Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-01-18
PRESIDENT TELLS
RAILROAD PLAN
Outlines Method of Government
Operation.
ASKS FOR FAIR TREATMENT
Says Complete War Service Can Only
Be Given by Putting All Carriers
Under Government Control
Urges Prompt Action.

Washington, Jan. 5.-The admins
tratiOn's policy in regard to the gov
ernment control of the railroads was
outlined by President Wilson in an ad-
dress delivered at a joint session of
the two houses of congress yesterday.
Bills to carry out the presidents
Ideas already had been prepared under
the supervision of the department of
justice and were Immediately intro
duced with plans for prompt cOnsid-
Grafton in both house and senate.
The president spoke as follows:
Gentlemen of the Congress: l have
asked the privilege of addressing you
in order to report that on the 2Sth of
December last, during the recess Of
congress, acting through the secretary
Of war and under the authority con-
ferred upon me by the act of congress
approved August %, 1916, 1 took pos
session and assumed control of the
railway lines Of the country and the
systems of water transportation under
their control. This step seemed to be
imperatively necessary in the interest
Of the public welfare, in the presence
of the great tasks of war with which
we are now dealing.
"AS our experience develops difficult
ties and makes it clear what they are,
I have deemed it my duty to remove
those difficulties wherever I have the
legal power to do so. To assume coa-
troll of the vast railway systems of the
country is, realize, a very heavy re
spOnsibility, but to fail to do SO in the
existing circumstances would have
been a much greater. I assumed the
lesser responsibility rather than the
weightier
Complete Mobilization Needed.
81 am sure that 1 am speaking the
mind of all thoughtful Americans when
1 say that it is our duty as the repre-
sentatives of the nation to do every
thing that it is necessary to do to Sc
cure the complete mobilization of the
whole resources of America by as rap
id and effective a means as can be
found. Transportation supplies ali the
arteries Of mobilization. Unless it be
under a single and unified direction
the whole p,6cess of the nations ac-
ton is embarrassed.
1T was in the true spirit of America
and it was right, that we should first
try to effect the necessary unification
under the voluntary action of those
| who were in charge of the great rail
way properties; and we did try it. The
directors of the railways responded tc
the need promptly and generously.
Praises Railway Executives.
"The group Of railway executives
who We're charged with the task Of
actual coordination and general direc
ton with patriotic zeal and marked
ability, as was to have been expected
and did, 1 believe, everything that i
was possible for them to do in the cir
cumstances. If 1 have taken the tasl
out of their hands it has not been be
cause of any dereliction or failure OF
their part, but only because there wer,
some things which the government cal
do and present management cannot
We shall continue to value most highl,
the advice and assistance of these gen
tlemen, and am sure we shall not fin,
them Withholding it.
Government Control Needed.
''It had become Enthusiastically pIail
that only under government admins
tratiOn can the entire equipment O
the several systems of transportatio
be fully and undreservedly thrown int
q common service without iniur
Gus discrimination against particula
properties. Only under government
administration can an absolutely III
restricted and unembarrassed commo
use be made of all tracks, terminal:
terminal facilities and equipment c
every kind. Only under that authorit
can new terminals be constructed an
developed without regard to the n
quirements Or limitations Of particula
roads. But under government admir-
istration all these things will be DO
sible-not instantly, but as fast g
practical difficulties which cannot b
merely conjured away give way befor
the new management.
Little Disturbance as Possible
"The common administration will /
carried out with as little disturbanC
Of the present operating organization
and personnel Of the railways as po
sible. Nothing will be altered or di
turbed which it is not necessary to di
turb. We are serving the public int
est and safeguarding the public safet
but we are also regardful of the inte
est of those by whom these great pro-
critics are owned and glad to avail ou
selves of the experience and traine