Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-21
HARRISON ISSUES CALL
TO RAILROAD EMPLOYEES
Would Have Them Volunteer for
Work OF Rchabilitating French
Railway System.
WILL GO AS PART OF ARMY
Nine Regiments to BE Organized at
Once, Practically All Officers BE-
Ing Made Up of Men Themselves.
Cooperation OF Executives Urged.

Especial to The Times dispatch
WASHINGTON. May 2O-Fairfax
Harrison. president of the Southern
Railway. and chairman OF the special
Railroad Committee on National De-
Tense. has sent out ringing call to
railroad employees all over the coun-
try to volunteer in the nine rcgiments
of railroad men who are to rehabili-
tate the French railway system.
Mr.. Harrison declares that the need
of these regiments is urgent: that they
can be sent abroad while the lighting
troops are being trained. and the men
who go into these commands will have
the same military standing as those
on the firing line. Railroad companies
are directed by Mr.. Harrison TO CO.
operate with the government and with
the employees in an effort to prepare
these quotas without delay.
The call from Mr.. Harrison direct
ed TO the railway executives reads as
follows:
The French railways are badly run
down. They need more or less COM
plete rehabilitation. France has no men
who can be spared for this work. She
wants all her men at the front
Before VIC can train men TO go into
the trenches we can supply Frances
railroad wants, and we can do it prac-
tically Immediately. Any men we send
over must be soldiers, so it will be
necessary for the railroad forces to
enter the army.
I'VE propose to make up Ave con-
struction regiments OF six companies
each. to do this rehabilitation. Each
regiment Will have an engineer officer
of the United States Army as colonel
and another officer from the army as
adjutant. The other officers will be
made up of railroad men. except that
the commissary Will be provided by the
United States Army. The lieutenant
colonel will be a chief engineer OF
railroad, or some one else of similar ex-
perience. The captains will be taken
from the engineers of maintenance OF
way, the lieutenants from supervisors
or roadmasters, and the non-commis-
stoned officers from track and bridge
forenen. The privates will be track
laborers
The pressing need just now is for
officers for these regiments. They will
require FIVE chief engineers. thirty en-
! gineers OF maintenance OF way, ninety
supervisors or roadmasters. sixty track
foremcn and thirty bridge tower men.
Each company will have $50 track
laborers and fourteen carpenters az
| privates
The next important requirement on
the French railways is for shop forces
They are short OF men to repair their
| locomotives. 1t is proposed to organ
ze shop regiment, TO be made up
the same way as the construction regi-
ments except that the lieutcnant-colo-
mel will be n superintendent OF motive
power. the captains will be master me-
chancs, the lieutenan's will be shop
| fcremen. and the noncommission.d Of
Gccrs gang forcmcn. The rest of the
company will he made up Of boiler,
makers, machinists. blacksmiths, and
their helpers.
OFFICERS TO BE MEN
WHO OPERATE TRAINS
Three operating regiments will be
iaised with officers from superinten-
dents, trainmasters. yardmasters, and
others having TO do with the actual
operation OF trains. The privates in
this case will be taken from the train
crews.
The War Board has requested the