Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-09-28
RAILWAYS ARE The
ARTERIES OF WAR

ASSOCIATED Press Correspondence
London, Sept. 3.-The railway has
been one of the primary instruments of
war from the day war was declared,
and its usefulness has constantly IN
creased with the increasing complexity
of wars activities. Even in the past
four months. the tonnage landed at
French ports for the use of the British
forces in France has increased by
more than two-thirds, and this all has
to be transferred by rail from French
docks to the front.
Railways are the arteries of war II
was railway construction by the South
African forces that made possible the
conquest OF German Southwest Afric,
and again it was railway construction
that rendered possible the recent
operations in Egypt, in Mesopotan,,a
ana in East Africa. Several hundred
miles of railways have been laid in tho
SINAI desert with the help of the native
Egyptian labor. while for Nesonot,n,i.
ana East Africa the necessary material
and personnel have been mainly 49,
rived from India. In Sinai. the I'm.
from Ell kantara eastward has ~,
extended IN the course of six months
mas increased threefold
In France railway de,e1o,,,o,4
peen most extensive. Enormous mo
to'o'i VI railway stores and plant for
use Al rance has been made by Eng
Gnu utiF'Hg the three years of war.
,'ans' 'ies' plant and tools have been
"enNered IN enormous quantities for
use on the new strategic lines in the
auFafced areas as we'll as on the
french railways forming the main
INES OF communication For three
Years ra'ls by the mile. locomotives hv
,he hundred, and cars by the thousand
i'aN oeeh pouring in a steady stream
into France e''''
ABOUT half of these locomotives and
cars nave been obtained from Rri+;sh
| railways as result of the restrictions
paced on traffic here. Assistance has
also oeen rendered by Canada and ~
| o.nef Doninions and great o,antities
u ne" rolling stock has been spec,a,I1,
constructed here and abroad for use ~
."e continent. Hospital and armored
naihs nave been designed and huilt
anu special railway mountings ne
uhilue design have been improvised
ior heavy siege artillery.
IN recent dispatch, placed AT III.
uisposai Of The Associated Press
Fleid Marshal Sir Douglas Haig. Com,
inander-in-chi of the British forces
III france, described the work done
upon the railways in France during the
past year, the success of which he saws
mas been one of the contributorv ca1s-
es OF British military success.
by the close of the CAMPAIGN of
1916, ne says. "the steady growth of
our armies and the rapid expansions ~
our material resources had taxed
ROADS and railways to their utmost
capacity. The existing broad eauga
and narrow gauge railways being in
! sufficlent to deal with the increasing
volume of traffic, an undue amount ~
transportation had to be done bv roao
AS winter conditions set in the roads
deteriorated rapidly, and the difficul-
ties OF maintaining and repairing then,
became almost overwhelming. In or
der to relieve the roads, an increase of
railway and light railway facilities be-
came imperatively and urgently me-
cessary, and at later date the needs
Of the army We're considerably aug
mented by the adoption of a large pro-
gram of new construction in the area
from which the German armies had
Withdrawn.
THE task of providing additional
rails, material and rolling stock was
one of great difficulty. The success
full solution of the problems OF rai1-
way transport would have been i'm
possible had it not been for the
patriotism of the railway companies o,
Canada. They did not hesitate to give