Evening journal., 1918-05-24

MT. McAdoo's sweeping removal o.
every railroad president from duty al
executive manager was scarcely lest
or sensation than the taking over b!
the government OF the roads them
selves. There never was another such
! slaughter OF conspicuous and com.
manding figures in American industrial
life. II is. however. the cold logic OF
sure evolution
The government has made Itself re-
sponsible primarily for the effective
operation OF the roads as a war meas
ure. II this gigantic experiment is a
failure the blame cannot be shifted
away from the national Administration.
II TO give the service which In this war
is essential to the welfare and safety
OF the natlon-the service which was
the justification OF the governments s
seizure OF the roads-the treasury were
called upon TO pour into our transpOr-
iation system not merely hundreds Of
millions but billions OF dollars, no less
than that very thing would have TO be
done. However colossal the undertak-
Ing and however lasting the conse-
quences, there is for the government.
one In this business. no escape.
The national Administration, then,
charged with the full responsibility Of
getting results, naturally demands. Just
as anybody else would demand, It's own
managers, not only obedient 10 but
sympathetic with the supreme author
ity. What head Of a railroad under
private control would not demand Of
his subordnates the same thing What
head Of any great organization would
not demand IT. Who could succeed
without 10?
II is true that there is another re-
Sponsibillty-to the stockholders, the
owners, OF the railway systems which
have been taken over by the govern
ment. It cannot fail 10 shock them
that. except in the matter Of financial
guarantee for the time being, the own
ers Of the billions OF dollars Of railway
property In the United States are now
without any authority. without even
any representation, IN the handling Of
their property
Unquestlonably the director general
Of railroads will take many, perhaps
a majority Of the operating heads
whom be has swept out Of once as
presidents and make them his Federal
managers. Great railway executives do !
not grow on every bush. In the stu
pendous work which it has to perform
with the railroads the government |
would be mad to toss into the discard |
the ablest and most successful Of them, |
along with the weakest and most
doubtful. Nevertheless, though Mr.. /
McAdoo should retain the greater part
Of the railway presidents in the exact
functions which they have been per !
forming, the fact would remain thai
they would no longer hold the slight
est responsibility to the stockholders !
and boards Of direcVors. Every man
henceforth at the head Of an American
railway win be accountable only to the
national Administration. or its repre-
sentative, 30 whom he becomes subor-
dlnate.
Here Is a conflict Unavoidable con-
flict between secondary responsibility
to the owners Of tho roads when the
director generals primary responsible
ity Is frankly and necessarily pro-
claimed TO be 10 the nation in a war
for It's life. But we are bound to say
that, being in this railway business as
we are and compelled to go through
with it as we must, whether the Fed
eral control and operation shall be for
a season or forever, the director gen.
eral has done what any other business
man would have done-has done what
he could not have long kept from do
ing. Since 1t had TO come, no doubt