El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-01-08
NATURALIZATION
Of BRITISH RAIL
LINES EFFECTED
Government Now Controls
Operations of All Roads
For War Purposes:
STAFF OF EXPERTS
SITS CONTINUOUSLY

= ONDON. Eng, Jan S.-One Of the
most quietly and successfully &C
- complished tasks OF the war in
England was the naturalization OF
the railways OF the kingdom. At last
after more than a year of application
20 detail. the chairman OF the execu-
!, tive committee In charge OF the roads
Z reports that the scheme "is working
as smoothly as II the lines no longer
had their own individuality"
This executive committee. which sits
continuously Somewhere IN London
IS the general staff Of the railway
branch Of the British government. On
behalf Of the government it has alb
soIute control Of railways. rolling
stock. locomotives, and stats, inclu-
ding every mile Of steam road in Great
Britain
Body Of Real Experts.
The cOmmitte is the strongest body
Of railway experts ever brought to-
gether. It includes the managers Of
nearly all the great railroads together
with a host Of specialists and technical
experts specially drafted for the pur-
pose, under the Craftsmanship Of Sir
H. A Walker, head Of the London
and Southwestern lines.
Our policy OF control" writes a
member OF the committee, has been
not to supersede the normal manage
ment OF the roads. but TO coordinate
the whole OF the railways Of the eoun-
Try through several groups into a sin
gle system available instantly for
all emergencies. The general rights
Of the public are protected by various
special acts Of Parliament.
At Work Every Hour OF Day
THE general staff controlling this
complex fabric OF railways is so div
ided that il is in session "a hours of
every day Of the week In an instant,
by single order from this nerve
center. we could turn every locomO-
tive and car in Great Britain out Of
private use TO respond to emergency
demands OF the War Office
LAS 1 have said, the lines are grouped,
mainly along sectional lines. and to
correspond. with the immediate re-
quirements Of army and navy trans
port Each section is in charge Of
officials selected from the stats Of
the roads represented in the group,
with suitable army representation.
The demand OF the war office
have fallen differently upon different
lines In some cases ordinary traffic
has been largely demoralize5 for con-
siderable periods, while other ROADS
have been scarcely aaffeC<ec- In
single month the Great Eastern. for
example ran s7e special military
trains with 10000 cars. The Great
western in the same month ran p
200 special trains on war business
Confinrous Lines OF Trains.
The Southwestern system. however,
has had to carry the greatest burden
of traffic The experience Of the
south African war had taught much Of
value TO the officials Of this road,
and they were foremost IN organic
ing the other lines for the present
war The enormous number OF troop
and SIMPLY trains which this system
has operated successfully has been I
revelation even TO the War office Of /
ficials At times. the rails from Lon /
don to the coast have been occupied I
by almost continuous lines OF trains, /
running lust as close together as 4
safety would permit. ordinary train 1
service being sandwiched in wherever 1
the demands of the military left the 1
slightest opening