General Orders December - December 1917
Transcript
War Department, Washington. December, 1917. General Orders No. ___ 1. There is hereby created an War Council within the War Department to consist of the Chief of Staff, Maj. Gen. Henry G. Sharpe, the Quartermaster General, Maj. Gen. William Crozier, the Chief of Ordnance, Maj. Gen. Erasmus M. Weaver, the Chief of Coast Artillery, Maj. Gen. Enoch H. Crowder, the Judge Advocate General, and such other general officers as shall from time to time be designated by the Secretary of War, all designations to said Council being subject to change from time to time. 2. It shall be the duty of the War Council to oversee and coordinate all matters of supply of our field armies and the military relations between the armies in the field and the War Department; to initiate for consideration plans for the more effective use of the military power of the Nation and to consider and make recommendations concerning all matters referred to it by the Secretary of war, or in his name by the Chief of Staff. 3. At the instance of the War Council and upon orders and direction of the Chief of Staff, the General Staff corps and all bureaus, corps and departments of the War Department and any and all officers therein shall make such studies, investigations and reports, prepare such plans and perform such duties as may be enjoined upon them by existing law. All requests for cooperation will be communicated by the Chief of Staff where matters of policy are involved. Where matters of policy are not involved, the Chief of Staff will direct the execution of such recommendations of the Council as he approves. 4. Members of the War Council shall devote their entire time to the work devolving upon the Council, except that the Judge Advocate General shall continue to exercise a supervisory relation to his present duty until it is shown that his work as a member of the Council requires modification of this exception. 5. The Secretary of War and the Assistant Secretary of War shall be members ex-officio of the War Council and shall preside at meetings of the Council when they are present. In the absence of both the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary, the Chief of Staff shall preside. 6. The War Council shall at once prepare for the approval of the Secretary of War rules for its own action, providing stipulated meetings, the form of its records and such other details as shall be necessary in the premises.
Transcript
[page 2] 7. Suitable accommodations will be provided for the War Council, and the clerical assistance necessary to keep records of its proceedings will be furnished. 8. While any bureau chief or officer otherwise having specific duties is serving upon the war Council, his administrative duties will be delegated to such acting chief or acting subordinate as the Secretary of War shall designate; and during such time, the entire administrative power and responsibility of the bureau or sub-department shall vest in such acting chief. Secretary of War.
Details
| Title | General Orders December - December 1917 |
| Creator | Secretary of War |
| Source | Secretary of War. General Orders. December 1917. Crowder, Enoch H. (1859-1932), Papers, 1884-1942. C1046. The State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia, MO. |
| Description | This General Order created a War Council within the War Department and listed the duties of the council. The council consisted of the Chief of Staff, Major General Henry G. Sharpe, Major General William Crozier, Major General Erasmus M,. Weaver, and Major General Enoch H. Crowder. This document is part of a collection compiled by Enoch Herbert Crowder, the Edinburg, Grundy County, Missouri native who served as Judge Advocate General. Crowder devised the Selective Service Act in 1917 which drafted America's forces during World War I. |
| Subject LCSH | Crowder, E. H. (Enoch Herbert), 1859-1932; United States. War Department; Baker, Newton, 1871-1937 |
| Subject Local | WWI; World War I |
| Site Accession Number | C1046 |
| Contributing Institution | The State Historical Society of Missouri |
| Copy Request | Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the State Historical Society of Missouri: 1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, Missouri, 65201-7298. (573) 882-7083. |
| Rights | The text and images contained in this collection are intended for research and educational use only. Duplication of any of these images for commercial use without express written consent is expressly prohibited. |
| Date Original | December 1917 |
| Language | English |