Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-12-29
McAdoo Issued Pooling In structions to All Road
 Presidents Last Night.
BIG EVENT PASSED
 UNNOTTCED BY HEADS
War Board in Conference With New Direct Overlook Passing Into Control of T.. S.--NO Plans
 Yet for Organization.

Washington, Dec. 2S.-The rail- roads of the United States passed into government control at noon to- day as Secretary McAdoo. designated by President Wilson as director gen. eral of the railroads, was delegating to the railroad war board the task of operating them for the present. The members of the war board, comprising four of the country's foremost rail- road executives, who have been in charge of the railroads for the last nine months, were called into confer ence at II o'clock to discuss plans for welding all transportation lines into a single government-operated system. They left the treasury department two hours later under instructions to continue their functions and to sub- init immediately plan of operation to the director general Tonight MT. McAdoo issued his first formal order, designed to speed up freight move ments, telegraphing all railroad presi- dents and directors, instructing them to move freight by the most direct and convenient route. At the same time he ordered them to continue op. erations of their lines in conformity with the presidents proclamation , putting them under government con- 1 trol.
 May Not Displace War Roard. 1 There was no indication tonight whether MT. McAdoo intended event ually to displace the war board with an organization of his own, or to con- tinue its organization for the dura- ton of the war It was made clear, however, that it will continue until l the director general decides that better system can be devised.
 The order that freight move by the most expeditions route opens the way for pooling of traffic impossible heretofore by reason of statutes de- signed to prevent the practice by car riers operated by private direction. It takes from the shipper the right to route his freight as he wishes, and leaves to the railroad traffic man the task of sending it most directly and where there is least congestion.
 No Plans for Staff.
 Thus far the director general has made no plans for staff, although it is considered likely that one of his le- gal assistants will be John Barton Payne of Chicago, now legal advisor 1 to Chairman Hurley of the shipping board. He asked the war board for complete chart of it's organization, which was furnished tonight. In draft ing into service the war boards or ganization, the director general takes over the services of all the boards committees, including the operating committee of eastern railroads, head ed by A. w. Thompson of the Balti- more & Ohio. He obtains the serv- ices as we'll of the boards car service commission, which is now assisting the Interstate Commerce commission.
 Are R. R. Men Government Employees?
 There was a question tonight as to whether the great mass of railroad employees in the country. nearly two million in number, now become gov- ernment employees. Some officials hold that they do not, on the ground that the government in assuming control of the railroads is only superimpos- ing it's authority on them, and that as the roads are owned now as hereto
 fore by their stockholders, railroad
 employees are still employees of the
 owners of the roads.
 The railroads passed under govern ment control without any formality
 at 12 o'clock, and the members of the
 railroads war board were so deeply engrossed in the discussion of meas lures to relieve congestion that they , did not note the passage of time, and , it was not until half an hour later that some one, glancing at the clock , in MT. McAdoo's office. called atten- . tion to the fact that the roads were , out of the hands of the directors. The Five in Charge of Plan. The following five railroad execu.
 tives, each a leader in the business of
 transportation, will work out the plans for welding 250,000 miles of railroad into one great continental system for winning the war:
 Fairfax Harrison, president of the l Southern railway.
 l Julius Krutschnitt, chairman of the l board of the Southern Pacific. :. Samuel Req, president of the Penn } sylvania.
 ! Hale Holden, president of the Bur \ Howard Elliott of the New Haven.
 Railroad Men Relieved. s I The railroad heads were visibly in a : better frame of mind after tho confer 2 fence than they were before taking with the director general Halo Hol-