Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-16
RAILROADS OF AMERICA
NAT|ONAL|zED BY WAR
COS Companies, in 4S States, Operat.
ing 263,OOO Miles, Under One
Central Direction.
REMARKABLE COORDINATION
Daniel Willard, Chairman of Trans
portation Committee Of War Coun-
Gil, Declares Result Is Efficiency
Never Before Attained.
isnecialio rho rimaa-pianalch !

Especial to The mes-Dispatch.l
WASHINGTON. July 15.-Daniel Will
lard. president OF the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad. and chairman OF the
transportation committee Of the de-
tense council. in a prepared statement
declares that war had nationalized the
railroad system OF the United States.
Stern necessity. he says. has resulted
in coordination of transportation
facilities to such point that the in
divdual lines are now operated. in so
far AS war needs arc concerned. as
one. And the Immediate effect Is an
efficiency never before attaind by the
carriers of this country. Mr.. Wizards
statement, in part. is as follows;
"The essence OF the railroad situa-
ton Is that the railroads Of the whole
United States arc natlonalized. The
Cos railroad companies operating In
forty eight States and controlling $685.
900 miles OF road are responding ad-
riirably to central direction from tho
ao-called railroad war board OF rail-
way presidents. They have responded
to every suggestion made by the Coun-
ell OF National Defense through the
war board, They have made all trans
fers OF II oops on schedule in a manner
so far as 1 am advised. entirely salts
factory to the War Department. with
out serious disruption Of regular traf-
fic. They have tremendously increased
tin" supply OF coal cara. facilitated the
transit OF grain and met the needs OF
the government at least as promptly
and eff actually as il they were under
direct government authority"
NO INTERRUPTION
TO REGULAR TRAFFIC.
President Willard explained that last
summer the railroads worked out with
Colonel Baker, of the quartermasters'
corps of the army. complete scheme
for wartime railroad operations and
that this scheme. since elaborated and
perfected. has worked SO we'll that
During the past two months the rail-
roads Of the country though handling
vastly more ton miles than ever be-
fore. have been constantly transport
ing troops In considerable numbers
without in the least interrupting regu-
lar traffic"
The regular traffic. no explained. has
been larger probably than in any pre-
vious period in the history Of the coun-
try. Traffic was heavy before the
United States entered tho war;" he said.
because OF the necessity OF moving
tremendous quantities OF supplies. ma
terial and fnixhed products for the
allies. but since April 1t has increased
tremendously The report for the
month Of April show that the rail-
roads of the United States in that
month handled over s,o00.o00.o0o moro
ton riiles than were handled during
the same month In 19l6--an increase In
business amounting to 16 per cent. And
the traffic In April. 1916. although there
was strike impending, was heavy
compared to almost any year before
tho beginning OF the European war.
"On May l. when the railroads war
board was established and the railroads
set out 10 cooperate with 1t in an
| effort to got greater national efficiency.
! there was a car shortage of 14S,G27
cars. Al the end OF June, this short
age had been decreased to 900 cars.
though business was steadily incrcas-
ing.
RAILROADS VOLUNTARILY
DECIDE TO ACT AS UNIT
Mr.. Willard said that. in the judg-
ment OF many railroad men who have
followed the situation closely. vital
congestion would have hindered the
transportation OF troops. seriously de-
layed the completion OF the canton
ments and aggravated the coal situa-
ton II the railroads had not voun-
tarily made themselves ready to act
asa unit in response to the sugges-
lions Of the Council OF National Do
fensc War Board.
Beginning with April g." he said,
business activity has been greater
than ever before in America, think.
1t was stimulated in many directions
by the manufacture OF uniforms, clo-
thing. MATERIALS for tho building Of