WAR INDUSTRIES BOARD. ' One of a number of boards organized for the purpose of enabling the United States to meet the tre mendous demands for men and materials spring ing front her entrance into the World War as a combatant. While it functioned, it controlled and regulated industry in all of its direct and in, direct relations to the war and to the na.tion. Especially was it charged with the duty of 'pro curing an adequate flow of materials for the two great war-making agencies of the government — the War and Navy departments — and for the two agencies immediately affiliated with those departments, namely, the Emergency Fleet Cor poration and the Railroad Administration. Originally the War Industries Board was organ ized. as a branch of the Council of National Defense, which was created by Act of Congress of 29 Aug. 1916, ato increase and develop do mestic production and to concentrate, mobilize and co-ordinate the c.ouutry's resources, both in men and supplies, in time of need. President Wilson, however, in effect, reorganized' the board 4 March 1918, and on 28 May, following, made it a separate administrative agency. As it was finally made up the board consisted of the following members: Bernard M. Baruch, chair man; Alexander Legge, vice-chairman; Robert S. Brookings, chairman of the Price-Fixing Committee; Rear Admiral F. F. Fletcher, repre senting the Navy Department; Hugh Frayne, head of the Labor Division; Major-General George W. Goethals, representing the War De partment; Judge Edwin B. Parker, Priorities Commissioner: George N. Peek, Commissioner of Finished Products; J. Leonard Replogle, Steel Administrator; L. L. Summers, Technical Adviser; Albert C. Ritchie, General Counsel, and H. P. IngeIs, Secretary. Herbert Bayard Swope, C. Dillon and Harold T. Clark were named as assistants to the chairman. In a litter aslcing Mr. Baruch to accept the chairmanship of the board, the President declared its functions shopld be: (1) The creation of new facilities and the disclosing— if necessary, the opening up—of additional sources of supply.
(2) The conversion of existing facilities, where necessary, to new uses.
(3) The studious conservation of resources and facilities by scientific, commercial and in dustrial economies.
(4) Advice to the several purchasing agen aes of the government with regard to the prices to be paid.
(5) The determination, wherever necessary, of priorities of production and of delivery and of the proportions of any given artkles to be made immediately accessible to the several pur chasing_agencies when the supply of that article is insufficient, either temporarily or permanently.
(6) The tnaking of purchases for the Allies.
The President further stated that the ulti mate decision of all questions, save those relat ing to the determination of prices, should rest with the chairman, the other members simply acting in a co-operative and advisory capacity.
Keeping in mind the President's outline of what its functions should be, the board organ ized for work by creating the following divisions: Requirements Division.
Priorities Division.
Price-Fixing Division.
Controlled Industries Division. Purchasing for the Allies Division. Labor Division.
Conservation Division.
The duties of these divisions were appor tioned as follows: Requirements Division.— The principal task of this division was that of distributing materials and supplies to industries that were essential to the war before the less essential industries were talcen care of. Such distribu tion was necessary because the demands made by the war upon the industries of the country were so great and so varied that in most cases the production of materials and supplies for direct and indirect war needs fell far short of meeting those demands and the demands of the civilian population as well. In many cases, the production was not • suf ficient even for war purposes. The first thing this division did was to make a sur vey of the industries of the country as a result of which numerous plants engaged in the pro duction of non-essentials were converted into plants supplying the needs of the war. For in stance, plants for making gas-holders were con verted into munitions plants, carpet plants were converted into blanket and duck plants, auto mobile factories were converted into plants for the manufacture of air planes, refrigerator plants were converted into plants for malting filing cases for the navy, furniture plants were changed into plants for malting ammunition boxes, horseshoe plants were changed into plants for making trench picks, toy plants were changed into plants for the manufacture of pacldng-boxes, factories turning out women's waists were converted into plants for making signal flags, electric-vacuutn plants were changed into plants for making Liberty motors, rubber and canvas factories were changed into gas mask plants, stove plants were changed into hand grenade and trench-bomb factories, corset factories were put to work making supplies for the „Medical Corps and gear plants were changed to plants for making gun-sights. The list of conversions might be continued almost indefi nitely, but those referred to indicate how varied and extensive that list grew to be.