New Britain herald., 1918-05-25
Henry CLeus
Weekly Letter
Especial to the Herald.) J.

Especial to the Herald)
[ New York, May 25.-No abatement
| can be detected in wartime activi-
| ties, which grow more and more in
tense as the struggle progresses At
| TINS writing the expected renewal of
| Germany's great drive has not ma
terlalized, presumably because of in
complete preparations. Meanwhile
the strength and morale of the AL
| lies is steadily rising, largely owing
j to the rapid influx of American
troops into France. This movement
is now progressing at rate of prob
bably 10000 per day. which is high
ly satisfactory to American expecta-
items and decidedly threatening to
those of Germany. The longer the
enemy's offensive is delayed the more
complete will be it's defeat Time
works more effectively than ever
against the Central Powers, which
find the pacitication of Russia in
! CT easingly difficult, the new supply of
food and raw materials below expec-
tations, and dissensions in Austria
constantly increasing. By contrast,
the Allies are working together more
tremendously than at any period of
the war; their strength is rising as
American preparations approach
heir maximum, and each day
strengthens confidence in ultimate
German defeat. The one great him
drance to peace is Germany's blind
ness to the real Allied situation.
Dipped as they are by military lead
ers, whose all is at stake, there seems
to be no way out except fighting to
the bitter end until we have COM
plctely smashed the cruel autocracy
which threatens the freedom of the
civilized world 1t is our determina-
ton as a nation to deliver that final
blow; and every particle of strength
that we possess should be spent for
speeding the war and Fastening the
decisive moments.
AS repeatedly intimated in these adj
vices, government control of industry
must logically go on until complete
in all instrumentalities necessary for
prosecution of the war. Adequate
efficiency can only be attained through
highly centralized or single control;
halfway methods being Inadequate
and confusing. Hence nearly all our
great industrial activities are rapidly
coming under a series of relationships
which in turn fall into the hands of
President Wilson, who today is the
greatest dictator the world has ever
seen; albeit he fortunately happens to
be a benevolent one. AS a war meas
ure these steps are necessary, and
have met with universal public ap-
Droval. When peace comes many Will
be retraced, and many will not. The
most important departure IN this d.
rection this week was the decision OF
Secretary McAdoo to remove certain
railroad managers and to reduce un-
necessarily high salaries. In some in
stances such action will doubtless I'M
prove the service and secure better
nagement, to the advantage of pub
lie and owners alike. With present
concentration and slmplificatlon or
railroad systems many superfluous Of
ficials could unQuestionably be advan-
tageously dropped: for, as the various
systems become more fully developed,
rivalry disappears, and the necessity
for: skill in finance or enterprise IN
construction becomes less urgent.
Today new problems are far more
easily solved than formerly; man
agement is simplified and admins
tration is usually less difficult than in
the pioneer stage of American rail-
reading, when giant abllltes were
needed and could only be had
through handsome rewards. Those
days have passed into history, and
type of manager is now required quite
different from the Nanderbllts, the
Huntingtons, the Harrimans, etc; all
of which were the product OF special
circumstances. Just as the old-tme
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. has been obliged
to give way to the modern captain
who simply navigates, SO the old type
of railroad president who was pioneer,
builder operator and financier, all in
one must give way to the skilled OPP
orator or engineer 1t is desirable,
however,, that the change should De
made gradual and with fine dlscre-
ton. Transportation on large scale
calls for exceptional ability, and many
of our great railroads are hndlns
problems that it would be extremely
hazardous to leave to inexperienced
hands For some years to come
American railroads will require eX-
pert administrat ton OF the hlgneSt
order: and to drive such men out or
the service for sake of economy may
prove unwise. Mr.. McAdoo, however,
has had some experience with rail-
reading, and must have learned the
value of good management. Suffice 1t
IN saw that his moves in this direction
will be scrutinized with intense inter
est. and in view of the fact that the
administration is now friendly to the
railroads and recognizes the import
ance of placing them upon sound,
self-supporting basis, there seems to
be no reason for apprehension; espe-
cially as government action thus far
has been in the direction Of railroad
sterilization.
On the Stock Exchange there has
been fair activity, though money mar
ket conditions imposed restraint upon
speculative transa ctions. Protit-taklng
induced considera BILE sales and reac-
ton. but as prices declined activity