general supervision of Dr. Franklin H. I.Iartin, of the Advisory Commission; and in the immediate charge of Dr. F. F. Simpson, who acts as chief of the section. In ascertaining the civilian medical resources of the country and comparing these resources with the actual resources and personnel of the raediaal departments of the United States Army, Navy, Public Health Service and tte American National Red Cross, the prime need was the careful se- lection from the civilian medical profession of thoroughly qualified doctors -.The could be recoramondec' to the Army and Navy as .nembors of the medical officers reserve corps, a list of these men to be sub.nitted to the Surgeons General for inspection, elimination and final acceptance of those found desirable. In pursuance of this plan committees were formed in each State and asked to submit a selected group of medical practitioners from UjVtii sb -jiaijid SIS. s&i.- "f ' t* r ^ rv'T.'? irn ^ -■.• . ■*■ 7 r- -■■^:~r- .■■■■■■ r-:.^^i ~:00 SUsi:: ■i-fr - 14 - their respective sections. These lists were carefully compiled and di- vided into sections according to ages and specialties, and the names of the selected men \/ere furnished to the Surgeons General. The selection of 21,000 competent physicians has beon completed. The Lien represented hy these lists were also given applications for positions in the medical officers' reserve corps v/itli request that they fill out the blanlcs and file the appli- cations with the Surgeons General. The next important duty v/as to obtain young medical men, preferably recent graduates, for. service as medical officers in the regiJlar army and navy medical corps. The deans of the various medical schools came to Washington, at the instance of the lledical Section, and asked tlrat medical officers of the Army and Ilavy be detailed to said schools to teach gradu- ating classes the administrative details in connection '.vith medical officers, in order to make available the 3,500 medical students to be graduated in June. This action has resulted in materially filling the gaps in the regular army and navy medical corps v/ith men of the most desirable type. The third problem in raiik: of importance has been to standardize the various instrtmiQats, supplies and equipment common to the Army, Navy, Public Health Service and Red Cross, co-ordinating them v/ith the needs of the civilian medical profession. The necessity for tMs is obvious v/hen it is knov;nthat a large percentage of medical instruments and other supplies are rnanufactured in Germany, and it was vitr,l to obtain aiitable substitutes from American nanufacturors. Committees representing the Army, Navy, Public Health Service and Eed Cross, and civilian doctors, i i were formed to standardize the existing supply tables and to select tnose - 15 - necessary for the proper conduct of the departments. These committees after m?ny months of ^ork hrve formulated their recommends t ions, end catalogues with the authorized standardized instruments ere now being published. Consultations hpve been had with the deans of the raedicpl schools of the country in cooperation with the Surgeons General, and arrrngements made by which medicpl schools will continue their regulpr work and supply the normal output of young medical men, thus, it is hoped, avoiding the disastrous results of other countries flowing from the disorganizption of medical schools. There has ?lso been established ? method by v/hich, in cooperation with the large civil hospitals of the country, their staffs will be segregated, allowing the younger and more active men to enroll in the officers' reserve corps for duty et the front. A General Medical Board composed of civilian medical men of the high- est rank has been formed, which meets at stated intervals in V7?shington to advise ?nd cooperate with the Surgeons General of the Army, Wavy, Public Health Service and Bed Cross in all mptters needing cooperrtion between these brpnches ?nd the large civilian medicpl element. This Board, vvork- ing through sub-committees, is in a position to furnish the very latest information on medical and s'lrgical experience in the Europeen war and from the principal laboratories and reseprch organizations of America, and with regard to the relative desirability of men who are candidates for positions in the medicpl reserve corps or the regular medical orps of the Army and Navy. At the instance of the General Medical Board, •V : -.'■'t Ti A ■.<> -.t _,.-^.-,- "'-.-■.-''*•..■• 'ittQ^-i^''' -'■.■■■■'"'-: '■•'^ ;'>?•-: .-!■-::,: ai J'i ^•e^t'-'^. ■ »fif-. -« 'io j^jjUo - . ■ • ;sff* noi*^ ■ . ■ ■ J 'to 3/ -.'f-uid sdJ-lto- r A^ f o 'f*'^''? '^ti. 'tf'rj^*'^ 'rrs * **''^^T '"•'??*^" "^ ."3 ^ij i**t"'^ "ti^^i ^f?'^' • A >.i,V 1, J i ,Ibc ■i.s'T'-as: ■j"' 3r*^-t3'xcp. i''iJ»'v iij;.! iiUii.-' 17 - the closest and inost effective cooperation is being had hetween the mem- bers of this committee, the work of which, has materially aided in tight- ening up the machinery for the National Defense. Inventioua (Naval Consulting Board of the United States) The Naval Consulting Board of the United States, headed hy Thomas A. Edison, and composed of emiment scientists and inventors, acts as a hoard of inventions for the Council of National Defense. Tlie Boar d is now, and has been for some time, actively engaged in the investigations of plans to counteract the submarine menace. Coiranercial Econonw Board The duties of this Board, under the chaiMTanship of A. V/. Shaw, are to ascertain how conmercial business may best meet demands made upon it by the war, and how men, supplies and equipments now employed in trade can be made available for the needs of the Government without impairing the essential services of ti-ade and without xuuiecessary hardships to the public at large. The following subjects are already vinder investigation by the Commer- cial Economy Boardi (a) DGliverv Service ; To tlK end of determining how tile delivery service of retail: stores may be curtailed duriiig the v.cr conferences have been held with representative merchants, and agents of the board have made personal investigation of typical stores in V/ashington, Philadelphia, .. ..e-/ ;^J 5fti - 18 - Pittsburg and other cities, nn 1 a carefully prepare/', schelule of questions is bc-ing sent to sovcral thousand stores in all p?.rts of the country. The v/ork has already liscloso 1 that rnr^ny retail stores can arr?