New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-18
The Railroads and Preparedness.

The Railroads and Preparedness
There is 4 good deal more TO prepared
ness than merely recruiting two
months-in-the- year under-arms Continental
Army. There must be industrial prepared
ness for war as we'll as military prepared,
ness. An adequate mobile army, for eX-
annie. would be Of little service for dc
fence Il the railroads should get blocked
when taken over for the purpose Of mob
ilizing It.
The railroad is an indispensable factor
ir modern warfare II is the main de-
pendencc for transporting troops and for
feeding and supplying them. In military
countries the railroads are therefore rec
ognized military auxiharies. under th(
direct control of the government.
II is one Of the many UNDECIDED lessons
Of the Civil War. and also of the Spanish
War. that our military system does moi
provide for efficient military use of The
coun.rv's railroads. Whenever the Wal
pepartment has tried 10 assume charge OF
transportation chaos has resulted. Ih'
Orartermasters Department is too bur
dened with other duties and too short
handed to cope successfully with the huge
rroblem Of railroad service. Railroad mer
have had TO he called in and put IN aoso
lutte authority before proper service
could be secured.
President Wilson. Washington dis
patches say. is about 10 ask the railroads
70 cooperate with the War Department II
framing mobilization plans. This IS al
absolutely necessary step # VIC arc to avolc
The DELAYS and mishaps in transportation
Of the Civil Var and Of the Spanish War
We have ample railroad facilities. In ar
address delivered last month Mr.. Georg'
Dallas Dixon. vice-president of the Penn
svlvania Railroad in charge Of traffic
said. The locomotives owned by th'
PENNSYLVANIA Railroad system nave povti
sufficient to haul. simultaneously, over an!
ordinary grades soldier trains Of 1OO,OO'
cars in all. These trains could move az
army Of from 100000 to 100000 mer
and would fill a stretch of track as Ions
a. the systems main line from New lori
20 Washington and from Philadelphia t
Chicago. No simultaneous movement o
men on such a scale would be actual,
possible. but the figures give some idea
the extent of the transportation facilitie
Possessed by the Pennsylvania Railroa
system. and which would be available 10
the service Of the nation"
But we have made no preparation TO
n using our railroad facilities. With un
trained management the multiplicity 0
facilities would in itself be a burder
There was a time in the course Of tn
Spanish-American War when it was dis
covered by the Quartermaster General
Department that by moving more tina
SEQ men a day through Jersey City it wa
blocking the railroad lines to Tampa, Fla
The government needs and Will east.
obtain the cooperation of the railroads
But the appeal which Washington IS goin
10 make will seem charged with sardoni
Lumor TO those who recall the needles
and needless warfare which Washingto
has long waged on the common carriers
Sound national policy requires a nourisf
mo of transportation resources a man
.enance Of the efficiency and credit o
the railroads. Since they are an esser
tial means of defence the betterment o
their facilities is genuine nationa
concern.
Yet for the last ten years the Inter
state Commerce Commission has treate
the railroads almost as public enemies. !
has tried TO reduce them to a condition o
semi-starvation It has sought to lowe
tAcir earning power and their value, no
only 20 their stockholders, but also to tn
forces which are to be used in defending
the country.
President Wilson's appeal to the rail
roads ought to touch the hearts ant
broaden the minds Of the Interstate Com
n cree Commission. In its rate decision 0
August l, 1914, it brushed aside tn
European war as a matter Of no conse
ouerce. Il had later to confess its error
Ii cannot now brush aside the nation
demand for military preparedness. !
should never again be allowed TO forge
the value of the railroads as an elemer
ju our defensive system.