New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-08
Russia Needs u. S.
Help to Forestall
Railway Collapse
Envoy Declares American
Genius Can Perform Mira
cles for Traffic

WASHINGTON, Sept. Z. Professor
C. ". Lomonossoff. Chief Envoy of
he Russian Ministry Of Ways Of Com
limitations. attached to the Russian
Mission to the United States, stated
,3.day that the moment Of the greatest
crisis in his country's railway situation
has not yet arrived. Professor Lo-
noaosso1 had charge Of Russian trans
portation after the revolution and
prior 10 his coming TO the United
5.steS
The most difficult time for The rail-
roads is winter" ne said, land we eX-
Ds,t the most trouble then, the crit
zeal period in November. By December
vs expect to begin receiving the help
Of The United States through the ar
rival Of locomotives and cars. The
main assistance which can be given
BY America is the furnishing Of loco
motives, cars and means and materials
Or repair work
American genius can perform mira
.'es in Russia, and one Of them would
b, the construction of shops at Nladi-
.os.ok for assembling locomotives,
placing them on the tracks. and for
general repair work. That, to US,
would be z wonder Of organization, but
American genius is equal to it. An
other assistance would be in sending
experts 10 assist in managing our traf-
executives, for introducing Ameri-
ssH principles and the American sys-
~, but the form such assistance
.ould take Is now under discussion.
Efficiency Not Before 1919.
Taking the best conditions into con
Iteration, as we'll as the help the
United States is 20 give US, we believe
me Russian sportatlon systems can
DO made efficient for the 1918 cam
'alEc not before
Professor Lomonossof, explaining
71y the Russian roads had detero-
lated TO such n dangerous point. salo'
The chief reason why the conditions
or railway communication IN kusS'S
arc 'n such difficult state Is that INC
var lasted much longer than II was
expected 20 last. and the railway ma
,'rzls and rolling stock in Russia were
insufficient to bear the long STRAIN
% had been ,uuposed that during the
Var the Russrsn railroads would be
used only for military purposes, and
that the economic or internal uses OF
Tho roads might be interrupted without
serious consequences If the war we're
short
But 10 was not only impossible TO
suspend the interior commentators
but six per cent Of the nations rail-
road lines were taken by the Germans.
In addition, the necessities OF the coun %
Try ~ related TO the transportation
have Increased twenty per cent aooVe
what they were at the commencement
OF the war. We arc compelled 10 con
unue the interior communications as
well As the military uses TO which the
railroads are put, and with the present
equipment this task is impossible.
Huge Increase in Traffic
Before the war the Siberian track
axe accommodated only ten cars a day
rom NladIvostok 20 Petrograd; inc
anne number from Petrograd TO Nladi-
'ostok; but now there are between 400
and 500 cars running each way daily
ne length Of the haul being 6,5Oo
niles.
Another point illustrating the in
creased use Of the railroads in war
sne is the fact that before the war
Russia obtained her coal from England,
by water TO Petrograd. Now Russia
Uses only her own coal, mined IN the
southern provinces, which IS trans
ported to the North, where the NUM-
"ons'making and other wa. industries
are. The problem Of transportation IN
Russia is easily seen to b one OF the
greatest.