Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-03
RAILROADS READY
FOR GIGANTIC TASK
Prepare for Biggest Traffic Move
ment, in Handling of Troops,
in Their History.
HARRISON DESCRIBES WORK
Only Closest Cooperation Be-
tween Lines and Government
Makes Achievement Possible.

WASHINGTON. September 2.-"rhe
railroads to-day are ready for the big
sest traffic movement that railroading
has ever seen anywhere"
This was the statement made to-
day by Fairfax C. Harrison. president
of the Southern Railway and chairman
OF the executive committee of the
American Railway Associations special
committee on national defense.
a description of the work the rail-
roads have done in preparation for
their gigantic task of September was
authorized.
In the space OF approximately one
month the railroads will be called on
to move national army of 5000
men. national guardsmen numbering
100000; an unannounced number OF
regulars going to the seaboard for
embarkation for France; supplies of all
kinds for all three groups: most of the
grain crop; part of the cotton crop,
steel and coal for the greatest ship
building program any country has ever
attempted, and their regular normal
traffic.
ANTICIPATE EVERY
WISH OF GOVERNMENT
When 1t lis recalled that in years
preceding the war the railroads made
a great annual fuss over car shortages
In moving the grain and cotton crops.
the magnitude Of their task can be ap-
preciated. They have prepared them
selves for it by anticipating every
wish OF the government, and by or
ganizing their greatest executives into
a compact working arm of the admin
istration service. A staff of more than
$50 of the best railroad men have been
in Washington for months. giving
most of their time to the problem.
The committee includes such men. be-
sides Mr.. Harrison. Howard Elliott,
Of the New Haven: Hale Holden. of
the Burlington; Samuel Rea. OF the
Pennsylvania; Julius Kruttschnitt. OF
the Southern Pacific; Daniel Willard.
of the Baltimore and Ohio; L. f. Lorce.
OF the Delaware and Hudson. and Ed
gar E., Clark. of the Interstate Com.
merce omr,ission.
Cooperating with the committee for
the War Department has been Lieu
tenant-Colonel Cnauncey B. Baker. OF
the quartermaster corps. The COM
mittees have used as a working basis
for their preparations his estimates or
needed equipment
One field army Of $4,000 men. he
told the railroad men, required 6,2s9
railroad cars. made up into 336 trains.
The 100000 men OF the national army
and National Guard to be moved within
the next thirty days. therefore. will
require no less than 77S,6o5 cars and
45.75o engines. These cars and these
engines. the committee states. will be
ready when needed.
MOVEMENTS WILL CALL
FOR 1.00O.O CARS
Add this million men. the number of
regulars to be moved. with the supple
mentary and unexpected movements of
various units. and IT can readily be
seen 100000 cars probably will be
used before the troop movements of
the early fall are completed.
The building of the National Guard
Camps required the use of no less than
81, 900 freight cars. and the erection
of national army cantonments and
aviation stations took more than Co.
900. making a total of 125,o00 freight
cars taken out OF regular traffic. The
fact that all these were devoted to
army processes with no railroad hitch
Of any kind. makes Mr. Harrison's COM
mittee confident the movement OF
troops can be accomplished with no
great difficulty.
The railroads task has been greatly
complicated by recent changes in the
War Department orders regarding the
national army, 1t was pointed out by
one member of the committee. The
roads will have an easy time moving
the various allotments of per cent
this week. They will handle them with
their ordinary equipment and sched-
ules, using day coaches for short hauls.
and tourist sleepers where overnight
runs are necessary. But when the later
allotments, larger than originally
will be required.
ROADS SEND CARS
TO OTHER LINES
Only the closest co-operation between
the various railroads has made present
achievements possible. An instance of
this cooperation is seen in the uni
Sersal agreement of the roads to send
their cars to other lines More than
10000 cars were gathered up over the
country recently and sent to the Mid
die West. South and Southwest to move
grain and lumber.
More than 5000 were sent to holm
Southern roads move melons and veCe-
tables. total of about 100, 900 were
thus taken, regardless Of ownership.
ana sent TO relieve various shortages