New-York tribune., 1918-11-23
Prompt Return of
r. r. to Private
Control Is Sought
Elihu Root Chosen to Ad.
wise Owners of Rail-
way Securities

The first gun in the campaign to get
the control of the railroads of the
country returned promptly to the Sc
curity holders who own them was fired
yesterday at meeting Of the execu-
tive committee of the National As
sociation of Owners of Railroad Sc
curities, which represents holders Of
s5.000O 100000 of railway securities, at
the, Recess Club in this city.
group of lawyers headed by Elihu
Root were appointed as advisory coun
sell Others chosen were John G. Mil
burn, of New York; John S. Miller, of
Chicago; Forney Johnston, of Birmng
ham, Ala, and Hugh l.. Bond, Of Balti
more Moreover, Luther M. Walker,
Assistant Director of Public Service
and Accounting of the United States
Railroad Administration, was Selected
to be general counsel in association
with Samuel Untermyer and II. H.
1nness Brown, Of the law iirm of Horn
blower, Miller, Garrison g. Potter.
The keynote Of the policy of the COM
mittee was explained in statement by
S. Davies Warfeld, chairman of the
executive committee and president of
the association. Mr.. Warfield is presi-
dent of the Seaboard Air Line Rail
way. Mr.. Warfeld pointed out that the
government operation Of the railroads
was instituted as a war measure, and
declared that continued unified direc-
ton would tend to be obstructive Of
the individual credit" Of the roads and
To oh
going concerns
executive advisory committee, which
represents the corporate interests of
more than 80 per cent of the roads
of the country, will meet early next
month, when the question of the re-
turn of the roads to private manage
ment will be discussed.
Twenty-one Months Maximum
MIR. Wartield's statement follows;
This action by the committee is the
result of meetings heretofore held in
relation to the return of the railroads
under the Federal control act, which
provides not only for their operation
by the government during the period
of the war; but also that they shall
be returned within "a reasonable time
lHeIcdIle giving dS tHc IudAlHl uiH
twenty-one months.
"The war is ended. The objects for
which the railroads are now to be
operated is a matter of considerable
concern to the millions of people who
own or are interested in their securi-
ties, as it is also to shippers, the
travelling public and to the country
"The methods employed by the rail-
road administration up to this time
may be contended to have been neces-
sary for the purposes of war. What
is done from now on, however, must
be taken as indicating the railroad
policy of the administration-is it
proposed to carry out the intention of
the Congress as expressed in the
Federal control act and return them
within a reasonable time with each
railroad, in the wording of the act.
ment as it was at the beginning of
Federal CONTROL or is intended to use
them for laying the foundation for
permanent government control and
operation, under such plans as the
present railroad administration NAV
desire and as the forerunner of gov
Crnment ownership?
Act Contemplates Change
"The Congress made no provision
IN the act for any such use of them,
on the contrary, it specifically provides s
TOR their return.
There is first to be decided the time
of such return of the railroads. The
twenty-one months was not allowed by
the Congress for their exploitation. 1t
was given in order that their affairs
mig ght be adjusted for their return,
Under the policy now being pursued
charges incident to so-called unifca-
ton are piling up against them very
difficult for them to repay. The policy
in force is destructive of their indi
vidual credit Furthermore present
conditions cannot continue without OBJ
liberation of railroads as individual
going concerns. If they are to be re-
turned as going concerns as the Con-
gress, by act, intended and provide d
that they should be, this cannot be car
ried out under methods which are de-
structive of the very facilities which
have been built up by the expenditure
of millions Of dollars for the promo
ton of enterprise and convenience of
business and the public. The most
potent factor in our reconstruction for
! upbuilding and extending our indus
trial and agricultural life will be the