-ngG to release men tjtlI equipment from their delivery .lepart .lonts for the government ser- vice. (b) Other services ; The board is inv J'-*:? '^V sfl^? noiiilm il«'f^^>.;. h, oc ■;4j:!.t-..^-^-?'-;: r.-f -•■■>:'' ^,,tv!-. '.--xd' -i-S- q- . . . . • . ....■:... ^ ■■ < r ,- , ...,.':•. .r ;- '-.'i- ' :• . ■ • - ■ ■■ ■ » ■ " ' • 'i.>r f''3 i ■ ■•-SS»rf- ^ li^Sin'lK :- ,i I^ iib:-J07ll ti^' won' .: "' ■"- ». \ - aiaS- r!^: ftoi^oij^fe-fl e''«^wsl?ffo' viV'.-TrI "as fie---, -?-•-" -■- - 22 - 4. v.^T^if. relief. 5. Allied relief. 6. Production. .iux.5^x-,aHyu end thi-ift. 7. Educational propaganda. 8. Protection of wo«v=r, workers, wages. ^->-t. ^--«.M*ione». 9. Conservation of the health and welfare of children. 10. Medical Section. 11. Courses of instruction: (a) Current events concerning women's war work. > (b) Training classes in work for which the state furnishes a demand, such ps mctjr service, wireless telegraphy.etc- 12. Conservation of moral ?nd spiritual forces of the N?tion. Nat i an a 1 ^ Rp ° q°:y h C ounc i I i At the request of the Council of National Defense the National Research Council is maintaining in V/ashington an active committee under the direction of Dr. George E. Hale end Dr. R, A. Millikan, for the purpose of cooperating with the Council of National Defense in matters pertaining to scientific research for the national defense. The N?tion?l Research Council hps m?de s close-knit organization of the scientific forces of the country and represents all of the more important scientific bodies, as well as the scientific bureaus of the gov- ernment in their research capacities. It was organized by the Ngtional Academy of Sciences at the request of the President of the United States for the purpose of coordinating and stimulating the research activities in the United States in the fields of science and engineering. The Nation?! Research Council is at present engaged in such investigations as the study of devices for deteotinp; completely sub- merged submarines end mines; range finders of various types; devices for detecting .■iS ."bi^ :-?r "*-> ■i-f •fTT - 23 - invisible aircraft and sapping parties; improvements in v.lroless apparatus and other instruments used ;;ith aircraft; military photogTaphy, prevention of corrosion rnd electrolytic action on the hulls of vessels; balloon fabrics; fabrics foy army slickers; nev explosives; and utilization of wastes and by- products. The committee on nitrate supi^ly appointed at the roquest of the Secretary of Uar to consider the process to be used by the Government in its plant for producing nitrates for explosives and fertilizers, has submitted a full report. Tnrougji the cooperation of the Bureau of StcJidards and the geo- physical laboratory of the Carnegie Institute v/ith glass manufacturers, the problem of supplying the optical glass for military purposes is v/cll advajiced toward solution. Other vital matters which arc being fully investigated are anti-toxins and serums for diptheria, tetanus, pneumonia, dysentery and men- ingitis; intradermal method of vaccinating for smallpox; poljrvalent vaccines for typhoid fever; sterilization of drinlting cater; soldiers' clothing and blankets; infected wounds; shock; fatigue, occupational diceases with special reference to munition v/orkcrs; protection of the oar from high explosives, and study of noxious gases and methods of protection against them. Committee on Shipping; To advise the United States Shipping Board and to report tlirough the chairman thereof to the Council of National Defense as to tl-& best methods of increasing the tonnage available for shipment to the Allies, a Committee on Shipping has been created by tlie Council of Kational Defense. ifitr. *': i viirii' mrnoO 'io fforfi- -tol 1 - 24 Department en Cooporation with State Organizcitions . Under the direction of the Diructor of tho Council of National Dofonso, and in the immediate charge of Goorgo F. Porter, an active department h?.s been established which has for its purpose the coordination cf state defense activities throughout the nation. The initial stop of this body consisted in a request made by the Secretary of \7ar, in his capacity as chairman of tho Council of Nation;:.l Defense, to the governors of all the states to create state councils of defense or similar committees with broad powers -to cooperate with tho Council of National Defense and to represent the industries, activ- ities and resour ces of tRe several states. A number of states, more partic- ularly those in tho East, had previously organized. Others proceeded at once to do so, and records to date show that thirty-five states have completed such organization. These state bodies arc generally Icnown as state councils of defense, though some of them are called comraitteos of public safety, and by other names. Following this action there was called, likewise by the Chainir.n of tho Council of National Defense, a conference of the st.^.tcs, consisting of repro- sontativc-3 from the state councils, including tho governors of twelve common- wealths, which met in Washington on May 2, 1917, and remained in session for two days. Every state in ths Union was represented. The conference was opened by the Chxirraan of the Council of National Defense, ;.nd tho conferees were later addresaed at tho Whito House by the President of the United States. Meetings subsoquoBtly he}.d were addressed by the Secretaries of the Navy, the Interior, Labor and Coratnerce; by representatives of the Department of Agri- culture and by members of the Advisory Ccsmiission and the Director. Frank and thorough-going explanation was oade to the state representatives of the .zaj'zictiapv^l^ f fcjTlJ •VJC. •id ri7i-v ss?^ ■:0T Oi? :?. TO i-sa&i3i f- 'i rJ ,*8-^ ■4.o'*s Seer'" =■ ai bsnistr. .-t f-is, , - . •;.■■.■......■ t -.