The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-04-30
One RAILWAY
SYSTEM FOR U. S.
AFTER May |
Gigantic Cooperative Mer-
ger of All Lines for Mill
tary Purposes.
WILL BE DIRECTED
FROM WASHINGTON
Drastic and Far-reaching
Plans Announced-Roads
To Do "Bit".

There will be but one railway sys-
| tenn in the United States, from the
military standpoint, after MAY 1. II
will have 100000 miles Of track, 1,600,-
900 employees, $1,000 locomotives, $780,
900 passenger and service cars, and g.
1000 freight cars capable OF carrying
9S, 900, 100000 tons.
It will be directed from Washington
by six men. Officials of several north
western roads are to have charge oi
important phases Of the work.
To Merge Competitive Activities.
Details OF the railroads plan to CO.
ordinate all operations in q continen-
tai railway system and to merge their
competitive activities during the war
were announced by the special COM
mittee Of national defense of the
American Railway association.
The object is to produce maximum
national transportation facilities.
Minneapolis will be an important
point in this great system created for
national defense. Into 1t will blend
with the relative importance Of mere
divisions, such great systems as the
Great Northern, Northern Pacific, 500
line, Burlington, Milwaukee and such
important feeders as the Rock Island,
Chicago Great Western and Minneap-
oils & ST. Louis.
p mIIIGaFY Necessity TO SoVGTns
Military necessity will govern abso-
lutely. Every car and every motive
power unit and every bit Of equipment
on every road, will belong, for opera
ton use, as necessity may dictate, to
every other road. ..
Ordinary traffic, freight and passen-
ger, anywhere or at any time, will be
suspended If military necessity de-
mands.
This is the way the railroads Of the
United States are going to help the
country win the war. s
Railway Plans Announced.
Some of the plans that have been
announced are these:
American railway association repre-
sentatives to be located at every mo-
bilization, concentration or strategic
point.
Constant communication to be held
open between these representatives
and the Washington committee.
Equipment to be furnished at any
cost, Immediately upon emergency
Trains to be moved through without
being broken with right-of-way oyer
any lines.s
Routing of troops to be in hands of
state authorities.
These rules to apply also to mu-
nitions or military supplies OF any
character.
Some plans that the various rail-
roads have decided to adopt, for i'm
mediate or fUEure operation, are:
Taking off many passenger trains
that cater only to high class travel
and which run between the same
points although on different lines.
Taking off of dining cars from Jnany
trains during the period of the war.
Scaling down of dining card menus
to wartime food supply basis.
w. H. Bremner, acting president Of
the Minneapolis & st. Louis road. said
that the executives of his company
will assist in every way and are await
ing detailed instructions. g..
Roads TO Do Part TO Win War.
Whatever there is to be done we
will do" Mr.. Bremner said. For the
purpose of handling the military traffic
of the country In wartime all the roads
are to be unit and all differences or
competitive moves are to be forgotten
when it comes to national service. The
railroads are going to do their part to
win the war for the United States"
George r. Huntington. general man
ager Of the 500 Line, said that the
completion of plans by the railroad
executives who have been working on