The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1918-01-09

Regular Traffic Not Interfered With
1y MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM HARDING
CARTER.
We have stood at the threshold, Of
I war for nearly three years without the
/ nation itself having formulated any
very definite ideas as to what course
1t would pursue in event Of being
drawn into the maelstrom In Europe.
This neglect is quite pardonabld
| when viewed in the light of our past
/ history, because up to the present pc.
| riod no American authority ever con-
templated for Il moment any conditions
! Of world war which would draw our
! troops to the field of battle in Europe.
Among the things which must not be
! discussed now are the embarkation and
| sailing for foreign ports of the army
which is to bear our flag on the Eu-
ropean battle fields, nor is 1t deemed
appropriate to announce the routes Or
movements or organizations on their
way TO mobilization camps or ports
Of embarkation. This objection does
not hold, however, with regard TO max
ing known the movements of the troops
after they have completed their jour-
neys on land. TheS American public
win be interested in learning how these
problems Of land transportation have
been handled.
Five days after the declaration of
I war against Germany the presidents OF
the American railroads met at the na-
tional capitol and agreed that during
the war they would subordinate every
other interest to helping to win the
war; that they would eliminate all
competitive rivalry and merge their In
terests under the direction of the
American Railway associations special
committee on national defense
Directed From Washington,
Since that date the operation Of all
the e.railroads of this country has been
under the direct jurisdiction of an ex-
ecutiye committee of five, located at
Washington. Under that committee is
q general committee, in charge of the
details.
To every army department head
quarters was assigned an expert in
railway operation, with corps of as
sistants placed at railroad centers. On
him rests the responsibility for the
movement by authorities.
The movement of drafted men of the
new National army involved more men,
but the movement of the National
Guard of the fifteen states compris-
ing the Central department was
much more difficult problem for the
railroads. The war department had
determined that during the movement
of the National army there should be
no movement Of the National Guard.
The period between September "a and
October l was designated as available
for the movement OF National Guard
organizations of the Central depart
ment
To prevent congestion at the desig-
nation camps or on the railroads, it
was necessary to perfect a plan cover
ing every detail. This plan showed the
location of every National Guard unit,
the exact time for its entrainment, the
railway route to be used the speed
schedule TO be followed, and the time
Of arrival at destination. From five to
twelve days in advance Of the move
ment of the National Guard every
participating in it knew ex-
actly what service 1t would have to
perform. The movement was started
on the evening of September "a and
on October /. The railway
required 700 sleeping cars,
! 500 coaches and baggage cars, not in- ,
Guiding freight cars.
How well the plans were made is
shown by the fact that the movement
was carried out in such manner that I
there was not more than one regiment !
on any railroad on any one day and
that not more than one regiment ar
rived ut any camp on the same day
During this period 81 organizations, in
II states, were moved to their new sta
ions. The transportation involved
2,571 officers, S3,T51 enlisted men, with !,
baggage, tents, wagons and animals. n
Without a Hitch. r.
Without an accident to a single man, i
Without delay at point of origin, en-
quite or at destination, without hitch
n the arrangements as originally
the officers and men of the
National Guard in IA states were trans
ported by rail in one week to the dis
ant cantonments designated by the
var department. That is a record OF
which every American has a right to
,e proud. II
The whole movement Of the National Il
iuard in the very short time allotted
Without causing congestion ON the rail-
'oads or at the camp destinations.
,ould not have been effected but for II
he unification of the railroads agreed
lpon by their presidents and carried II
nut through what is commonly called
he railroads war board
While the preference would have
'een given by the railroads to this MIL
tary traffic in any event, the fact that
t was not necessary to change the reg
larly scheduled passenger trains
roves that the interests of the travel. II
ng public were also carefully consid
red when the plans were made f6r !
be National Guard movement