-a, was unanimously adopted by these officially accredited representatives from every commonwealth in the United States and from the District of Columbia: "/e, the representatives of the various States of the Union assembled here in conference by invitation of the Council of National Defense, desire to express our appreciation of the op- portunity the Couaicil has given us to become more familiar \;ith the herculean task they are performing, and the magnitude of the pa- triotic v/ork they are accomplishing. V/e desire also to express our entire confidence in their" ability to carry to a successful fruition their organised endeavors to assist the Govern- ment of the United States in the present emergency, and to pledge each our several States to the full- est cooperation in any direction v/hich may suggest i\ itself to the Council of National Defense wherein v/e as units may be nov7g^g>£^may hereafter, become helpful in this their /national undertaking. Following the conference, the v/ork of this departirent has been to col- lect information as to the organization and activities of the various state:, councils, to answer a number of fox-roal inquiries submitted thereby, a;ad to provide a means of keeping in intimate touch v/ith the formation and activities of the state councils, as ./ell as to furnish a free flo./ing and speedy channel of communication betv/een the stats councils and the Federal Gover-iinent. The department has also prepared and sent Lo the state coarcils a tre^iis- cript in full of the proceedings of the national defefise conference, i-eports aad information from the Departraent of Labor, full inforiiation v.s to the » 26 - Liberty Loan with request that state coimcils assist intho successful placing thereof (this at the request of the Treasury Dopartmcnt ) , and information in connection v/ith Hegistration Day along v/ith a roquost that this day ho made one for national cclobration. COMHTTEES OF OR ASSOCIATED VITH THi: ADVISQHY COMIISSIOK The Advisory Coramission, which is a "body of seven civilians ayxjointod by the President, the members of v;hich ecrvo in an advisory capacity v/ith- out compensation, have formed or cr.uecd to be formed various committees. Their duties and accomplishments to date arc as follov/s: TransT>ortatiQn and Communication At the instance of Commissioner Daniel Willard the railroads of the country loavc been completely mobilized for the riation's defense. A special committee on national defense of the American BailT/ay Associa- tion, comprising the leading railroad executives of the United States, has been formed and its machinery has been in motion for a number of wcelcs. The executive committee of this special coiiomiltce is composed of Fairfax Harrison, cloairman, Howard Elliott, Hale Holdcn, Julius Kruttschnitt, Samuel Hoa, and Daniel V/illard, and Edgar E, Clark, of the Interstate Coinmerce Coramission, ex-officio. This executive committee has established permanent headquarters in Washington with the necessary staff of experts end office employees at the expense of the railways of the United States, and is practically in continuous secsion. The special committee, itself, is subdivided over the country into ru'iOr :T£tiei -■r:;+crl - 27 ~ Gix dcpartmoats, each to correspond to one of the military departments of the Ariny. The personnel of thccc departmental bodies is made up in each case of from four to seven railroad oxocutivcn. There airolinj- tnrix sub-coraidttoos on car service, military equipment standards, military tranoportation acco-unting, military paoscngcr tnriffo, military freight tariffs, and materials and sup- plies, each of these cominittcos teng composed of highly qualified transpor- tation executives. The special corriroittco has adopitcd the broadest attitude in connection r/ith the public interest. It has among other things declared that an emergency exists \;hich requires that coal be given preference in car supply and movement; it has issued nccucs^ry instructions to the railways that the movement of ore be preferential, second only to coal; it has caused to bo modified the car service rules to facilitate the free movement of freight so as to permit a larger latitude in the handling of box cars in the interest of national efficiency as distinguished from that of individual railroads; and the special committee has certified to tha Council of National Defense that in its judgment certain preferences should be given to the movement of fuel, as follov;s: 1st: Fuel for the United States Govcrninent . 2nd: Fuel for the j^oads upon -.vhich mines are located. 3rd: Fuel for steam railroads other than those upon T/hich mines arc located. 4th: Fuel for other purposes. At llr. V/illard's request the committee submitted suggestions to the Council of National Defense as to persons to compose the proposed railroad commission to visit Russia and reco;:nraend methods for the operation of the Siberian railroads. The Advisory Coinmission of the Council of National De- fense was advised that it \ic.s the sense of the special committee that conventions - 28 - bi-inging largo bodies of parsons to one point should be discouraged in the interest of conservation of fuel, to avoid congestion, to prevent interruption to necessary freight traffic and to conserve equij«ient and energies which must be applied to the accompli shinent of transportation requirements of the country. The special committee has arranged for active study on the part of the department committees of (a) Distribution of power as batwuon railroads. (b) Adjustment of passengor train service in accordance with national requirements. Other accomplishments of the special defense cominittee are as follows: Tho issuance to the railways of a bulletin indicating ways in which added efficiency might be obtained by individual roads; the initiation of a movement for the pooling of coal of like characteristics at la^e ports in the interest of efficiency and expedition of movement; the undertaking of the enlistment of the nino reserve ongine-r regiipents composed of skilled railway workers to aid in the rehabilitation of the railways of France, as v/ell as in the operation of the French railways behind the English lines; an arrangement for the movemertt of coal for naval use from mines in West Virginia to the Pacific Coast in box cars instead of in open cars, in order to prevent the uneconomical empty haul of open cars from Pacific Coast points to the East; the handling of a vast number of requests fcsr priority in car supply and in movement, those questions having been broiight to the attention of tte special committee by agencies of the government, members of Congress and co mmercial interests; the preliminary work on relocation of cars so as to produce the largest measure of transportation; the perfection in connection with the proper officers of the Army of a complete scheme of cooperation in the moveraentt of troops and supplies of every description. The definite practical ciSi?c. --■ i-o oii3.'