Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-12-27
Government TAKES
OVER ALL RAILROADS
And Secretary W. C. McAdoO Is
Made hief Director Of
Operations.
TO BE EFFECTIVE TOMORROW
BOth Local Electric Lines Come Under
The Proclamation Issued
By President

Government possession and opera
ton Of the nations railroads for the
war was proclaimed. by President
Wilson last night to become effect
i've at noon Friday, December 2S.
William G.. McAdoo, retaining his
place in the Cabinet as Secretary OF
the Treasury. is placed in charge as
Director General Of Railroads
Every railroad engaged in general
transportation with its appurten-
ances, including steamship lines, is
taken over and all system viii be
operated as one under the director
general.
Ia a statement accompanying his
proclamation. the President announc-
ed that as soon as Congress re-as-
sembles he viii recommend legisia-
tion guaranteeing pre-war. earnings
and maintenance Of railroad proper
ties in good repair
Government backing viii be given
10 new issues of railroad securities
that a ready market may be found.
Managers of railroads centering in
and passing through Baltimore de-
clare that they hail with delight the
dictatorship of w C. McAdoo, Secre-
lary OF the Treasury, in the control OF
their properties during the war per
iOd They made this declaration on
the theory that handicaps now exist
ing in management cannot be worse
under the new regime. "It not be-
ing a case Of jumping from the fry
ing pan into the fire, but from the fire
into the frying pan, as one railroad
manager expressed it, The railroads
centering in or passing through Bal
timore, which will have MIR. McAdoo
as their new boss beginning at noon
tomorrow are:
Baltimore and Ohio.
Pennsylvania and its branches, in
cluding the Northern Central.
Western Maryland Railway and its
ranches.
Fire ssalsimesss Chesapeake and At
antic Railways, with steamers which
ac. as ferries.
Maryland. Delaware and Virginia
Railway, also with steamers plying as
feUiea..
The MARYLAND and Pennsylvania
Railroad
The washington. Baltimore and An
napolis Electric Line
The Maryland Electric Railways
(Annapolis Short Line).
The New York, Philadelphia and
Norfolk Railroad
The Chesapeake Steamship Com
pany operates in connection with the
Southern Railway.
Connecting Lines.
The Baltimore Steam Packet Com
pany (Old Bay Line) operates in
connection with the Seaboard Air
Line.
The stock Of the Atlantic Coast
Limo is owned largely in Baltimore,
Henry Walters and Messrs. George C.
and Joseph ". Jenkins being among
the largest owners.
Seaboard Air Line stock is also
largely owned in Baltimore, S. Davies
War6eld, president of the Continental
Trust Company, being chairman Of its
board of directors and president OF
the National Railroad Investors AS
sociation, which has an intensive in
terest in railroad securities.
All Of the executive heads Of these
railroad properties are away at pres
! ent Vice presidents and other
officials declared that they were no.
in position to express public opin-
ions until the President shall have
outlined the new policies to be fol-
| lowed Speaking privately and not
to be quoted, they said that they would
welcome the change, as conditions
could not be worse than they have
been They added that they would
have TO welcome the new order OF
things or approved il. since the gov
ernment has the power TO take over
/ their properties. and Is this much
had been threatened from time to
time since Congress conferred the
power on the President to take pos
| session and operate the lines. they ex-
pressed no surprise. In fact they
said, six months ago all of the East
er lines had practically surrendered
control Of their properties to the gov
ernment