The Washington times., 1914-11-22
THE GERMAN RAILROADS

I'LL OLNMAl< KA1LNOADS
Before this war is over, some mill
tary expert with a mathematical
turn of mind will have devised for
mula something like this:
One efficient soldier plus efficient
transportation equals two efficient sol
dicrs minus efficient transportation.
Germany's transportation system
is for military purposes the best ir
the world. That is true, largely, be.
cause it has been built with the mill,
tary idea always in mind.
From Berlin eastward, there is q
network of railroads whose tentacles
reach out to all the points along the
Russo German border. On the other
side of this boder the railroad serv.
ice is poor; the lines are mainly
single-track affairs, constructed, like
those of the United States, with the
commercial idea fundamental.
1t is interesting to observe that
the military and the commercial pur-
pose may be made to harmonic 50
well as they do. Put abroad al
most anywhere, and it will become
pesently the basisc on which busi-
ness fabric will be built. Cities grow
up, industries develop, neighborly
relations are established, political af-
filiations are encouraged by the peo.
pie who live along the same line of
railroad. They find that they must
Give on" and Give by" one another,
and so they develop their industries
with that end in view.
We see abe evidences of this all
over our own West. Build rail-
road across an unbroken prairie, and
presently the people along the line
will be raising grain and stock. Then
the people at the terminal points will
provide grain elevators and markets,
stock yards, packing houses, whole
sailing centers, banking facilities
all for the purpose of cooperating
with the outspreading community
whose highway leads them inevitably
to one particular set of markets.
So it has been in Germany, de-
spite that the railroad was super
imposed upon community already
organized, while in this country the
railroad was commonly laid down as
the base line from which society
might develop. If the masters of
German politics and militarism saw
IN a particular obscure town the
most available and advantageous
center from which to radiate a num-
Der of strategical distributing
branches, and built those branches,
then business and industry adjusted
themselves to these conditions. Thus
the railroads served the military
purpose, and also the economic.
Not only did economic development
accept and adapt itself to the high
way system that had been primarily
dictated by military considerations.
1t did more. 1t re-enforced the mill
tary scheme. A city grown up around
the important strategical point
whence a number of military rail-
roads diverge. By reason of the
presence of those railroads, that
point becomes an important one. 1t
must be strengthened and defended.
And it is easier to defend after it
has become city. 1t possesses the
facilities for housing, feeding, car
ing for, the soldiers who must use
it. 1t serves the army in thousand
ways. 1t becomes a base of opera
tions. The enemy dare not 60 around
it, in the case of an invasion, for it
is too dangerous to leave a power
fully fortified position in the rear of
an invading army. Thus the city
which grows up where the strate-
gists originally planned merely al
concentration center, becomes a for
tification Of the whole military plan.
Germany is the one country in the
world that completely illustrates this
condition; and that is one of the
great reasons for Germany's
strength in the field. The formula
setting forth the value of a soldier
plus transportation has not yet been
worked out. But Russia is learning
in its campaign against East Prus-
sia, German Poland, and Galicia,
what it means to meet an enemy
who has perfected transport at his
as well as good soldiers.
Cotton Interests Charge