... jT--- 3&33';fxo3inoo *X! lOO sfiffsieh ■•3)?ir'"'Tf'rtr. ■ ij6'S iMi x*ixota.o\ ■ 'iXs.' ijj' -29- expedition of movement of food products follo-.ving on many conferences with representatives of the Allies and of the Department of Agriculture, The special committee has pIso under wpy, ?mong other things: (a) Through negotiations with the National Industrial Traffic Lepgue, a representative body of shippers, the formation of ? committee of shippers to cooperate with the special committee. (b) The simplification of tariffs covering the movement of im- pediments for troops. (c) The list of available routes between specified points for the use of military authorities. Under the committee on national defense of the 'merican Electric Railway /Association, acting in cooperation with and at the instance of Mr. V/illard, a committee, vmder the chairmanship of General George N. Harries, has been organized and is cooperating with t>ie special defense committee of the 'raerican Railway Association. Mr. V/illard has assisted in the creation of a committee of which Mr. John Stephens, one time Chief Engineer of the Panama Canal, is chairman and four other men prominent in railroad work are members, v/hich has gone to Russia, properly accredited by the President to call on Russian offi- cials. They will be met at Vladivostoclc and go over the road to find out v/hat particular things are needed in the way of equipment that we can fur- nish, and what materials or men v/e can send that will be helpful. 3S + J.r.r.i'<00 <^ *C fto lij: : f^^ • (*■ ^ f' •> 1 ;"!?.-{ - 50 - Telephone and Telegraph Committee Mith regard to the utilization of the telephone and telegraph systems of the country for the Government's needs, tlie vital thing fully realized by both federal officers and the v;ire conpanies has been to perfect a coordi- nation to insure complete cooperation not onl5'- bet^veen the Government and the conrpanies, but between tlie coiiipanies themselvevS with regard to coiranuni- cations and censorship of communications. That v;as all arranged for some two months ago at the instcjace of I.Ir . V/illard, chiefly throvigh the instru- mentality of Theodore IT. Vail, president of the American Telephone and Tele- graph Company, v/ho acts as cliairraan of this committee. Elaborate plans have been worked out r.lrer,dy tin-oughout the United States, all govem- been ment toll calls having/given precedence over official messages, the giving of this special service requires extraordinary action on the part of the telephone officials every\7here, including the special drilling of some 12,000 long line operators in different parts of the country. The long distance facilities out of V/ashington have been increased from 148 wires to 294 wires, and plans are r^ov/ being made for a still further in- crease. Good telephone service can be given between V.'ashington and the head- quarters of every department and naval district in the United States. Pro- vision has been made for handling telephone calls promptly even with a large increase in business betv/een the various army department headquarters and the state Capitols, the army posts and the national and state mobilisation camps in each military department. Extensive metlx)ds have been devised for special telephone a»d telegraph wire systems for the exclusive use of the Ifer, Navy and other departments of the Government. More than 10,000 miles of special sys- tems have already been taken from conanercial use and devoted exclusively to ^iSno'.'i. - 31 - the service of the Navy,. Agriculture and other executive depprtmentSt A very comprehensive system for the '7ar Department has been evolved and will be put into service upon the call of the chief siprial officer of the Army. Plans are being rapidly executed to increase the local telephone facilities of 'Vashington; an entirely new central office with an ultimate capacity of 10,000 lines, is being installed. Provision has already been made for the construction of telephone systems in the mobilization camps. Active assistance has been given by the Bell System to the U.S. Coast Guard officials, and plans made for providing telephone connections at approximately 100 light houses and 200 coast guard stations, involving the laying of some 300 miles of submarine cable, constructing more t^an 650 miles of pole line and stringing more than 1,200 miles of wire. Special facilities have been provided for the National Guard, par- ticularly in connection with guarding important railroad points, bridges, and water supply systems. Even more extensive plans have been put into effect in cooperation with the Navy with brilliant success. Committee on Supplies The function of the Committee on Supplies, of which the chairman is Julius Tfosenwald, president of Sears, Roebuck ^ Company, of Chicago, is to cooperate vith the purchasing bureaus of the ^ar and Navy Departments, to advise and assist them in the procurement of necessary clothing, equip- age and food, and as far as possible to coordinate the buying of the re- spective departments in these directions. The committee is composed of six men chosen from different lines of business, who are devoting their entire time to the work of the committee \rithout compensation. Asso- ciated with them are two officers of the Army, familiar with purchasing r=?^-:?-ttnBi n64t ■ • -, rtH- ; f .; v;:- r eaiXercfgg ft. ■to ,x p .: ^q ' t ■ .-riC.'j- n;ff- .^irir^--' .-; rv-t ^.-v'i*^ ">■':■ -a- >f' - 32 - problems. The work of the Committee on Supplies mry perhaps best be instanced by relating its action in an advisory capacity in connection with the method employed by the V.'sr and Navy rep?rtirents in purchasing supplies throuph advertising and circulars to bidders. The Committee on Supplies advpnced f^pt this method, while perhaps satisfactory in peace times, embodied very serious disadvantages in time of v/ar in viev; of the multiplied need of the government. Hence, the committee advised the purchasing departments of the government that the system of advertisement and bids would necessarily tend to a stimulation of the market with a resultant inflation of prices. On ''pril 12, 1917, the Secretary of V'ar declared that an emergency existed within the meaning of Section 3709 of the Revised Statutes, and ordered that contracts be made without adver- tising for bids. The Committee has likev'ise endeavored with some suc- cess, through the General Munitions Board, to coordinate the requirements and purchases of the various departments so as to reduce to a minimum, or to eliminate altop-ether, the possibility of the government being a direct competitor of itself by the purchase of supplies through separate channels. Specifications of many of the items required-by the govern- ment were written at a time when needs v/ere small and conditions of world trade normal. Radical changes have becc«ne necessary since this country entered the war, in the specifications for textiles, shoes and Other items, f limited supply of raw materials and the needs of our allies have made immediate action imperative. Therefore the com'^ittee has cooperated with the proper departments in drafting new specifications which would provide the best possible substitutes for articles difficult or impossible to obtain in the requisite quantities. ■ 9riT :f r"* . ■is- ^f»-"9P f v-^^! i £ ^^H.