New Britain herald., 1917-07-05
LARGE ORDER FOR
 RUSSIAN ENGINES
Commission Recommends Spend- ing S375,ooo,oo0 Here for Them

Petrograd, July 5.-M. Stephanoff temporary Minister of Trade and In- l dustry yesterday received John F. Stevens and the other members of the American Railroad Commission to discuss the best methods by which America may assist Russia.
 MT. Stevens inquired about the pres ent system of supplying the army and the civilian population, and M. Palt chlnski Assistant Minister gave a de- tailed description of it. The mem bers Of the American Commission ex
 pressed satisfaction at what they had learned and promised energetic CO., operation in improving the system of supply.
 The commission later issued to the Russian public a report of the result of it's inspection of the Russian rail- roads, together with recommendations for reforms. The report begins with the acknoWledgemen that the com mission has received the full sympa- thy and support of it's Russian col leagues. It declares that the commis- sion considers that Russian railroads have an excellent technical personnel and that many roads have a good practical system of management. the extension of which to other roads is desira ble.
 The commission finds 1t necessary to recommend certain reforms in regard to material and management, which already have been successfully tried in America. The first necessary reform affects the traffic system and involves the employment of more powerful To- comotives and of freight cars of larg- CT carrying capa city.
 The construction of workshops at Vladivostok for the putting together of locomotives imported from the United States Is deemed necessary by the commission. Tn all repair shops work must continue uninterruptedly "A hours 8 day, thus enabling a re- duction in the percentage of locomo- tives out of use. It also will be nec- exsary to take rational measures for the acceleration and regulation of ex- change of cars between the different roads and for the speeding up of the system of loading.
 The creation of a special State De- partment the chief of which will be an Inspector General responsible for seeing that the whole network of
  material both for traffic and repairs and also for the responsible distribu- tion of such material between the diff ferent roads, is recommended by the commission. This official must have the right to demand the necessary material and he himself must take measures to insure it's delivery.
 The most immediate problem. the report goes on, is to bring the rail- roads into a condition. which will in- sure an adequate system of supply for the army and civilian population. Therefore, 1t Is essential to increase the available number of locomotives and freight cars. On this point the commission met with full agreement from the Russian experts.
 Chairman Stevens immediately sent cablegram to Washington request ing that the construction of locomo- tives and cars be undertaken at once. The order, 1t Is said, will require the increase of Americas credit to Russia by 5O.O00,OOO rubles, $375, 900. .O0O). In giving this order the commission says it was guided, not by commercial considerations, but solely by the de- sire to afford Russia all possible sup port in the common cause.
 The report concludes by saying that the comm isston is still engaged In con- ! sidering the question of the supply or raw material, rails and machinery for l the Russian roads. It considers that l the adoption of it's recommendations will be sufficient to obtain for the Rus l sian railroads a fourish1ng future.