New Britain herald., 1918-01-04

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 ana were immediately introduced wit1I plans for prompt consid eration air, sIpofE} houses. l The president said: "Gentlemen of the Congress: T have asked the privilege of .ad dressing you in order to report that on the 18th of December last. CurinsI the recess of congress, acting through the secretary of war and under fbe ! authority conferred upon me by thd act Of congress approved August 29l 19lo, 1 took possession and assumed control of the railway lines of thd country and the systems of wated transportation under their control This step seemed to be imperativelv necessary in the interest of the pub1id welfare, in the presence of the gread tasks of war with which We are noN| dealing. As our experience deveIopJ difficulties and makes it clear wha they are, l have deemed it my dutvI to remove those difficulties wherevoI l have the legal power to do so. IT assume control of the vast railway eye ] tems Of the country is, l realize, a very great responsibility, but to fail tt! do so in the existing circurstnnc~l would have been much greater orol { rather than tho Wcightier
 Complete Modification.
 'I am sure that I am speaking theI mind of all thoughtful Americana when l say it is our duty as the reprc-I sentatiVes of the nation to do every-I thing 1t is necessary to do to secureI the complete mobilization of the whole resources of America by as T-oT l md off, be found. Transportation supplies au| the arteries of mobilization. Unless it| be under a single and unified direc-' tion, the whole process Of the nations action is embarrassed.
 Tt was in the true spirit of Amer ica, and it was right, that we should first try to effect the necessary uniff- cation under the voluntary action of those who were in charge of the great railway properties, and we did try it. The directors of the railways respond ed to the need promptly and gener- Ously. The group of railway execu- lives who were charged with the task of actual coordination and general di- rectiOn performed their difficult duties with patriotic zeal and marked ability as was to have been expected, and did, l believe, everything it was possi- ble for them to do in the circum- stances. If I have taken the task out of their hands it has not been be- cause of any dereIiction or failure OF their part, but only because there were some things which the govern ment can do and private management cannot We shall continue to value most highly the advice and assist ance of these gentlemen, and I am sure we will not find them withhold ing it.
 Tt had become enthusiastically plain that only under government admin istratiOn can the entire equipment of the several systems of transportation be fully and unreservedly thrown into a common service, without injurious discrimination against particular prop critics. Only under government ad- can absolutely, unrestrict- ed, and unembarraSsed common use be made of all tracks, terminals, term inal facilities, and equipment of every kind. Only under that authority can new terminals be constructed and de- veloped without regard to the require ments or limitations of particular roads. But under government admin istration all these things will be pos sible, not instantly, put as fast as practical difficulties, which cannot be merely cOnjured away, give way be- fore the new management.
 Little Disturbance
 "Thc common administration will be carrlcd out with as little disturb ance of the present operating organ izatton and personnel of the railways as possible. Nothing will be altered or disturbed which it is not necessary to disturb. We are serving the public interest and safeguarding the public safety, but we are also regardful of the interest of these by whom these great properties are owned, and glad to avail ourselves of the experience
 Continued on sixth Page.)