-tI^;4"0^'»'»SC : -•; "-^i- i 33 - The Committee on Supplies has wherevor possible assisted tho pur- chasing officers to deal directly with the prime producers of the articlss needed. In the judgment of the coramittue a purchaser of the size of the United States needs the services of no middlemen to Sucuro its supplies. In this scopt: of ita worfc tho committo. has be^n subjected to criticism by dealers and army contractors vho have in the past secured options on supplies ^7hich they toow the government vrould need, and which they have then offered to the government at an increased price. In many instances the Committee on Supplies has buen able to "peg" the price of supplies required in large quantities by the government at figures existing at tho beginning of tho war, or in some casus at figures lower than those prevailing at that time. Tho committee has also secured options for the government on large supplies of leather and other mater- ials required at prices in effect at the beginning of the war, avail- able for the government's acceptance at periods of from four to six months. The Committee on Supoliae has caused to be created to advise and asiist it cooperative committees in the cotton, wo61en, snoe and leather, knit goods and mattress industries. V/ith the assistance of those committees, the Committee on Supplies has bcjn able to mobilize those industries for the service of the government, to ^ring to the purchasing departmunts of the government the services of many mills and factories which aad never bo- fore produced government goods and which would not nov; be in tho raarlcot for the government goods were they not asked by this comraitt^a lor pa.triot-r. ic reasons to place a portion of their plants at the disposal of the ^;r.-i„v-.s Um .XCL.i' - 34 - gO"^ernment . In this way the committee has been ?t3.e to enlarge the field in which the purchasing depprtments of the government ?re pble to buy, snd ?lso to increase the deliveries. The Committee on Supplies has had field agents cooperating with the factories to expedite deliveries cf government goods. These field agents have served t/ifhout expense to the government for time or disbursements. Through the securing of options, through the "pegging" of prices of the various articles, through the elimination of middlemen, through the re- duction in competition between goverrment departments in buying, the commi't-tee believes it has enabled the governm.ent to make substantial savings in its purchases. The committee has worked primarily on articles of nUerchandise which involved unusual difficulty, either because of the large quantities in which they were required or because of the shortage of the materials involved in their manufacture or because of the unusual competitive demand for similar articles for civilian use. Members of the committee have conferred with members of the Balfour mission as to the methods of purchasing which have been developed by the governments of our Allies. Kaw F?,teri?l_s_, M inerals and Metals This committee, headed by Bernard M. Baruch, has organized the field with regard to raw materials, minerals and metals in the following industries: Alcohol, aluminum, asbestos, magnesia and roofing, brass, cement, chemicals, coal tar by-products, copper, lead, l\imber, mica, nickel, oil, pig iron, iron ore and lake transportation, rubber, steel and steel products, sulphur, wool and zinc. sen. ■^■f! p» , /rr f>10 - 36 - Cooperative con-irij-'otecrs hrve be<:^n forrred uiic'er the forepoing hea^lings. Several of therse con-.i-lttees mpincsin represen-' stives in Washington in order to \ceep in close tOL.ch vit^ the exociative d^p?rtments of the {^overnr^ent, and the chai^-man cf all cf the cooperative corrunittees visit Washington from time to time and get in to^icn with the depsrtments r^ith v.'hich they hpve to derl. Their endeavor is to become pcqt;?inted witT- the requirements of the government de3)f^rtments and their specif ic?tions, snd in every w?y possible be helpful, r.'hile bho^e committees were formed to mobilize the industries in given fields ?nd to act only in rn advisory capacity, experience has sho^m that they h?ve been of great im.mediate vplue to the governm.ent in perfecting esrly deliveries and in +he ma'cinr of lower-than-merket prices. The concrete accompli shr.ents of the Committee on Paw Materials, Min- erals and Fetal s, m^-y be i"iemised ss follows: (a) 45,000 TpoxmC-z of copper hrve been offered to the government by the copper interests, acting at the instance of th'.s conmittee, at an ?pproximate saving to the government of $10,0C0,C00> It is the belief of this Committee t^^at through this ^genair hundreds of millions of pounds of copper required by the Allies and our ovTn depprtments such as the Army, Navy and the Pan?ma Cansl Commission, can be boup-ht ?t prices that will show an enormous saving. (b) The cooperative committee on zinc has plre^dy contracted for some 25,000,000 pounds of zinc at practically tvvc-thirds cf the market price, and is prepared to use its efforts to affect still further savings on the vast qu?ntities that m.ust be purchased. - 36 - (c) Through the cooperative coirmittee on steel the Navy Depart- ment contracted for several hundred thousand tons of ship plates snd other materials at great concessions. When ship pistes Trero selling ?it $160 a ton, the Navy bought thera at $58 a ton. (d) The cooperative committee on alxaminum purchased fcr the government its need of aluminum at 27g- cents per pound, when the regular price of the sellers to large purchasers was 38 cents, and the market price was 60 cents per pound. (e) The cooperative committee on chemicals is now engaged In negotirtions with the fertilizer interests of the country which will sta- bilize and lo^er prices. (f) The cooperative committee on cil has closed contracts, for the