New-York tribune., 1918-01-14
Soldier rain
Crews sProposed
ToMeet Crisis
Release of Expert Railroad
ers Drafted Into Army
Is Suggested
By Theodore M. knappen


While hundred railway executives
in session in New York yesterday were
conjecturng what was to become Of
the railways Of America in proprie-
tary sense the physical plants of their
systems were out Of business. Roughly
speaking, in the sense of performing
their freight functions, there are no
railways between New York and the
with flood Of freight and crippled
by nearly month Of unfevorable
weather, the railways have received
their coup de grace in the present
storm and cold wave
The effect on the general war situa-
ton is that for the time being the
first line of communication Of the
Allied nations and their armies has
been cut off as cffectually as if there
were thousand powerful German raid
ing expeditions tearing up the rail-
way lines of America.
The only bright spot in the storm
situation is that the blizzard which has
accompanied the cold wave in the West
did not reach as far as North Atlantic
ports, and therefore the actual condi-
tlons prevailing at seaport terminals
are not much worse than they have
been, as freight moving week" begins.
Drastic Measures Proposed
With huger task than ever before
them, the railways are thinking of
nerolc measures to meet the labor stu
alton. There is talk-indeed, the sub.
Ject has already been laid before Di-
rector General McAdoo-of calling on
the government to order soldiers to the
railway service to assist in unloadine
coal, moving freight and running trains
Regardless of any general action on
the suggestion. it would go far to re-
lieve the situation if the War Depart-
ment would order back to their jobs
all the railway firemen who have been
conscripted. and indefinitely suspend
from the draft those who have not vet
been called to the colors. Experienced I'd
flremen are less dispensable than any
other class of railway workers.
1T is argued that even in a military
/ sense there is no other work that these
men can do that will begin to approach
IN value their services in railway oper-
alton. 1t is admitted that the morale
OF the railway employees is very low
This is due TO the withdrawal of sc
many experienced men by the draft
and the fact chat many of the remain
ing men, especially the firemen, know
that it is only g question of time wher
they will be called, as from the nature
OF their calling practically all of then
are of draft age and physically quail
fed, and are therefore more or less
Indifferent to discipline 1t is said thai
never in their history have the rail
ways been so troubled with men leav
ing their engines without warning az
now.
Say Government Must Act
The railway executives feel that a,
the moment the chief consideration j.:
effecting national military efficiency is
the matter of inland transportation
Adverse weather has made a serious
situation almost hopeless. The main
chance for redeeming it is in strength.
ening the operating forces of the rail
ways The companies have exhausted
every means 20 that end within THEN
power The only remedy is in the hands
of the government AS the government
now absolutely controls the railways
the responsibility as we'll as the rem
edv is its.
The degree to which the storm ha
overwhelmed the railways is graph
oally illustrated by the fact that up t,
last night the Pennsylvania Railroa,
had not been able to locate the Key
stone Express, which left st. Louis 70
the East early Saturday morning.
was "believed" to be somewhere nea
Indianapolis All other "lost" trains
however, had been found. The Penn
sylvania resumed its Chicago servc
with the dispatch Of train No. 19 70
Chicago at $3.50 O'Clock last evening
The full Chicago service will be re
there has been little or no snow east O
Pittsburgh, regular service betwee
that city and New York was no. dis
continued, though greatly hampered an
delayed by the extreme cold.
Freight Runs Demoralized
Freight service throughout the Penn
sylvania system has been demoraliZe
; by the cold and storm. The Wester
lines were practically abandoned, eS
cept for the transportation of coal to
limited extent.
The situation on the New York Ger
tral and alh~other lines between Ne,
, York and Chicago was fully as bad a
that of the Pennsylvania. In the But
. falo district alone there were over 10
600 stalled freight cars, and the freigh
, congestion at the Pittsburgh throat
reported worse than even after til
storm in middle December.
Up to last night no Chicago train
had arrived in New York since Frda
night, and the trains that left Ne
York for Chicago on Friday had nc
yet reached their destination.
With the passenger service so "don
up" there was not much optimism di.
oernible in the statement from the o.
: fee of A. H. Smith, assistant directo
general of railways. that 1.-The freigf
congestion situation continued to /
bad, with little chance Of improvement
before to-day
The degree of rormality represente
by the long continued abnormality wi
under the best of weather condition