The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-23
McAdOO Orders Freight En-
barge on Three Railroads.
1000 Cars of Steel Plates on
Way Since December 20.
II YARDS AWAIT MATERIAL
Garfield Appeals to McAdOO. for
General Embargo.
Unessential Freight Delays Pri-
Ority Coal Shipments.

Washington, Jan. 23.-The embargo
on three eastern railroads ordered to-
day by Director General of Railroads
McAdoo, came as anticipated step
to clear the way for vast supplies,
particularly steel and fuel, for the
ship building yards. The embargo
restricts shipment to food, fuel and
war supplies and munitions The des-
perate need for material in the ship
yards was threatening to force a sus-
/ pension of these industries temporari-
ly. Than just such a blow, nothing
could be a more drastic delay in the
prosecution of the far at this time.
One thousand cars of plates, practi-
cally all of which have been in tran
sit since December 20 and before are
storm bound. Trace of hundreds of
the cars has been lost in traffic of the
shipping board. Meanwhile steel sup
plies in the constructing yards are
diminishing rapidly.
Shipbuilders Idle Already.
In nearly all of the seventeen ship
building yards where steel ships are
under construction, many men are idle
as result of cold and lack of ma
terial.
| The shipping program is far behind
schedule and new delays in obtainin g
tonnage means more difficulties in
keeping up the stream of troops and
supplies to the war zone, it was ex-
planned.
Should the plants be forced to sus-
pend operation. thousands of en-
ployeS will be idle with the govern
ment paying the bill, officials said
In these circumstances the fuel ad-
1ninistration has appealed to McAdoo
to call for a general embargo on all
| freight shipment aside from that of
vital war supplies and fuel.
Coal Priorities Continue.
| Altho the priorities section of the
! Garfield order, covering preferential
coal yard shipments is still effective
| and will remain so until otherwise
ordered, no great headway can be
made unless the rails are relieved of
thousands of cars of unessential
! freight, Administrator Garfield be-
| lieves- Continued cold weather to-
/ day brought with it reports of critical
suffering in many communities and a
| situation at some points worse than
that which existed before the Gar
field order went into effect five days
ago.
/. The only marked relief was that ac-
corded ships at a number of ports
! Bunkering was materially increased
during the industrial suspension.
Plan Future Shut Downs.
Further suspension orders are in
| prospect. 1t is pOlnted out tnal
| Washington's birthday falls on Fri
day, February %. with Saturday a
half holiday and Sunday and Monday
| workless days anyhow. Urgent re-
quests to industry and business tC
close entirely on those four days
would serve to give another breathing
spell at what is usually the bad
| weather zenith in the east.
Lincoln's birthday falls on Tues
day. February 2, and four-day sus-
pension might be brought about ther
with less annoyance than the recen
one, it is suggested.
Both of these dates are being con
sidered as timely for launching an
| other general coal restriction order.
Addition of 200 locomotives from
Baldwin shops within thirty days viii
help the situation, the railroad ad
ministration declared.
These locomotives were built fol
European service but cannot b'
shipped now because lack of tonnage
prevents.