delivery of oil to the Navy, of a highly satisfactory nature with re- gard to prices snd deliveries. It should be stated that none of the foregoing committees is in any way exercising executive functions, but each has merely advised with and assisted the executive department of that government in the purchase cf their supplies. Com mj.1;te ^ on Jl.aTigr. This committee has fs its cheirmsn Samuel Gompers, president employers v;erc larcsent, as v/ell as the officers and executive coniraittee of the .'jnerican Federation of Labor, the presidents or representatives of the leading internr-tional -unions and of the rail\;ay brotherhoods, and of the national Association of I.]anuf acttirers , and representatives of a v/ide range of commercial, transportation, fiiicjacial and civic interests. It was the definite purpose of Ilr. Gornpers and his associates to avoid the unfortunate industrial experiences of England in tho opening months of the European v/ar. Out of tlie conference in question it became clear that on the issue of national defense a remarkable unity of purpose had developed among the many diverse groups represented, which it v/ould be possible to utilize to practical ends through the Committee on Labor of the Advisory Comnission. A permanent organization r;as formed and an executive coriimittoe of eleven members na-rned. &rov/ing from this eight national cohimittecs have been appointed, of \;.iich tiiose v/hose plans are furthest advanced arc the corjmittccs in relation to v/agcs and hours, rnediation and conciliation s^d v/elfaro \/ork, including safety, s^Jaitation and industrial training. Tho principle upon which these features of T/elfaye \/ork coimaittce's ■ aseigiiod taok in bascdjl-is-tthat the health, welfare and officiency of the workers in the vitcl induutriei; upon \/aich all eloe depends are ultimate reticurces -./hich must be conserved in the interest of the national defence. To tlie OoniBittee on Labor have been pledged the support and cooperation of :;uch national -".nd local organiza- tions, both of labor and of industry and i;i various civic and technical fields, as the American Federation of Labor, tlie national Association of Manufacturers, the American Institute of Arcliitects, the National Fire Prevention Association, the National Board of Fire Underv/ritera, the - 38 - Illuminatine: Engineers Society, the Nptional Council of Safety, the .\merics>n Museum of Scfety, the Nsticnsl Consvmers' League, the Ngtion?! Child Lrbor Coinmittee, the American Association of Industrial Physicians ?nd Surgeons, the American Public Health Association, the Young Men's Christian Association, the National Civic Federation, the National Asso- ciation for the Promotion of Industrial Education, the Joint Conference of Coal Miners and Operators of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and v,'estern Penn- sylvania, and the J'ining and J'etallurgical Society of America. • Conferences 'Vith British fnd Canadian Lphor In response to the cabled request of Mr. Gompers to Premier Lloyd George of Great Brit?in, there is now in this country a comnission of four representptives of English lrbor r^nd welfare worl?, which has placed at the disposal of the Coirrrittee on Labor the Enp-lish experience through- out the past three years in dealing with employment problems of the utmost gravity, '"his commission consists of C. V.'. Bowerman and James K. Thomas, Members of 'Parliament and respectively Secretary of the British Trade Union Congress ?nd Secretary of the National U'lion of 'R?ilwaymen; H. Y/. Garrod, representing Labor in the Department of I'inistry of Tv'unitions; and Joseph Davies, Secretary to Wr. David Lloyd George. The m.embers of the British labor commission h?ve been in executive session with re'nbers of the Committee on Labor during the f^reater pprt of the past two wee^s and have since been joined by t'.vo labor representatives sent by the government of Canada. Both the English and the Canadian commissions were heard pt length pt p public session of the full Committee on Labor on ?'ay 15,1917. The - 39 - diGC-aGsions proved of high practical value and were participated in by Judge Ilavirice 3. ^'uiios, of the British GorrmiDciOR; James Duncan, representing Labor on the American Commission to Russia; John D. Hockefeller, Jr., Daniel Gxiggon- hcin, John R. Alpine, prosidcnt of the Plumbers & Stcamf ittcrs' Association;- Eiiicrcon Mcl'Iillin, .^rthur 0. V;harton, president of the Railway Employees' De- partment of the American Federation of Labor; Theodore llarburg, George V\'. Perkins, Colgate Hoyt, Sara B. Conboy, secretary of the United Textile Workers; and former Ambassador Ilyron T. Herriok, and others. The committee and its gacctG were received at the V.hite Houce by President V/ilson, who expressed his personal interest in tho work of tho committee and his desire to cooperate in the furtherance of its purpose. The CoCTflittcc on Labor has now a mciriber- ship of some 400 persons. Its executive consnittec consists of: Samuel Gompers, Chairman. Hon. V/illiam B. Wilson, Secretary of Labor. V. Everit .'lacy, president, national Civic Federation. James Lord, president, liining Dcpt., /oriorican Federation of Labor. Elisha Lcc, general manager, Pennsylvania Railroad. V/arrcn S. Stcnc, grand chief, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. C. E, Michael, of the National Association of Manufacturers. Frank Morrison, secretary, rancrican Federation of Labor. Leo K. Frankel, third vice-president. Metropolitan Insurance Co. James O'Conncll, president, Ilctal Trades Dept., /un. Fed. of Labor. Louis B. Schram, chairman. Labor Cojnmittees, U.S. Brewers' Assn. To i'laintain Ikisting Standards Perhaps tho .uost outstanding achievement of the Committee on Labor has been the following resolution adopted at the meeting of its executive ■rrc 1 Oif.v. 7 ff:"r<* * ,- 40- committee and approved by' the Council of National Defense and its Advis- ory Comraission on April 6, 1917; The defense and safety of the nation must be the first consideration of all patriotic citizens. To avoid confusion and facilitate the preparation for national defehse and give a stable basis upon v'hich the representatives of the Govern- ment may operate during the war, we recommends First ; That the Council of National Defense should issue a statement to employers and employees in our indus- trial plants and transportation systems advising that nei- their employers nor employees shall endeavor to take