Evening star., 1918-06-17

sissippi Valley Is in Washington today to offer
you all the resources of the valley states for the
winning Of the war.
These valley representatives are not seeking
special benefits for any state any community
of the valley. They are not trying to promote any
special commercial or industrial interest. Their
object is to harness the productive capacity Of
the valley for war work.
AS a means of utilizing the vast resources Of
this rich and resourceful section of the country
they urge you to put its great waterways to work.
No one knows better than you the necessity Of
maintaining maximum production and prompt
delivery in order that the maximum strength Of
the United States may be put in the war at the
earliest possible time No one knows better than
you that the putting in Of the maximum strength
of this energetic and resourceful people at the
earliest possible time will mean not only the
winning but the shortening Of the war; with in
estimable saving>of blood and treasure. In this
desperate struggle we cannot afford to neglect
resource which would contribute to victory or
shorten the war one hour.
No one knows better than you, Mr.. McAdoo,
that the condition essential to maximum produc-
ton and prompt delivery OF war supplies is ade-
quate transportation.
No one knows better than you that our present
transportation resources are inadequate to main
tain maximum production. Under the stress Of
war production the railroad system Of the coun-
try cannot be made adequate With all the money
and the productive capacity that can be devoted
to the construction OF railroad equipment, the
railroad system alone will not be adequate during
the war. As matter Of fact the railroads alone
can never catch up with the ordinary transpor-
tation needs Of this country. We cannot expect
to do more under the best conditions than ap-
proach our war needs.
Before the war; under private control railroad
transportation was never adequate to the needs
of industry and commerce. Through their enor-
NOUS financial resources and their powerful in
fluence the railroads have crushed competitive
river traffic. Their object wholly selfish.
They wanted monopoly Of transportation. They
did not want the rate-reguatinx >ssEpetition of
river traffic. They wanted to control business
and rates in their own interest. Wherever river
traffic came in competition with railroad traffic
the railroad rates were reduced to ruinous basis
to put the rivers out Of business.
Through railroad extravaganza and high fnan-
ciering, followed by resentful legislation, our
railroad system and its equipment were woefully
inadequate to the needs of the country when we
entered the war.
No one knows better than you the conditions
that confronted the Government when 1t had to
meet the transportation demands of war pro-
duction. There was shortage of cars; there was
q shortage Of motive power; there was ineffi-
cheney and gross waste, on account Of the exploit
tation Of the railroads for private interests and
on account Of competition. The result was a
transportation crisis, causing an Industrial
paralysis at a time when maximum productive
activity was necessary.
No. ~ CHI oS ,of{v
power, there was a shortage of coal when a
maximum of coal supply was necessary. When
every hour Of productive activity was of immeas-
urable value in the desperate race to construct
ships, manufacture munitions of war and to get
them to the front, the factories were idle, the
railroad yards were congested; work waited
for the inadequate railroads to catch up with war
business.
Under the persistent and consistent policy of
the private interests that controlled the railroads.
there was built up system of transportation
which tended to move all the freight in di
rection to q few favored destinations The trans
portation system was like a huge bottle with
small neck, all of the lines converging to
row strip Of coast line in the northeastern part
of the country. Trunk lines were paralleled to
the Northeast, because traffic forced in that
direction Other utilities, river and rail, were
largely neglected.
The result of this policy that when the
pressing demand of war industry came, there
was congestion of industries, a congestion of
transportation in the Northeast The war indus
tries in the East suffered from lack of COAL lack
Of labor, lack of material, lack Of housing
accommodation, because the railroads we're unable
to deliver the goods through the neck of the bot
tie.
This condition of transportation congestion and
industrial interruption continues. Another crisis
caused by car shortage, and coal shortage is
threatened The warning signals are out What
can be done to avert or mitigate the crisis?
The Mississippi Valley asks you to utilize the
great system Of waterways that nature has pro-
vided. The people Of the Valley urge you to de-
velop the vast possibilities Of the rivers and the
territory they drain.
The Mississippi River and its tributaries sweep
by limitless coal fields. They pass the greatest
grain fields in the world. They roach vast
ore deposits. They reach forests Of lumber; they
tap industrial districts in the heart Of coal fields
which can be developed indefinitely.
The Fuel Administration has recognized the
urgent requirement Of the situation by prohib-
iting further. industrial development in the