Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1917-05-03
R. R. PLANS FOR
WARTIME SERVICE
Military Necessities to Govern
Operations.

After Tuesday all the railroad sys-
TENS in the United States were
practically under one management
from a military standpoint. This i'm
mense system will have 100000
miles Of track, 100000 employees,
$1,000 locomotives, 10000 passen-
ger and service cars, and 2,5O0,00O
freight cars capable of carrying 93,
600, 100000 tons.
1t will be directed from Washing
ton by six men. Officials of several
northwestern roads are to have
charge of important phases of the
work.
Details of the railroads plan to
coordinate all operations in conti
mental railway system and to merge
their competitive activities during
the war were announced by the spec
ial committee of national defense of
the American Railway association.
Minneapolis will be an important
point in this great system created for
national defense. Into it will blend.
with the relative Importance Of more
divisions, such great systems as the
Great Northern, Northern Pacific,
500 Line, Burlington, Milwaukee and
such important feeders as the Rock
Island, Chicago Great Western and
Minneapolis & St. Louis.
Military Necessity to Govern.
Military necessity will govern alb
solutely. Every car and every mo-
tive-power. unit and every bit of
equipment on every road, will be-
long, for operation use, as necessity
may dictate, to every other road.
Ordinary traffic, freight and pas
senger, anywhere or at any time,
will be suspended If military neces-
sity demands.
This is the way the railroads Of
the United States are going to hel?
the country win the war.
halfway ll0nS dnHOunCCU.
Some of the plans that have been
announced are these:
American railway association rep
resentatives to be located at every
mobilization, concentration or stra-
tegic point.
held. open between these represen-
}rr r%
mittee. .....
Equipment to be furnished at any
cost, Immediately upon emergency
demand.
Trains to be moved thru without
being broken with right-of-way over
any lines.
Routing of troops to be in hands
of state authorities.
These rules to apply also to NIL
nitions or military supplies of any
character.
Some plans that the various rail-
roads have decided to adopt, for i'm
mediate or future operation, are:
Taking off many passenger trains
that cater only to high class travel
and which run between the same
points altho on different lines.
Taking off of dining cars from
many trains during the period OF
the war.
Scaling down of dining card me-
nus to wartime food supply basis.
Prepared for Emergencies.
Railroads are prepared for any
emergency that may arise, according
to statements made by the heads Of
various roads centering in Mfnneap-
oils. Whatever is necessary will be
done. General Manager Huntington
of the 500 line says:
1--WE are prepared II necessary to
stop freight or passenger service for
any length of time, or do anything
else that may be required. Serving
the country as defense measure Is
the one big consideration. The roads
are merged into one road, so far as
operation for governmental service
is concerned"
An executive committee Of six
railroad presidents of which Fairfax
Harrison of the Southern Railway is
the head, will have general charge
of the railroad operations of the
country.
Mr.. Harrison's associates are
Howard Elliott, former president of
the Northern Pacific, who recently
resigned the presidency of the New
Haven to give all his time to tile
military work; Hale Holden, presl-
dent Of the Burlington, Samuel Rea,
president Of the Pennsylvania, AMI
Julius Kruttschnitt, chairman Of the
board Of the Southern Pacific.
In charge Of the central section,