THE ZEMGOR
lute necessity of uniting all the forces of the nation for the defense
of the country. It was decided that the zemstvos and municipalities
should work for the supply of the army under the general guidance
of the central committees of the two unions. These committees, act-
ing in close collaboration, were to establish close contact with the
associations of commerce and industry, the codperative societies and
professional organizations that were supplying the needs of the
army. Special technical departments were established under the cen-
tral committees of the two unions, and the codperation of eminent
specialists was assured. Inquiries were then addressed to the zem-
stvos and municipalities regarding the articles of military equip-
ment which they might be able to produce. At Petrograd, the Minis-
try of War supplied lists of articles required by the army, as well
as the necessary samples, and made advance payments. When en-
trusting orders to the Zemstvo Union, the Ministry of War gave
expression to its “absolute confidence that the contemplated activity
of the Union in supplying the army will yield the same beneficial
results that have been shown throughout by its efforts to relieve the
sick and wounded soldiers and to execute large orders for the Army
Supply Department.”
At first each union worked independently. Soon, however, the
work of the two unions and the work that was being done by the war
industries committees began to overlap. At headquarters there was a
scarcity of efficient experts, and there was danger of a rivalry and
duplication of effort that might prove fatal to the whole enterprise.
The two unions therefore decided to combine their work for the sup-
ply of the army, and on July 10, 1915, the “Committee of the All-
Russian Unions of Zemstvos and of Towns for the Supply of the
Army,” or, as it was commonly known, the Zemgor, came into opera-
tion.
Organization.
The membership of the Central Committee of the Zemgor In-
cluded the high commissioners of the two unions and four repre-
sentatives of each union appointed by the respective central com-
mittees. The chairmanship was left to the high commissioners, to be
determined by agreement. A deputy chairman was also appointed
by each of the two unions. The Central Committee of the Zemgor
was charged with the general direction of the work. It received the
