Evening journal., 1918-01-04
WILSON ASKS FOR FULL POWER
TO OPERATE AMERICAN RAILROADS

iContlrued From Page Two.)
cial operations Of the government. No
borrowing" he said, should run
athwart the borrowings OF the Fed
eral treasury and no fundamental in
dustrial values should anywhere be un-
necessarily impaired"
Ten or eleven billions of dollars in
vested in railroad securities by many
thousands Of small investors as well as
financial institutions Of all kinds con
sttute o vital part OF the structure Of
credit and the unquestioned solidity OF
that structure must be maintained" he
declared.
Immediately after the President con-
cluded. Representative Sims, Chairman
Of the House Interstate Commerce Com
mittee, introduced a bill carrying out
the Presidents accommodation. The
committee will take up the bill Mon
day Sims expects a report next week
and will press for the immediate adOp-
tion by the House.
Immediately after the senate, recon-
vened, Senator +. d. Smith. Of South
Carolina, ranking member Of the Inter-
state Commerce Committee, introduced
an exact duplicate Of the House bin. Il
was referred 10 the Interstate Com.
merce Committee, which VIII take il
up Monday, thus providing simultan-
eous action by House and Senate on
the Presidents recommendations
The Presidents address follows
Gentlemen OF the Congress:
Il have asked the privilege OF ad-
dressing you in order to report TO YOU
that on the 2sth Of December last, dur
ng the recess Of Congress, acting
through the Secretary Of War and un-
der the authority upon me by the act
Of Congress approved August %. 1916.
| took possession and assumed control
Of the railway lines Of the country and
the systems Of water transportation
under their control This step seemed
TO be imperatively necessary In the
interest of the public welfare in the
presence OF the great tasks Of war.
with which we are now dealing As
our own experience develops difncul-
ties and makes ii clear what they are,
| have deemed 10 my duty TO remove
those difficulties wherever I have the
legal power to do so. To assume con-
troll Of the vast railway systems Of the
country is. ! realize, very great rc-
sponsibilty hut 10 fail to do so 10 The
existing circumstances would have been
much greater. assumed the less
responsibility rather than the weiRhticr.
II am sure that ] am speaking the
mind Of all thoughtful Americans when
say that it Is our duty, as the repre-
sentatlves Of the nation, 20 do every
thing that 70 is necessary 10 do to se-
cure the complete mobilization OF the
whole resources Of America by as rapid
and effective means as can be found.
transportation supplies all the arter-
les of mobilization. Unless II be un-
der a single and unified direction. the
whole process Of the nations action
is embarrassed.
1T was in the true spirit of Amer
lea and II was right. that we should
frst try to effect the necessary uni
ncation under the voluntary action Of
those who were In charge Of the great
railway properties; and we did try 1t
The directors OF the railways respond
ed 10 the need promptly and generously
The group of railway executives who
were charged with the task OF actual
coordination and general direction,
performed their difficult duties with
was TO have been expected, and did
selieve, everything that IL was possible
for them TO do in the circumstances.
IL / have taken the task out Of their
hands, 70 has not been because Of any
dereliction or failure on their part, but
only because there are some things
which the government can do and pri-
vate management cannot We shall
continue 10 value most highly. the ad.
vice and assistance Of these gentlemen,
and / am sure we shall not flnd them
Withholding II.
eIt had become unmistakably plain
that only under Government admins
tratlon can the entire equipment Of tho
several systems Of tanspofi istion be
fully and unreservedly thrown into a
common service without injurious dis
elimination against particular proper
ties only under Government admins
tration can absolutely unrestricted and
uncmbarrassed common use be made
of an tracks. terminals, terminal facili-
ties and equipment Of every kind only