The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-01-18
Declares Excess Output of Plants
Under War Pressure
CIogged Roads.
SHIPS NEEDED TO AID ALLIES
Asserts Nation Must Pay Any Price
to Clear Congestion on Lines
So That Fuel Can Reach
the Docks.

TdSiIlSLOu, Jan. 1S.-DOCCOr OaT-
field issued the following statement
explaining his 'heatless day" order:
'The most urgent thing to be done
Is to send to the American forces
abroad and to the allies the food and
war supplies which they vitally need.
"War munitions, food, manufactured
articles of every description, lie at our
Atlantic ports in ten to tens of thou
sands Of tons, while literally hundreds
of ships, waiting loaded with war goods
for our men and the allies, cannot take
the seas because bunkers are empty
Of coal The coal to send them on
their way is waiting behind a conges-
ton of freight that has jammed all
terminals
Must Clear Docks.
'It is worse than useless to bend our
energies to more manufacturing when
what we have already manufactured
lies at tidewater congesting terminal
facilities, jamming the railroad yards
and side tracks for long distances back
into the country.
''No power on earth can move this
freight into the war zone where 1t is
needed until we supply the ships with
fuel.
"Once the docks are cleared of va1u-
associates In the war now wait in vain,
then again our energies and power may
be turned to manufacture more eff
GENTLY than ever, so that steady and
uninterrupted stream of vital supplies
may be this nations answer to the al
lies cry for help.
Excess Production to Blame.
'It has been excess of production in
our wartime speeding up that has done
so much to cause congestion of our
railroads, that has filled the freight
yards to overflow that has flooded the
docks Of our Atlantic ports with goods
waiting to go abroad.
"At udewater the flood Of freight
was stopped. The ships were unable
to compete the journey from our fac
tories to the war depots behind the
firing line.
added to this has been difficulty of
Transporting coal for our own domes-
tic needs. On top of these difficulties
has come one of the most terribly Sc
we're winters we have known in years.
''The wheels were choke6 and
stopped; zero weather has snow-bound
trains; terminals congested, harbors
with shipping frozen in rivers and
canals impossible. It was useless to
continue manufacture and pile confu-
sion on top Of confusion.
Effect on Mines Disastrous.
"a clear line from the manufacture
ing establishment to the seaboard and
beyOnd-that was the imperative need.
1t was like soldiers marching to the
front The men of the foremost rank
must have room to move.
''More than a shock was needed to
make way through that congestion
at the terminals and on the docks, so
that the aid so vitality needed by the
allies could get through.
"The incidental effect of this trans
portation system on coal production
has been disastrous. There is and al
ways has been plenty of fuel, but it
cannot be moved to those places where
it is so badly needed while railroad
lines and terminals are choked.
Throughout the coal fields scores,
even hundreds of mines are lying idle
because of railroads inability to sup
ply the cars to carry away their prod
ucts.
Must Pay Any Cost.
Goal mines cannot operate without
cars. Cars cannot be supplied while
the railroads are crippled by the pres
ent freight congestion, which keeps
idle cars lying useless In the freight
yards.
''In the past week the production Of
coal has been disastrously reduced.
Reports In some cases have shown 80
per cent of the mines in certain fields
closed completely for the lack of cars.
"This Is war. Whatever the cost, we
must pay 1t, so that in the face Of the
enemy there can never be the reproach
that we held back from doing our full
share
"Those ships laden with our supplies
and our food for men and food for
guns must have coal and put to sea-"