Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-22
Statements Untrue, Is Charge.

Assertions in the message We're de-
clared erroneous" insofar as they re-
flected upon steps taken by the COM
mission to relieve the situation at Chi
cago. Commissioner McChord, replying
to a portion of the telegram not made
public. which apparently charged that
he had ruled Chicago could not expect
relief from the commission, declared the
which are not true
That portion of the dispatch refer
ring to possible food riots was not
specifically answered. and officials de-
clined to comment on 1t. Members OF
the commission are understood, how
ever. to regard the situation as de-
picted by Mr.. Griffin as highly improb-
able Commissioners declined also to
comment upon dispatches from Chicago
indicating that the Chicago Board of
Trade might request President Wilson
and Congress to take the entire car
shortage and congestion situation out
of the commissions hands.
Data compiled by the American Rail
way Association was made pubic
showing appreciable diminution at New
York, Philadelphia. Boston and Balti-
more of the number of cars of export
freight on hand and the number OF
bushels of wheat held in elevators and
cars awaiting ocean transportation. Of
ficials of the association declared that
the situation had improved perceptibly
within the past fortnight, and that
while the pinch would probably be felt
here and there in certain commodities,
there was little likelihood of a general
foodstuffs or fuel shortage in the east
Pinch Temporarily Relieved.
In this connection it became known
that a week ago virtually every town
and city in New England faced a flour
famine, and that livestock all through
New England was starving for lack of
grain and feed. Prompt action by the
railroads in shipping feed. flour and
grain ahead of passenger trains from
Minneapolis has temporarily relieved
the pinch.
At that time, it was learned, the COM
mission ordered the railroads to strain
every effort to eXtricate the thousands
of empty cars from their congested
yards and rush them west for grain and
-four to be brought east
Investigators of the commission have
been sent to virtually every railroad
yard of any size in the east and middle
west, and are reporting daily by tele-
graph the movement of cars. Several
instances of unprecedented congestion
are understood to have been relieved
by the investigators, in cooperation
with the roads. A notable instance of
their work was at Detroit. where
congestion of $4,000 cars of all de-
scriptions was reduced to 5000.
Chicago's claim that the railroads
are failing to exert themselves to re-
lieve the situation was met by the rail-
way association with declaration that
the grain interests of the city had
taken no interest in a recent confer
ence of grain interests here. and that
although Chicagoans were invited the
city was not represented. 1t was at
this conference that the shipment
east of 100 cars day of feed, flour and
Getting 200 Cars Daily.
1.-TWO Representatives of the Chicago
Board of Trade called on the commits
sion on car service at Washington Mon
day and Tuesday last" said a state
ment issued by the car service commits
sion last night. "and said they had been
getting 200 cars day at Chicago for
eastbound grain. which they considered
fair distribution in view of the general
shortage of cars.
They only wanted assurance that
they would continue to get 200 cars
day. They said if they did not. the
grain merchants Of Chicago would lose
more money.
Inc statement duucu tidt tic CUM
mission told the Chicago men every
thing would be done to meet emergen-
cies as they might arise, but that they
had shown no emergency" and that
they would have to look to the indi-
vidual eastern lines in Chicago for
equipment" Half of the 200 cars. the
statement says, were wanted for export
grain.
1t is understood that representatives
of grain interests in Duluth also have
voiced a protest against the shipment
of 100 cars day east from Minneapolis.
authorized as an emergency measure.