The Washington herald., 1917-05-27
Washington in War Time
Still Its Leisurely Self

Washington in war time is still its
usual leisurely self, only now every day
looks like Washing gton's Birthday. The
crowds In the hotels and groups Of wom-
en- with badges suggest a convention. The
nags everywhere betoken holiday.
Except for these manifestations there
are few signs of war. II you try to walk
into the State, War and Navy Building,
you viii ind that you viii have to tell
whom you wish to see and state that
your business is official, but this being
done you will be given a pass and a
negro trooper win lead you to the room
where you should go. When you leave
you are without guidance. These trooper
guides wore the only uniforms in sight
around the War Department a month
after war was declared.
Yet the appearance is somewhat decep-
tive. Work Is going on and going on so
quietly that even when a revolutionary
accomplishment is printed in the papers
1t goes almost mnoticed. For example,
in April one day the papers printed a
story about fifty railroad presidents
meeting In Washington and mobillzing
the railroads Of the country for war
service. Nobody paid much attention to
this. Probably It was the word "mobil-
iEing" that deprived the notice of atten-
ton, for in three years this word, hith-
erto outside the newspapers vocabu-
larry, has come to cover everything from
creating an army Of 100000 men down
to the meeting OF two Ioafers on a street
corner. In any case the action of these
railroad presidents was not generally un-
derstood. II is worth while rehearsing
because It is a fair picture Of the possi-
bilities OF efficient action in a democracy.
What Happened.
What actually happened was something
like this: There was an increasing de-
mand that the freight congestion be les
sened, and as the other nations at war
had railroad dictators It seemed the thing
to do for us to have one also. Mr.. Daniel
Willard, OF the Baltimore and Ohio, be-
ing the transportation expert OF the Ad-
visory Commission Of the Council of Ma
tionAl Defense. seemed the logical candi-
date for the dictatorship There is no
question that this task was rapidly bear
ing down upon him. and there is no ques-
ton, also, that 20 per cent of the public
would have been glad to see him in the
position. And the appointment OF Mr.
Willard as railroad dictator would have
helped nightly to make things sound as
II we were at war.
However, Mr. Willard knew more about
the railroad situation than the 80 per
cent OF the public, and one Saturday aft
ernoon Just before the dictatorship de-
scended on him he autographed. asking
all the railroad presidents IN the United
States to meet in Washington on the fol-
lowing Wednesday. About fifty of them
turned up. Mr.. willard explained that
for war measures II was necessary to run
the entire 263547 miles OF railroads in the
country as single unit, and suggested
that they agree to DO this and also ap-
point a committee to carry Il out It
was agreed Immediately and unanimous
ly. It sounds simple and obvious, but Il
is neither. For example, Mr.. Trumbull.
of the Chesapeake and Ohio. under this
agreement. must stand ready upon com
mand Of the committee TO move coal, or
tin for cans for tomatoes, or seed pota-
toes. or anything they tell him in prefer
ence to other freight not 50 essential for
war purposes but perhaps more profitable
to his road This is not only directly
contrary to Federal statutes against dis
eliminating service but II would also be
against the pecuniary interest of the
stockholders Of the road.
Generally speaking, the arrangement Is
all Illegal Despite its illegality 1t Is ac-
cepted by railroads, by such stockholders
as know OF It, by the government. and
by the public. And It is highly efficient.
without disturbing a single official on
hilg ldlllOaA anu Will AlO iNu Ndp6 VI
formality, a complete system of war
transportation is arranged.
The New system.
This Is the way It works: A can man.
ufacturer telegraphs the Secretary OF
Commerce or the Council OF National De-
fense that his tin is not coming through
and that consequently he will be late
with cans for preserving food-and late"
tha sapaIgorS' n that
The telegram is sent right over to the
office of Mr.. Fairfax Harrison, who is
the chairman Of the railroads commit
tee. Within an hour he has teleEraphe
the railroad in question that the tin is
preferred freight and that It must be
moved. Some one's pianos, talking ma
chimes. and bricks for a garage are push
ed aside and the tin rolls merrily on, 20
that the cans will be ready when the
ter Of fact. the first freight announced
as preferred was iron ore.
Moreover, under the agreement II II
becomes necessary the committee can
ask one railroad to turn over coal or
locomotives to another. or in fact to do
anything that will help the cause along.
Now this ls efficient democracy, operat-
ing without the cumbersome rules or red
tape which accompany almost all bureau
CTdllC tAOELs- II IS tNlltHltlN noubll VI
II any railroad dictator's office abroad
has more railrcBd brains in It than the
committee made up Of:
Fairfax Harrison, Of the Southern
Railway: Howart Elliott, OF the New
York. New Haven and Hartford Rail-
raad; Samuel Rea, Of the Pennsylvania
Railroad; Hale Holden, Of the Chicago,
Burlington and Quincy Railroad; Julius
Kruttschnitt, OF the Southern Pacific
Railroad: Daniel willard. OF the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad. eE-ofticio as
member Of the Council Of National De-
fense, and a member Of the Interstate
Commerce Commission.
And they have under them an undis-
turbed machine for carrying out their
orders. They have not imposed any new
officer on any railroad nor done anything
that might upset the efficient operation
Of the roads even temporarily. But they
have devised a system to allow the roads
to carry the freight that should be car
ried and leave the freight that shoTld be
left
Now the effects Of this are continuous
ly growing. A few days after the rail-
road committee had taken charge Of the
railroads the French Ambassador got
into communication with the Council of
National Defense. He was trying to ind
ships to carry freight to France that was
pil1ng up on the seaboard. He had been
IN see various Deonta and was finally -e-