The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-07
The Doctrine Of All Around Pre-
paredness.

p04e0 ness.
While the first duty of the Sixty
fourth Congress Is to respond to the
non-partisan demand Of the coun-
try for adequate measures Of military
and naval preparation for defence,
that is not the only sort of prepared
ness which the nation needs.
Nobody has presented this truth
more cogently or forcibly than Mr..
GEORGE W. PERKINS, in less than sixty
words reported by neighbor the
World yesterday:
I'VE are Just as unprepared for peace
q we are for war. We may not have wal
at arms we are certain to " war IN
industry. We have nc modern. - to
date weapon OF defence for war at
arms neither have we any modern up TO
Gate weapons of defence for war in
industry"
Furthermore. the other prepared
ness to which Mr.. PERKINS refers, the
provision of up to date weapons for
war in Industry, is inseparably con
nected with the military preparedness
which we hope President WILSON will
urge upon the Congress to-day with
all the power Of his intellect and all
the force of patriotic conviction.
For n single example, as was
pointed out by Vice-President DIXON
Of the Pennsylvania Railroad yester-
day, 1t Is quite as important that the
American railroads should be prepared
for national defence as it Is that our
navy and our army should be pre-
pared. For military efficiency in war
at arms and equally for economic
efficiency in a war Of industry there
must be preparation for the mobili-
cation and coordination of the coun-
try's internal
Even for the purely military func'
ton Of transporting troops to the
point Of attack our railroads must he
better than they are now. This means
the upbuilding of the system. the I'M
provement Of the equipment, the adop-
ton Of every up to date appliance
that contributes to the highest eff
cheney in time OF need. Short OF alb
sOlute Government ownership and op
Grafton Of the railroads this state Of
efficiency can be attained only by tho
investment Of private capital. and pri
vate capital can be had for the nee
esSary extension and modernizatioI
of the railroads only upon the assur
ance that the Government Is willin.
that private capital thus invested IL
railway stocks or bonds or other Sc
curities shall have n fair and reason
able return for It's services.
As the railroads know to their sor
row, as the country Is now beginning
clearly to perceive, us President VII
aON long ago suggested in his pre-
scient remarks on the inevitable result
Of excessive railway regulation b,
Government commission, there can b
no such railroad efficiency as Is IN
d~ispensable to preparedness either TO
war mt arms or, in Mr.. PERKINs's ap
phrase, a defensive wal in industry
until the laws regulating the raj
roads and the Interstate Commerce
Commission expressing them are s
modified that the railroads ran h
sure Of a sufficient income,
The income must he sufficient fo
the purposes which Nice-Presider
DIXON of the Pennsylvania has thu
enumerated:
81. To bring all track and roadwa
up TO standard conditions and maintai
II thus.
"2. TO construct the double. triple an
quadruple tracking and 10 make I'll
terminal extensions and Improvement
that are required now by the needs {
peace, and which would be OF immea!
urably greater value IL the railroad
were ever called upon to assist in mil
tary' operations.
"3. To acquire sufficient supplies
locomotives and cars OF modern type
and to reconstruct or replace all obs,
iete equipment.
4. TO hold in service a ~sufiiciei
number of well trained. we'll paid ar
satisfied men. both officers and emplo,
ees, 10 assure prompt and efficient ope
alton In any emergency"
Mr.. DIXON has rendered II publ
service by putting the case thus |
cidly. There Is no sufficient answ'
to his representations in behalf of Il
railroads of the United States.
The Encouragement of the function
of the Interstate Commerce Commi
sion and the proper restriction Of Il
too liberal affirmative powers II M
exercises over railroad rates n
measures Of preparedness only secol