Arizona republican., 1918-01-19
Signs of Relief Come as
 Result of Drastic Step Taken to Quickly Relieve Fuel Situation in the East
Republican A. p. Leased Wirel


 WASHINGTON, Jan. 1S.-The na- tion's manufacturing industry in the 2S states east of the Mississippi river was virtually suspended today in obe- .dience to the governments order for bidding the use of fuel.
 Most of the plants engaged on war contracts are exempted from the or der's operation in telegrams sent out last night, but few of them learned of 1t in time and great majority closed with the other factories.
 The country at large knew nothing of exemptions except the few an- nounced last night, and it was not un- til late this afternoon that the fuel administrator admitted officially that important war work was not affected by the order and gave out a list of hundreds of factories that may con- tinue work on government contracts only during the five days closing pe- riod.
 Confusion attending enforcement of the order was general. Such flood of telegram poured into the offices of the fuel administration asking interpreta- tions and rulings and requesting in- formation concerning exempted indus tries that finally the exemption list was given to the press for publica- tion. The day brought a statement of | unequivocal support for the order from President Wilson and a. vigorous de- fense by Fuel Administrator Garfield of the step and the governments pur- pose in taking it.
 Opposition to the order in congress apparently spent itself in debate in both houses. During the day Dr. Gar field replied to the senate's request of yesterday that the order be suspended | for five days, disclaiming any purpose to be discourteous, declining to comply and again pointing out the necessity for enforcement of his order | Food Administrator Hoover, in
 statement interpreted the order
 to mean that no check would be
 put on tho operations of any sort
 of food handling, manufacturing or
 distributing.
 Plant Exemptions
 The plants exempted from a list pre- pared by Secretaries Baker and Daniels are those manufacturing gas masks explosives for the government, rifles pistols, machine guns and small arms ammunition; forgings for the govern ment, electrical supplies and tool stee for war purposes. destroyers and de- stroyer parts, seamless tubes and con. denser tubes, aircraft and aircraft parts, signal corps equipment, locomo. tives, equipment for ships, wooler goods for the army and navy, whit, duck and tentings for the governmen and optical supplies.
 All shipyards, although not include, in the exmepted list, will continu operation under a special ruling a will hundreds of plants turning ou materials which enter directly into tn manufacture of army and navy sup plies.
 Most of the big steel plants and large number of the country's automo bile factories are included in the list
 Among the collateral industrie which will be closed as not comin, within provisions of the order will b. virtually all mines producing ores. | In his statement supporting pr. Gar fields issuance of the closing orde President Wilson says he was consult ed and fully agreed with the fuel ad ministrator as to its necessity. If tn action had not been taken, he declares immediate relief could not have bee found for the fuel and transportatioI , shortage.
 Railroad Congestion Serious Dr. Garfield's statement emphasize D the railroad congestion, which he de clares is threatening the food supply points to the necessity for movin, , ships to Europe and carries an ap peal to capital to bear its share o the burden brought by the closini ! down order by paying employees fo the time they are idle.
 Q The situation in Atlantic port ? drew most of Dr. Garfield's attention today while his assistants struggles with the great volume of request for interpretations of the genera terms of the order. Fuel admins tration representatives were dispatch ed to the principal Atlantic port f here to remain until every ship hel . up for lack of fuel has its bunker : filled. Reports tonight to the ad miristration said that the situatio a would begin to improve immediatel Z. and that the more than a millio (Continued on Page Two)