The Washington herald., 1917-10-26
AMERICA FORCED
TOWATERLANES
Tremendous Problem Of
Transportation Has An,
swer in Waterways.
BY JOHN G. >MELLETT.
|. N. q. stan COrresuondeut.

The United States government.
laboring with the tremendous problem
Of transportation, both domestic and
foreign, has at last turned to the
inland waterways as its salvation.
There Is every indication that. with
In less than . year. war materials as
we'll as all kinds Of raw products
and finished commodities, will be
moving by water in q volume hither-
to undreamed.
These statements are possible pre-
ceding q war emergency meeting that
may revoiutionize American. shipping
, conditions.
The Council Of National Defense
will meet Saturday afternoon in the
office Of Secretary of War Baker to
hear a report on the possibilities of
the inland waterways as freight
movers to be made by a subcommit-
tee headed by Gen. William Black.
head of the engineers division in the
War Department. With the council
Redfield and his waterways expert.
Walter Parker, Of New Orleans, and
Chairman Edward N. Hurley, of the
United States Shipping Board.
Omcials Are Retieent.
Neither Gen. Black, who conducted
the recent investigation, nor Secre-
tary Redfeld, a prime mover toward
utilization of waterways. would give
any hint last night Of the contents OF
the report Gen. Black will submit.
1t II known, however. that a pre-
tentious program is being outlined.
This program, insofar as it has been
revealed, has found ready sympa-
thizers in every branch Of the gov
ernment that has grappled with the
difiiculties Of transportation.
The railways Of the country. oper-
ated to degree of efficiency never
before believed possible. and doing
more to help advance war work than
even supporters Of government owner
ship would have them do, have still
been simply unable to meet all de-
mands made on them. They have not
the physical power to move every
thing the government needs moved.
when 1t must be moved. and maintain
semblance Of their normal, neces-
sary traffic.
Forced to Seek water Lanes.
This being the case. and the i'm
mediate construction Of new railroads
or provision Of immense amounts Of
new railway material being out of
the question. the government is per-
force turning to the inland water
ways. and a campaign that has in
previous peaceful years found listen
ers only in cities along big rivers and
on big railroads. Is now welcomed
in the highest councils OF the land.
1t is understood Gen. Blacks re-
port will call for early action toward
use of the rivers and canals to the
utmost in relieving railway conges-
tion. The program will call for two
salient features:
An appropriation. probably Of many
millions, for the construction and IL
censing of all kinds of river craft:
y provision that operation OF river
and canal craft shall come under the
supervision and regulation of the
Cnited States Shipping Board.
These two features are expected
o be included in a bill that will be
rubmitted to Congress when 1t con-
.enes in December.
The second feature. II Is said, is de-
signed to make Chairman Hurley's
control Of water traffic. complete, and
o avert repetition OF present public
ownership of railways demand
with the government in control
rom the start, the waterways and
heir vessels are counted on to form
a powerful war weapon, as well as
n big factor in peaceful commercial
pursuits,