Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-01-08
Text Of the Presidents Address

President Wilson's railroad mes
sage to congress Friday follows in
full:
Gentlemen Of the congress:
l have asked the privilege of adj
dressing you in order TO report that
on the twenty-eighth of December,
last, during the recess of congress,
acting through the secretary of war
and under the authority conferred
upon me by the act OF congress APP
proved August 20, 1916, I 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 neces-
sary in the interest of the public
welfare, inthe presence of the
great task of war with which we
are now dealing.
As our experience develops diff
ficulties and makes it clear what
they are, 1 have deemed it my duty
to remove those difficulties wher-
ever l have the legal power to do
so. To assume control of the vast
railway systems of the country, is,
realize, a very great responsible
ty, but to fail to do so in the exist
much greater. l assume the less
responsibility rather than the
weightier.
Must Mobilize All
OF Nations Resources
l am sure that 1 am speaking the
mind of all thoughtful Americans
when 1 say that it is our duty as
the representatives of the nation to
do everything that it is necessary
to do to secure the complete mobi-
lization of the whole resources of
America by as rapid aao effective
a means as can be found. Transpor-
tation supplies all the arteries of
mobilization. Unless it be under
single and unified direction, the
whole process Of the nations action
is embarrassed.
1t was in the true spirit of Ameri-
ca, and it was right, that we should
first try to effect the necessary uni
ication under the voluntary action
of those who were in charge of the
great railway properties; and we did
try it.
The directors Of the railways re-
sponded to the need promptly and
generously. The group of railway
executives who were charged with
the task of actual coordination and
general direction performed their
difficult duties with patriotic zeal
and marked ability, as was to have
been expected, and did, I believe.
everything that it was possible for
them to do in the circumstances. If
1 have taken the task out of their
hands, it has not been because of
any dereliction or failure on their
h,,f
some things which the government
can do and private management can
not We shall continue to value most
highly the advice and assistance OF
these gentlemen and 1 am sure we
shall not find them Withholding it.
Government Operation
Only Patent Solution
1t had become Enthusiastically
plain that only under government
administration can the entire equip
ment of the several systems of
transportation be fully and unre-
servedly thrown into a common
service without injurious discrim-
ination against particular proper
ties. Only under government adj
ministration can an absolutely I'M
restricted and unembarrassed COM
mon use be made of all tracks, ter
minals, terminal facilities and
equipment of every kind
Only under that authority can
new terminals be constructed and
developed without regard to the re-
quirements or limitations of partic-
ular roads. But under government
administration all these things
will be possible not instantly, but
as fast as practical dif1cultles,
which cannot be merely conjured
or;x haf
management.
The common administration will
be carried out with as little dis
turbance of the present operating
organizations and personnel of the
railways as possible. Nothing will
be altered or disturbed which it is
not necessary to disturb. We are
serving the public interest and safe
guarding the public safety, but we
are also regardful Of the interest OF
those by whom these great prop
critics are owned and glad to avail
ourselves of the experience and
trained ability of those who have
been managing them.
War Transportation
First Consideration
1t is necessary that the transpor-
tation of troops and Of war mater1-
ais. of food and of fuel, and of every
thing that is necessary for the full
mobilization of the energies and re-
sources of the country, should be
first considered, but it is clearly in
the public interest also that the or
binary activities and the normal in
dustrial and commercial life of the
country should be interfered with
and dislocated as little as possible,
and the public may rest assured
that the interest and convenience
of the private shipper will be as
carefully served and safeguarded as