advantage of the country's necessities to change existing standards. When economic or other einergo'ncios arise requiring changes of standards, the samo should be made only after such pro- posed changes have been investigated and approved by the Council of National Defense. Second : That the Council of National Defense urge upon the legislatures of the States, as well as all admin- istrative agencies charged with the enforcement of labor and health laws, the great duty of rigorously maiotaining the existing safeguards as to the health and tha welfare of workers, and that no departure from such present standards in state la^;i-s or state rulings affecting labor, should be taken without a declaration of the Council of National Defense that 3uch a departure is essential for the effective pursuit of the national defonac. brie fae ->^,^- lit -i rc^r? t;§ji ;.i;j ;ioqir * i-' - 41 - Third ; Th?t the Council of JJational Defense urge upon the legislatures of the several States that before final ad- journment they delegate to the governors of their respective States the power to suspend or modify restrictions contained in their labor laws when such suspension or modification shell be requested by the Council of National Defense; and such suspensions or modifications, when made shall continue for a specified period and not longer then the duration of the wart The foregoing resolution w?s on April 16, by motion of the exe- cutive committee of the Committee on Labor, and with the approval of the Council of National Defense amplified as follows: There seems to be some misunderstanding of the scope of the statement made by the Council of National Defense when it advised "that neither employers nor employees shall endeavor to take advantage of the country's necessities to change existing standards." In order that that misunder- standing may be removed, the following amplification is made. There have been established by legislation, by mutual agreement between employers and employees, or by custom, certain standards constituting a day's work. These vary from seven hours per day in some kinds of work to tvrelve hours per day in continuous -ope rat ion plants. The various states and municipalities have established specific stand- ards of safety and sanitation and have provided inspection - IP - ts; ■ ; • I * ';..'t ■ ■** ' ' • ■ •'■.'" • - ... .... ■:-.:„.„ i ■ ■^0 i;-: •■■ brz .10 f!- J no 3S . . ; ■. ■■■ -.-VT; .• •;-.::- < V ■ [ -■■ ■■■■. • • • .: . -., = i- fr ... . , •" '■ • ".''^ • i ■ -i .- r I' ' " .■■"•'' V r T:-"'!? j"." '■;■"- I . . ■ ' , ■ erf r-ra? a/fT .e*,x«;Xfi ar a- ? ■ ■ •■>. ■: ■ ■ . ". .•- .^ , ... ....... lfc.-W'.« - 42 - aervice to enforce the regulations* They have pi so es- tablished maximum hours of work for women and minimum age limits for children employed in gpinful occupations. It is the judgment of the Council of National Defense th?t the Federal St?te end Municipal g'ovemments should continue to enforce the standards they have estphlished unless and until the Council of National Defense has determined that some modifications or change of standards is essential to the national safety; th?t employers rnd emploj-ees in privrte industries should not rttempt to take advantage of the ex- isting abnormal conditions to chansre the standards v^hich they were un?ble t-o change ^onder normal conditions. The one other standard th?t the Council had in mind was the standard of living. It recognizes th?t the standard of living is indefinite and difficult to determine, because it is in a measure dependent upon the purchasing power of wages. It believes, however, th?t no arbitrary chsnEce in wages should be sour-ht at this time by either employers or employees through the process of strikes or lockouts ^vith- out at least giving the established agencies, including those of the several states and of the governm.ent, and of the Mediation Board in the tr?nsportation service ?5nd tho Division of Conciliation of the Department of Labor in other industries, an opportunity to adjust the difficulties without a stoppage of work occurring, V/hile the Council of Nation?! Defense does not mean to intim.ate that under ordinary circTim- f.-.f- ^r,^'- .. 't%ifH - 43 - stances the efficiuncy of woritors is the only olomunt that should bo takoxT into consideration in- fixing tho hours of labor, safoty, sanitation, W0"'icin's worlc and child la'^or stand- ards, such officiuncy is tho obj-^ct that t.iust .)0 attained during tao period -.sMon tao nation's safcsty is i..'/olvi,:d. It liiay ther^ifore b^ nacessary for tho Council as a rosult of its investigations and oxocriuncos to suggest modifications and changes in these standards during that time. It i s not the purpose of thj Council, hov:uVor, to uiidortalCQ to dcterminii ', " ' . tho wago rate- that will bo sufficiont to maintain the uxisting standards of living. Such questions as cannot bo adjust-^d by private nogotiations should bo referred to the oediation agencies above roferrud to or to such other constituted agen- cies as may exist to the end that such questions may be adjust- ed in an orderly and equitable manner to avoid the stoppage of industries which are so vital to the interests of the nation at this critical time. Huiiitions and IJanufacturing ( Includ i ng Standardiaation ) , and Industrial Relatioaa The Council of National Defense has in its files more than 27,000 detailed reports from the larger rranufacturing plants of tho country as to capacity of those plants to ;Tieet the military and indus- trial needs of tha government in time of war. Tnis vast fund of infor- mation was Gollectod by the Coranittee on Industrial Preparedness of tho Kaval Consulting Board of the United States, sail corrur.ittee being headed by Mr. Coffin, and all of the records are nov; under lir. Golf in' s branch of the ■•ork; in the Advisory Con-niiisaion of the Council of National Defense. - 44 - Under llr , Coffin arc concentratod the activities of a body known as the Coimittco on Automotive Trans]?ort v/hicli lias to do v/ith truck specifications for the V/ar Department, the training of truckmastcrs and cliauffcrs, nilitary tinick tires, motorization of field artillery, volunteer motor truck companies, matters of pcrsonnol, matters dealing v/ith engine OJad transmission manufacturers and v.