East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-12-14
GERMAN CLAIMS THE
RAILROADS HELPING
WIN WAR FOR KAISER
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP VI
TAI STEP IN PREPAREDNESS,
SAYS MINISTER
(By Carl w Ackerman, United Press
staff Correspondent

staff Correspondent
BERLIN, via Amsterdam, Dec IA.
Government ownership Of railroads
Is vital step In the military pre-
paredness program of any nation in
cludlng the United States. Minister Of
Railroads Won Breitenbach. who di-
rects the largest part Of Germanys
gigantic network Of railways. told
the United Press today
without misJudglng the efflcien-
cy Of well administered privately
owned lines said Won Breitenbach
referring to railway organization in
the United states. the efficiency OF
government lines is greater
1T is conceivable that private own
ers should enlarge their stocks of 10.
comotives and cars so as tC be able
to meet any requirements Of conges.
ton. State railways, on the other
hand, try to prepare for such traf-
fic. This makes their position strong
and enables them to realize the de
mands both Of war and peace tref-
fic."
Won Breitenoach is personally re-
sponsible to the kaiser for the admin
istration OF the railroads during tho
war He estimated today that the
new lines acquired and built in con-
Quered territory now form at least
- per cent of the whole German rail-
way system And 1t was his handling
Of this great iron spider web,
stretching into Russia, France and
Belgium, that led some critics to re-
mark that General Railroad has won
more battles and campaigns In this
war than any other general" He
had Just finished describing the great
railway improvements recently un.
dertaken in Germany.
Would it have been possible to
have realized the demands made up
on Germany's railways during the
war If they had been privately own
ed " he was asked
well in the war of 1870 the rail-
ways were not united and were
chiefly private" he answered "but
that war was fought on one front
Il may say without offending their
owners that private lines OF railroads
are administered in the interests OF
stockholders, who are not inclined to
make the investments / have liked
because no returns are guaranteed. |
think there is no doubt but that
state railway like the Prussian with
u uniformly strong organization,
meets the requirements of war AMI
peace better than a privately owned
system
"The fact that We have govern
ment owned railroads is due to Bis
marck. He conceived that idea not
as preparation for war. but to pro-
mote our economic life, to bring our
traffic policies in accordance with
our economic policies. Thirty-five
years ago the idea met with great OPP
position. Today 1t has not an oppo-
nent in the rechstag."
The mileage of Germany's railways
changes daily as new lines are built
INTO tbHNutltO AtlAlAtt y Ahehe
means new details to be looked after
Altogether Minister Won Breitenbach
indicated today that II is no easy Job
to administer the German railways.
During mobilization. the whole
peace timetables are useless" he
said "The military timetable is et-
fective then: the traffic managers are
entrusted with various duties under
my control.
quite naturally the difficulties of
management are especially serious
during the heavy spring and autumn
traffic. Then too, all these difficult
ties must he overcome with greater
effectiveness in times of war than in
times Of peace, especially when mill
tary orders call for the transportation
Of large bodies of troops. are sudden
ly given out"