The Washington herald., 1918-05-25

The very strong Indications are
that the Hughes probe will go ahead
and that some of the facts about
which the public has had to guess
for some time past will now come
to light.
The further indica lions are that
Mr.. Hughes will go into the matter
quite exhaustively. This was indl-
Gated when he asked the Senate in
vestigators not to parallel his efforts.
They had not expected to do so. in
fact, but were anxious to bring out
some of the facts which some Of the
members feared Mr.. Hughes might
not be allowed to develop.
The country wants all the facts, OF
course, and now that Mr.. Hughes in
dicates his intention of getting them,
both the Senate military investiga-
tors and the people generally are
satisfied.
While the Hughes investigation Is
going on, however, 1t Is the hope OF
all people that our airplane produc-
tion will catch its stride and time
will be made up for the deplorable
delays of the past. For while we
want facts as to the past. our pres
ent need as well as our future need
is for airplanes.
Just now We may not feel the need
Of coal, but the time is coming when
we will, and so 1t behooves US to
take an accounting of what We have
done and where there is yet TO do.
This is the thing Congress hopes
to inquire into before the members
go home for their fall campaigns.
They want TO be able 10 tell the
people back home. who have a keen
interest in the coal situation, just
what they may expect when the win
try winds blow and the heat is not
TO be had in such wholesale amounts
as 1t Is at this moment.
Several members have received
word from coal companies of the
East that the situation would bear
attention. They claim that these
three steps should be taken now:
Ffrst-More coal should be mined.
Second-This coal should be shipped
to market.
Third-The coal should be stored,
over the country, when our trans
portation Is working nearest its one
hundred per cent efficiency.
This program sounds entirely rea-
sonable to many of the members.
Many of them thought it was being
carried out. But there are state
ments to the effect that another pro-
gram Is bein-- carried out, said to be
in about this fashion:
First-Railr~ 'ds refuse to aid In the
buy early and store it, campaign.
Second-The railroad car supply is
not being properly conserved and dis
trIbuted.
Third-There Is not cleancut and
enect1He cooperation between the
coal and railroad administrations.
In support Of this latter program
which they say is being carried out
with certainty that ii will brins
US distress next winter, the Goa
men say-that is the bulletin of tn,
coal association of the country-
The number of coal cars owned
by the railroads as shown in tn,
'aoulated statement published or
page three of last weeks American
Coal Journal is 795,S54. There i,
believed to be an adequate suppl,
OF cars if they are properly handled
If careless or criminal misuse a
them were halted. No need to wal
for the new cars recently ordered
1t will then be too late.
THE remedy is in the hands o.
Director General McAdoo and h,
alone Is standing in the way o.
emclency, Justice and the success o.
great patriotic war work.
It's up to McAdoo. In the mat
ter OF the railroads entering theiI
contract orders at government pric,
and easing up this angle of tn,
situation. 1t is a question of whether
he chooses to stand with the strut
ting, self-important egotist, Johi
Skelton Williams, or the painstak
Ing. well-balanced. effective Gar
Held, backed up by our great wa,
President"
They say these three thing
should be done:
"First-The Director-General o
Railroads should rescind his In
structions issued through the re
gional directors to the effect. tina
railroads are expected to buy Goa
at q price materially less than tn
price fixed by the Fuel Administra
tion, thereby increasing the i'm
mediate call for coal to the maxi
mum and removing the one big OBJ
struction to the coal buying move
ment.
"second-The Director-General o
Railroads should issue an orde
moving all surplus coal car equip
ment from roads originating mil