Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-02
A RAILWAY CONGRESS
To Meet in This City Next
Month.
ITS GREAT IMPORTANCE
DELEGATES WILL COME FROM
ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD.
History of the Origin and Development
of the Movement-An Exten-
sive Exhibit

The seventh session of the International
Railway Congress. which will he held in
| Washington next month. will be especially
| suspicious in this country for the reason
that it will be the first time the organIza
! ton has ever met in the United States and
| the second time il has assembled in an
| English-speaking country.
| American railway men are eager to show
| to their co-workers across the ocean the
| great strides that have been made in all
kinds of railway Improvements on this side
of the water. This is especially in view
of the fact that until recent years Europe
has been inclined to sneer at the methods
in vogue in the United States.
Practically the first international railway
congress attended by Americans was that
held in London in 1895, when about twenty
railways in this country were represented.
At that time it was made apparent to the
American delegates that the majority of
European managers and engineers looked
upon the railway methods of this country
with something akin to contempt. They ad-
mitted that some of our trunk lines were
| fairly well conducted, but they termed
nine-tenths of the mileage in the United
States as light railways that would not
take the place Of feeders for their impor-
| tant lines.
To those who know the true situation
such a View of American railroads and rail
road methods is absurd. As a matter or
fact, within the last thirty five years more
miles of railways have been constructed I'm
the United States than are in operation to-
day in all of Europe. During the last
twenty years American railroads have
everywhere made such phenomenal records
in construction, equipment and operation
that they have left the systems of all
other countries far in the rear.
Importance of the Meeting.
The Importance of this meeting of rail
way men from all parts of the world can
hardly be overestimated. One will not see
among the list of delegates the big finan-
ciers whose names have become familiar to
newspaper readers In the columns of Wall
street news and stock gossip II is not the
men who Interested in the stock mar
kets who interested in this great gath
ering, but the actual operators and the en-
Pineers and the workers whose brains and
whose untiring energy and efforts have
made the mighty railroads possible and
who have been foremost in opening new
countries and new commercial activities.
The international Railway Congress dates
back to 1885, when a scientific gathering
was held at Brussels for the purpose OF
celebrating the fftieth anniversary of the
installation Of the railways of that country.
At this meeting committee was appointed
to draw up programe and prepare a series
of questions to be discussed. This was the
origin of the permanent organization which
has since controlled the railway congress.
The congress is composed of railway adj
miniStrators both public and private. The
private corporations and the governments
are represented alike by delegates. For
merly the meetings were held every two or
three years, but they are now held every
five years. The sessions thus far have been
held in Brussels, 1855: Milan, 1881; Paris,
1889; St. Petersburg. 1892: London, 1895, and
Paris 1900. The official language of the
congress is French, but the constitution
permits the proceedings to be conducted in
the language of the country in which the
meetings are held.
In order to conduct the affairs of the or
ganization a permanent International COM
mission is elected. 1t consists of forty
eight members, one-third of whom retire
and are replaced at each session The perma-
nent officers are a president, two vice presi-
dents. former presidents of the congress eX-
officio a secretary general and a secretary
treasurer. These officials hold office from
one session to the next.
Original Object.
The congress was originally formed for
the purpose of organizing a body some
what on the lines of the International
Postal and Telegraph Unions. Gradually.
however, the character of the congress
changed, and it has now become to a con-
siderable extent scientific body, going
deeply and practically into all subjects re-
lating to the operation and advancement or
railroads.
The president of the congress is Arthur
Dubois honorary president and director OF
Louis Weissenbruch, chief engineer and
manager of the Belgian state railroads.
Stuyvesant Fish is president of the Amer
lean section of the congress, and Walter +.
Allen secretary. There are 1,491 delegates
expected to attend the sessions here. Seven
hundred and forty-eight are from non-Eng-
disappearing countries, 346 from English
speaking countries outside of America, and
400 pm America. The sessions of the con-
gress will be held from May 3 to II, and
the headquarters will be at the New VIII
lard, the meetings TO take place in the ball
room and in the audience room of the inter-
state commerce commission. The program,
as far as arranged, follows:
April 20 TO May arrival of delegates.
May 3-Opening of the registration bus
reau.
May 4-Formal opening of the session.
May to 14-Meetings of the sections.
May 1j-Departure of delegates on tour o.
inspection over all the principal railways
of the country.
An Extensive Exhibit.
One of the most important features of the
coming congress will be the American rail-
way appliance exhibit 1t is doubtful If
ever before so many prominent men repre-
senting the railway supply business of this
country have united in an enterprise, and
the exhibit of American equipment and sup
plies promises to be the largest on record.
This exhibit will forcibly demonstrate one
thing and that is that the ingenuity of the
inventors and the manufacturers has been
a potent factor in the development Of Amer
lean railroads.
All the latest improved American devices
will be shown. The advances that have
been made in electricity and its application
to railroading will be aptly brought out.
Nor will the smaller inventions be sighted.
In fact, every useful device that plays IA
part in railroad construction or operation
will have place in the exhibition. Nu-
merous applications for space have already
been made by manufacturers and inventors
from all parts of the country, and every
day additional ones are coming in. So far
about 1000 applications have been made.
Permission was obtained from Congress to
have the exhibition in the White Lot, just
in the rear of the White House, between
I4th and 10Th streets 1t will be the first
time the reservation has been used for such
a purpose.
Tobacco and Government.