The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-07-02
.cONDITI0NSoF war
Effect Of Failure Of Railway
Transportation Outlined.
UNABLE 10 CARRY SUPPLIES
Arms and Munitions Piled In Heaps on
Ground at Wadlvostok-Disor.
panIzation Among Railroads
Durina Civil War. II

The eject of failure of transports.
ton facilities In modern warfare is
we'll illustrated by the present situa-
ton In Russia. There seems to be no
doubt that the failure Of the Russian
military plans was to a very great ex-
tent the result Of the disorganization
Of the nations railway system, q dis
organization SO complete that it. ex-
tended clear to Vladivostok, 5000 miles
behind the fighting line. Il; IN h
At that port an accumulation Of
arms, munitions and supplies shipped
from America for the use Of the Rus
sian forces is piled on the ground for
miles. Some of the material has been
there for more than a year. It may
we'll be doubted whether the Russian
revolution would have come SO. quickly
to q head had the military authorities
been able to keep the troops properly
supplied and thus put them more
nearly on: equal terms with the enemy.
Conditions During Spanish War.
Nor does the Spanish war. furnish
the only example of q failure on the
part Of American railroads to meet
the stresses Of war conditions. Some.
thingIof the same sort Of disorganiza.
ton affected the railroads of the
Northern states during the Civil war
and resulted. in the, first plan Of rail.
way Capitalization z lon for m military pur.
poses. y = .A.'''' ID
! When. :, TIE, serious. nature Of the
struggle had begun, to be evident to-
the people Of the North and repeated
calls for volunteers had resulted in the
raising of large numbers of troops In
different sections of the country the
facilities Of the railroads broke down
completely. The movement of men
and supplies In numbers then un.
dreamed of was too much for the per.
sonnet and the equipment Of the nu.
merous small roads which at that time
broke the journey between most of the
principal cities. ss 80
! &sti',c& Government Control. =.
It was this situation which in 1859;
limpelled congress to pass an attt NV.
Ing, the federal, government pB@srC,to
take over the railroads. III tins1 ST hWaE.
President Lincoln, however, s Scontenteb
himself with calling !to Washington
Col. Thomas A. Scott, then an 1oflicer
Of the Pennsylvania railroad and after;
ward ITS president for many years. Col
onel Scott received an appointment %
assistant secretary Of war, with full
authority over al the railroads in con-
nection with the movement Of troops.
Colonel Scott and his assistants soon
had things Strengthened out and troops
were moved to the various mobiliza-
,tion and concentration points .as fast
as the army authorities were able TO
take care Of them One 6fttthes Peau.i
sylvania's bright young men whom Col-
onel Scott summoned to Washtngtdnto
assist him In the work 'wasta certain
division superintendent, Andrew Car
negie by name, whose fame In other
fields Of endeavor has well.nigh, OBJ
scured the reputation for unrayeling
knotty problems, which he demon
strated 40 an omcial of the military
railways. r.. .1.
Another of his assistants was John
p. Green, who afterwards rose to the
vice presidency Of the Pennsylvania
and who is still serving the company
on its board Of directors.