Final answer:
The War Industries Board had the power to set quotas for manufacturers on what to produce, ensuring the efficient provision of materials for the war effort.
Step-by-step explanation:
The War Industries Board (WIB) was a U.S. federal agency created in 1917 during World War I to manage the economic and industrial output of factories. The correct answer to the student's question is D.) Set quotas to manufacturers on what to produce.
The WIB, headed by Bernard Baruch, had the power to control industrial production by setting quotas for manufacturers on the types and amounts of goods to produce to support the war effort. It was responsible for regulating what products were produced, where they were produced, and their costs.
This regulation was crucial to ensure that the American Expeditionary Force received the necessary supplies efficiently. Moreover, the WIB could seize factories and manage raw material supplies to enforce production of wartime materials, which illustrates the board's influence over private industry for the war effort.