§3 — Title 50 War and National Defense | U.S. Code

Summary

The Council of National Defense must run studies and advise the President and agency heads on where to place railroads near the frontier so troops and supplies can move quickly. It must also plan rail branches for both military and commercial use, use waterways, prepare land and naval forces, increase needed domestic production if foreign trade stops, track military supply production and availability, and tell manufacturers what will be needed so the country’s resources can be gathered and used fast in an emergency.

Title 50, §3

War and National Defense — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

It shall be the duty of the Council of National Defense to supervise and direct investigations and make recommendations to the President and the heads of executive departments as to the location of railroads with reference to the frontier of the United States so as to render possible expeditious concentration of troops and supplies to points of defense; the coordination of military, industrial, and commercial purposes in the location of branch lines of railroad; the utilization of waterways; the mobilization of military and naval resources for defense; the increase of domestic production of articles and materials essential to the support of armies and of the people during the interruption of foreign commerce; the development of seagoing transportation; data as to amounts, location, method and means of production, and availability of military supplies; the giving of information to producers and manufacturers as to the class of supplies needed by the military and other services of the Government, the requirements relating thereto, and the creation of relations which will render possible in time of need the immediate concentration and utilization of the resources of the Nation.

Editorial Notes

Codification The words “extensive highways and” which preceded “branch lines of railroad” omitted on authority of act Nov. 9, 1921, which transferred powers and duties of Council relating to highways to Secretary of Commerce.

§3 Duties of council

Summary

Title 50, §3

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

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