Newton D. Baker to Woodrow Wilson

I have just received your note of April 3rd, with the communication from the Secretary of Commerce, relating to the subject of “Trading With The Enemy” legislation. I think the members of the Council of National Defense feel that the consideration of this subject will be advanced if the Committee suggested from the State, Commerce and Justice Departments review the subject first, and that their conclusions be then submitted to the Advisory Commission for consideration. This is in some sense an alternative suggestion to the one made yesterday that the Advisory Commission confer with representatives from those three Departments. The difficulty about the Advisory Commission is that it has seven members, and some of them are disposed to debate,with consequent loss of time. This being a new subject to them, I would like to have your permission to bring it to them after it had been considered by the Departmental Committee, above referred to, aided by such expert opinion as seems readily at hand for their assistance. In this way the project would be pushed forward more rapidly, and both the full capacity for usefulness of the Advisory Commission and the sensibilities of the members served.

Cordially yours,

The President.