Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-04-28
BY JAMES B. MORROW.

EITHER regret nor vanity.
lM neither defiance nor resent
mi ment marred the tone Of his
y " answer. He was serene. as al
ways, and the master of himself and
his subject.
Gould time be turned back to Janu-
airy 49," the writer had asked DR.. Har-
~ A. Garfield. would you give the
order that closed for i've days most of
the Industries OF the country
1T would"
"Apd will you repeat the order?"
"I will, If such an order ever seems
TO be necessary. If it is. will, pro-
vided have the power, act promptly
and vigorously"
In the knowledge that you will again
be condemned most bitterly"
Yes"
You know. Of course" the writer
continued, that your fuel order Of
January IL said to have cost the Amer
lean people several billion dollars?"
Yes. I know. The figures. even II
they are accurate. do not impress me.
A vital thing was to be done and was
being done by France and Great Brit
pairing for the spriAS battle on the
western front with the Prussian bar
barfans.
Tho allies had been promised the
support Of the United states-prom-
ised troops. food and war material
That support was not being given. Our
troops had to be trained. They could
not in large numbers be sent across
the Atlantic at that time. But our sup
plies of food and war material were
ready.
Ready. but they could not be trans
ported because the ships that were to
carry them were unable to obtain coal.
The ships could not get coal because
our railroads were blocked by thou
sands of loaded cars. Terminals were
choked with freight Docks were piled
with freight Warehouses were nlled
to the roofs. Coal could not reach the
ships. And the allies were waiting for
those ships to bring them wheat and
meat. powder and shells for the armies
at the front.
Whatever else may be said Of the
order Of January II, 1t got coal to the
ships and the ships sailed and the
aiiied armies on the western front
received some Of the important things
they required for the drive of the Huns
that began in March.
/. The cost of that order in dollars and
cents to the business men of the United
states. all OF whom have been enjoying
nnheard-of prosperity since the fail Of
1874, ought not to be discussed 1t does
not sound well. either in this country
or elsewhere. Moreover. the order pre-
vented collapse of business that sure
iy would have occurred had the rail-
roads not been partly cleared of feieht :"
And you take all of the responsible
ity for the order?"
II do. The President, of course, ap-
proved II. Otherwise 1t could not have
been made"
When did It begin to take form in
your mind?'' DIR. Garfield was asked.
II began my duties as United States
fuel administrator on August 49, last
year Hundreds of our Industrial es-
Establishments were working night and
day on war orders. Their vast output of
products was being poured upon the
railroads. Cars were loaded. Trains
were made up and started toward the
seaboard. But there were more trains
than locomotives.
The railroads in 1915. 1915 and 1917
should have had 5000 new locomotives
motives to France and Russia and the
number added to the equipment of
american railroads was hardly greater
than $500 in 1916 and scarcely as large
in 1917. and was only 1-2j1 in 1915.
Loaded cars that could not be hauled
were switched to side tracks. Freight
went in floods to all terminals Trans
'a'7y- Production. however. increased
The production of bituminous coal
touched its lowest point during the
/ "sr 1JfI-in the month of August. 1t
i'"s"- with slight recesSions, until the
beginning Of December. when. on the