New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-17
Officials Call Reports OF
Transportation Crisis
ExaggerationS
.SAILINGS WILL SOON
EMPTY N. Y. PIERS
Railway ASSoci-
alton CorreCtS Erro-
neOuS Impression

Railroad oUlclalS III Ne" iN4N -
pressed confidence yesterday that there
would be an early improvement IN inc
! transportation situation. Officials IN
close touch with conditions pointed out
that there has been much misunder-
standing. Reports that the country was
facing crisis they called exaggerated
Although manufacturers are unable
to get shipments OF raw material and
finished products through rapidly, II
is not believed probable that many
plants will be compelled to cease opera
tions on this account.
The situation is much more serious
outside of New York than IN this CITY,
The congestion resulting from the
tving up of vessels because Of the sub
marine blockade has affected such cen
tres as Buffalo, Pittsburgh and chi
cago more severely than it has TINS
port.
Difficulties in West
REPORTS from points west of New
| York last night told of increasing dilh-
culties of transportation, due IN some
measure to the tying up Of cars loadeo
I with export shipments, but primarily
/ attributed TO adverse weather cohuI'
/ tions, which railroad men say nave
/ been their greatest handicap.
The American Railway Association
/ Yesterday gave The Tribune an ofhclal
statement regarding freight congestion
/ car shortage and the action taken nJ
I the associations commission on car
( service in Washington on Thursday
4 This statement corrects the erro-
neous impression that a sweeping EN-
/ barge on export freight was declared
/ or agreed to at that meeting. An EN-
| barge on export freight had already
/ been in effect for weeks, providing that
/ No sbipments could be received unless
/ the consignor could show that space
/ on An outgoing vessel had already been
| contracted for. When the submarine
{ blockade went into effect and vessels
/ ceased sailing this embargo acted auto
/ matically and stopped further ship
ments for export.
Cars in transit, when the blockade
was ordered, however, have been Ieft
/ tied up at various points en- route, ana
this has tended to increase the con-
] gestion outside of New YORK.
No Fear of Famine
! According to the authorized state
nent of the Commission on Gar ser
vice of the American Railway Associa-
ton there is 10 fear of famine, or
even Of a serious food shortage, III
New York or elsewhere. The action
of the commission in Washington on
Thursday in arranging to give the
right of way to eight -four trains
,reek eastward from Minneapolis was
taken primarily to relieve freight con-
gestion at the point OF origin.
Railroad officials here agree that the
freight congestion in New YORK wy
now does not compare with that OF q
wear ago. In exaggerated reports 0!
the accumulation Of export 1relghI az
this mort the fact has been overlooked
that numerous ships have been sailing
in spite of the submarine blockade, all
carving large quantities Of freight.
In the coming week about thlrty
steamers. exclusive Of coastwlse yes
seIs are scheduled to sail, carrying
many thousands Of tons Of freight from
local piers. Between February ] ana
February IS. 1876 vessels cleared 1or
foreign ports. Among the vessels sail
inc today is the Noordam, carrying
several thousand tons Of freight to Rot
terdam
Vessels Increased
The coming into port yesterday of a
fleet of twenty-one cargo ships, IN al
dition TO being significant of the partial
Z failure of the German blockade, IN
creases the number of bottoms now IN
mort which may soon be aVallaDle loI
the loading Of freight. a.,
"The present freight congestion STU
alton is only little worse than II mas
been for weeks" said J. ". Lee, Jr,
sneakinp officially for the commission
on car service of the American Kali
way Association, yesterday. The com
mission has been taking steps rlghI
along which have been just as impor-
tant and significant as their action
I Thursday. -.
served 10 throw the freight situation
| into the limelight. As a matter OF
/ fact. the failure Of ships TO sail from
/ New York has caused comparatively
little congestion at the piers here, for
/ the embargoes that have been in effect
for weeks Oh export shipments have
served automatically to cut off the ar
! rival Of any more export freight mere
/ The roads right along have been ac-
J cepting freight for export only when
/ space on ships was already booked.
"When the submarine blockade went
into effect export shipments that were
| on their way % New York we're stopped
/ at the nearest convenient point, and
I have been held there since. The only
/ shipments that came into New YORK
after the blockade went into effect were
those which were already so near this
/ city that it would have been useless to
{ hold them up elsewhere. This system
[ has, Of course, increased the congestion
in yards at points West, but it has had
D comparatively little effect on the New
/ York situation.
No Embargo Voted
Newspaper reports have given the
/ lrnnresalon that kweeping embargOes