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Show INFORMATION TO COUNCILS ,. ia To '.the 'Several State Council!) of befense:. , . m It Is, I feel sure, unnecessary to remind ydu ,and through you" all of the' people of your respective states; that this nation's business yonr business and my business fo WAR, nd' all other considerations must be subordinated to the paramount purpose pur-pose of winning the war. Anything that Interferes directly or 'Indirect?;? with this purpose Impairs the efficiency effi-ciency of the war machine, and to the extent of such Impairment' tends to prolong the war. No loyal American Am-erican citizen can with any patience contemplate giving 'to our military authorities less than ALL of their requirements to enable thera In tho shortest 'possible time to mobolbro! and bring to boar against the enemy tho concentrated forco of spleudldlyi equipped armies. This can only be accomplished through tho strlctejt economies In war material, labor,' fuel and transportation. Ainng' other economies which the gov.rn- mont has beon compelled to Inaug' urato Is tho doforrlng of all consttuc-l tlon of a non-war charactqr, savo such as In tho public, Interest cannot' bo deterred, In ordor that labor and ' material needed la? war work' msy' P - . f be released and fuel and transportation transporta-tion conserved. . Obviously It docs not follow, because be-cause there Iiappcns-to bo nn ample am-ple supply of building matcfrlals or local labor in a particular commun-takeh. commun-takeh. ' In such casos local trlbutlng directly ' or Indirectly to the ..winning of tho war should not be curtailed, for. the labor required for such construction is urgently needed, elsewhere In war' work; "and' In many cases" the demand, is Imperative Imper-ative that the fuel' required In "pio-duclg "pio-duclg such building materials, and the transportation service to .deliver them, should be conserved. ,' , Wo va? dependin qn4 ypi Ttd your iqcat representatives, thr cj:h the. press, through tho chanbew or commerce, boards of trade, business' associations, clubs, "the schoolauth-orltles, schoolauth-orltles, Including school teachers, the: clergy the feed Cross.V the Y M C. A.f tho Y. W. O. k., the Y,M. H. A., the'Knlghta at Columbus and similar organizations; to bring home to the people the message of the Imperative Im-perative necessity of the strlc;est oconomlos, as measured not onljy In fefms of dollars but in terms of materials, ma-terials, Jabor transportation and fuel that you. moy receive their assistance and co-operation in this conservation problem, We are also confidently; depending upon you to secure the co-operation' of architects, cont act- i ors, builders, real estate operators, ' building exchanges, municipalities and all others Interested In building; -projects, to meet this issue in apa- j trloUc way, and dofer until after the war building operations of ovory character not contributing dlnor.tly or indirectly to winning tho war. Qases will occasionally nrlso whors in tho public intorost non-war construction con-struction projocts should bo undertaken. under-taken. In Buch casos local capital should bo underjakon. In such'c'as-t!3 such'c'as-t!3 local capital should bo' enlisted to fluanco such necessary ' Industrial u projects whfch".wlH tn' prdpor' edses'i be assisted through tho granttn; , hero .of priority assistance. ' Youf Jocal roprtsontatlvos" should tako measures' to keep Aa close check Jon all .now construction and satisfy I themselves that none Is belmr pros- jecuted without a -permit from this jofflce, save such as fallwlthln one or five aoxcepted classes for which no permits are. required. Any violation of this rule should bo very pr.iuiptly reported by letter or by wire..,. ,. '":. - - Will you' pleu'se arrange loTiave your local representative "promptly jnake surveys of all buildings uow under construction . in .their respective respec-tive territories' and. report same as I promptly as possible to .you together' with their recommendations' con-cerntng con-cerntng the necessity of the continuance continu-ance of such construction to completion comple-tion or the possibility of deferring , same until after the war.. You will ' note that Clrular'No! 21' applies' to new buildings and not to those already al-ready begun. "" A temporary ruling has been made by the Priority 'commissioner 'com-missioner to tho effect that where a substantial portion of a building 'has already ben constructed, . manufacturers manufac-turers and distributors of and dealers deal-ers In. building materials may continue con-tinue to furnish such materials, for .the completion of such building pon.i J , fog further action by the War, Indus- . .tries board, Upon receipt of, tho aboTe reports from, the Chairman of - .-, the State, Councils, careful consider- , .. atlon will be given Xo each project ' V and appropriate action taken. f I The success of this plan is largely rjS In your hands. This section is at ,-i7 yqur'cervlco at all .times to furnish "fi.t such information and advice, as you may request. May I by return mall, i have your assurance that you have - ' $ been unreservedly enlisted In this - - causo until tho war shall have been 4$ won? , ?,;) ' v ' Yours very sincoroly, " ' , D. R. McLBWAr?,, . ,' , ' , Chief of Non Wr Construe- "i ,Obn ;PrIortlos ."', Division, ' 1 : War industries Doard. $ sisiH |