-ith drop forge managers, and the necessities of tractor manafacturc in connection vjith the food problem. The specifications for military trucks under which bids to bo opened on Juno 10, 1917, in Chicago, havo bccai asked for, v/ill be distributed in printed form v;ithin a fcv/ days. Their issuance makes the final step in the result of a long-continued cooperation betv/eon the motor transport board of the V/ar Department and the Society of AutCHnotive Engineers, reprcscntod in the Coumittce on Automotive Transport in an endeavor to arrive at a set of specifications having a maximum value to the Army, and yet to be drawn in such shape as to meet commercial needs and en- courage manufacturers in the greatest possible dogrco. On liay 14, 1917, a conference of fifteen chief engineers, repre- senting the principal truck rainufacturcrs of the United States, and hold in the rooms of the conmittcc under the auspices of the Society of Auto- motive Engineers, resulted in a caTTplctc standardization of many of the salient details as to special equipment demanded by the Quartormastcr's Department on trucks for v/ar scrvioo. Great uniformity v/as obtained, oven in thoso details not completely standardized. This marks tho enter- ing v/cdgo of a corapletcly standardized military truck. A still more im- portant and possihly far-reaching effect of the mooting v/as the agrco- - 45 - Qiont arrived at to cooperate in tljp jfjardhase of the particular pert« under considGration. The cost, for inetanfie, of designing and dupli- cating tho die and tool equipment for making each new type of towing hook or guard may exceed a thousand dollars, although the number of peices needed for any one naanufacturer is rolativijly scnll. It is hoped to save all of this overhead by concentrating upon one type which will be satisfactory to all the engineers concerned and which can bo pro- duced economically in quantities sufficient for all the Army needs by a relatively small numbor of sources of supply. In the aggregate this constitutes a large saving to the Govornfaent and tnakes it possible for the engineers to focus their labors on the production of ussuntial developments. The office of the Quartermaster General has expressed approval of, and is cooperating in, a plan put forward by the committee to furnish truckmasters and chauffeurs in sufficient numbers. This vjork embraces the coordination of schools and private concerns so far as pos- sible in tho direction of stimulating enlistment in tho reserve corps and in giving proper instructions to round off the preparation of thou- sands of passenger car drivers into truck drivers. This Committee had arranged through the oflfico of tte Quartencastor General for prompt delivery of the steel necessary in the equipment of demountable tires, many technical complications having be^^n cleared av/ay. The coramitteu is prepared to offer to the Governmejrf; through the channel of the Society of Automotive Engineers alone, some 1,000 engineers of tho highest type capablo of adaption to practically all of the mechanical transport aaeds of the Govarmnent, freaa the laying out of designs to f^ir.cvf: si. &l- ' ' ■■*- p^i ^ ' ' 7*cV *•>"'*>'??'•» ■ ..^•t: ■ . ...■•;. J;., .^ -ci^-- lie lit-?'., ... ■ c> i'iQ oJ i'-itee % f.i.;:. ^;i-i- I V "J. . iivj- rnv? 'ic'-.:r- >t' i'!T [}'il:i, •«.' '^V - 46 - the officering ?nd oaintennnce af motor transport units. The committee is also taking up actively the question of fsrm tractors in connection with the food problem, bein? in close touch with the qualified persons on this subject now in the United States with the British commission, and has been as well in conference with the authorities of the Depart- ment of Agriculture. A cooperative committee hss been pppointed by the Association of Public Utilities Companies to represent said companies in an advisory capacity to Mr. Coffin. This cooperative committee has to do with large problems pertaining to the production and distribution of pov/er and light (both gas and electrical). Under Mr. Coffin also is serving in an advisory capacity a committee of five appointed by the National Industrial Conference Board, representing the greater percentage of the manufacturing and producing concerns in the country. Under the Committee on Engineering and Education, the chairman of v/hich is Dr. Hollis Godfrey, the chief consideration has been the development of a comprehensive method for the solution of problems of engineering and education in the United States brought sharply to the fore under wpr-tirae conditions. 'Vorking under this committee are consulting, operating, general engineering, production engineering, and education sections, of which the last is divided into a university group and a secondary school group. The consulting section touches general engineering as they relate to manufacture and construction; the operating section is concerned with the consummation of policies outlined by the consulting section, and the checking of these policies in actual practice; the general engineering »fr - : 3rf* ^;- . '"'0 ^ ". . .ffyr>i_ri\:c> t^r(ii nO a«« .-■■> . 1c 3:-n-ji!ir>irj In 5' 9rf? '■ ten: s>-. %fexX-e^ X^^f 9'r -"•'' ;■* -^irtl-iv: - 4t - section deals with the development of ©ngrijuoerinff as related to w?r; the production engineering section handles specific problems of pJr-oduction ongineerinf as they relate to certain gro'^ps of ftlUdamental industries » and the educational section is active in the coordination of the educational resources of the country and their relation, to the national government. The Committee has covered a great deal of bro^d ground which may not be stated in detail here. • The Settlen^ent of t^^ | ta ilroad Strike Because of the necessity of maintaining uninterrupted trans- portation facilities during the war, the Council of National Defense and its Advisory Commission took an active Interest in the settlement of the recent threatened national railroad strike. Following upon a special meeting of the Council of National Defense to consider this emergent situation, the Council reccraitended to the President of the United States and his Cabinet that two of the members of the Council, namely, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Labor, and tv;o of the members of the 'advisory Commission, Daniel Willard and Samuel Compere, proceed at once to New York and enter into negotiations with the rail- roads and employees looking to a successful adjusti^ent of the issue. Thi» wae done, and the outcome of these negotiations is too well imovm to demand specific statement here. :e ^.ai K Yfe-T- 5.'( . i«ij s-.j i-i Ai coi ; iiOiid^lOor ooJ r.. S9i