The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1917-11-21

reads Hithelt Accident Or Delay
Regular Traffic Net lnt.rfersa With.
o. nAJ. GEN. WILLIAM HARDING
CARTER.
We have stood SO The threshold q
yer f1r nca-y three years without tia
nation lisef having formulated aaF
very definite ideas as f0 what course
if would pursue in event ~ being
dngn into The maeisrua IN Europe.
This neglect Is quite parlouabie
when viewed in the light ~ our past
history because up 70 Tie present ue.
fiod 30 American authority ever COM
temp'afed FOR mamc1f anT conditions
" world war which v0nid draw our
troops % ihs feid OF battle 60 Europe.
Among the things which must not Do
discussed now are The embarkafiOn end
sailing for foreign ports u the army
which is 70 bear our flag on tile l.n-
rcpesu battle fields nor is It deemed
appropriate % announce Tie routes Or
movements 0r organizations 1n their
way 30 mobilization camps Oh ports
of embarkafion. This objection does
n0i aold. however. with regard to uilk-
ine known the movements of the troops
after they have completed their Jour-
neys on land Thes American public
viii be Interested 10 learning how these
problems of land transportation have
been handled.
Five Days after the declaration of
war against Germany the presidents u
the American railroads met at the na-
tional capitol and agreed that during
The war they would subordinate every
other interest TO Helping to win the
war; thar they would eliminate an
competitive rivalry and merge their ih-
tefesis under the direction Of the
American Railway Associations special
committee on national defense.
Directed From Washington.
Since that date the operation OF all
therailroads u this country has been
under the direct jurisdiction Of an ex-
ccutive committee Of FIVE, located at
Washington Under that committee IS
n general committee, In charge OF the
details.
TO every army department head
quarters was assigned an expert In
railway operation, with corps Of as
sistants placed at railroad centers. on
him rests the responsibility for the
movement BY authorities.
The movement Of drafted men Of the
new National army involved more men,
but the movement Of the National
Guard Of the fifteen states compris-
Ing the Central department was A
much more difficult problem for the (
railroads. The war department had
determined that during the movement I
Of the National army there should be
no movement of the National Guard. I
The period between September "a aud
October l was designated as available
for the movement of National Guard
ORGANIZATIONS Of the Central depart
ment.
To prevent congestion at the desig-
nation camps or on the railroads. It
was necessary to perfect a plan cover
ing every detail This plan showed the
location OF every National Guard unit,
the exact time for its entrainment. the
railway route to be used. the speed
schedule 10 be followed. and the time
Of arrival at destination From five to
twelve days in advance OF the move
ment Of the National Guard every
railroad participating in it knew ex-
actly what service 1t would have to
perform. The movement was started
on the evening Of September "A and
completed on October 1. The railway
required 100 sleeping cars,
/ 900 coaches and baggage cars, not in
Guiding freight cars
How well the plans were made is
shown by the fact that the movement 7,
was carried out In such a manner that !
here was not more than one regiment
IN any railroad on any one day ard
hat not more than one regiment ar
lived at any camp on the same day.
During this period So organizations, in
z states, were moved TO their new sta
ions. The transportation involved B
,571 officers, sS.T51 enlisted men, with q
luggage, tents wagons ana animals. 8
Without a Hitch.
Without an accident to a single man.
without delay at point Of origin, en-
cute or at destination without hitch
n the arrangements as originally 3
llauned, the officers and men of the
National Guard ia IA states were trans i
'orted by rail in one week to the dis
ant cantonments designated by the
var department. That IS a record OF
7hieh every American has a right to
e proud.
The whole movement Of the National
Iuard in the very short time allotted.
-ithout causing congestion on the rail-
Dads or at the camp destinations.
ould not have been effected but Tor
he unlfieation Of the railroads agreed
pon hy their presidents and carried
it through what is commonly called
le railroads war board.
While the preference would have
zen given by tho railroads to this mill