“What material and industrial organizations are essential to war-time needs?” asked Col. W.A. McCain when lecturing at the Industrial War College. The answer: “Practically all material and industrial organizations are, directly or indirectly, essential. … ”

The lesson of this Q&A was not, however, that government should therefore control industry so that it could ensure having all it needed in time of war. Rather, McCain’s point was that military officers needed to understand industry so that they could make the armed forces an informed and savvy consumer. Washington’s role was not to be smarter than the marketplace, but to be a smart shopper.