The Washington herald., 1918-01-08
FREIGHT TUBE
STILL NEEDED
Holland Says New York
Tunnel Would Have
Checked Famine.


and the winter of this year. Urg-
emit demands for coal came from
many parts OF the country. especi-
ally from the northeast.
Howard Elliott, member OF the
Railway War Board. who was ia
miliar with conditions in New Eng
land, urged repeatedly that steps
be taken to supply New England
with sufficient coal TO maintain her
great industrial plants, many of
which were occupied in manufac:
turing munitions Of war.
From the South there came less
urgent call for coal. partly, no
doubt because OF transportation IA
cilities were better there than else
where. and partly because there are
abundant and convenient supplies
Of coal in the Appalachian region.
Not New Proposition.
In response to these appeals. the
northwest was to some extent re-
lieved by November of anxiety lest
there be a shortage Of coal, but al
most nothing was done in the way
Of preparation for the winter coal
supply for New York and New Eng
land.
Had a proposition which was made
several years ago been accepted. then
freight traffic tunnel between Man
haitian and the New Jersey shore
would by this time have been. con-
structed-
The engineers who made tentative
examinations reported that the plan
was feasible It had earlier been ad-
vocated Informally by VIM. McAdoo.
now Secretary of the Treasury and
director general of the Federalized
Railway Systems of the United States.
Mr.. McAdoo. when planning for and
afterwards building the Hudson River
tubes, contemplated an extra tube
adapted to traffic for teams, carts or
trucks
Recently General Goethals has
warmly recommended that the States
Of New York and New Jersey act
in cooperation so that a tunnel adapt
ed for freight traffic. trucks, market
wagons and the like. could be con-
structed which would form a very
important artery for transportation
of commodities between Manhattan
and in fact all Of greater New York
and also New England.
MeAdoo Remembers Plan.
The experience Of the past ten days
Is likely to hasten the adoption Of a
plan by which a great tunnel under
the Hudson Of capacity sufficient to
carry traffic by wagon, carts, or other
vehicles will be in few years con-
structed
Were there such a tunnel now, New
York and New England would have
been spared some part at least Of
their anxiety and suffering caused by
the shortage Of coal and the severity
Of the weather. One Of the first
things Mr.. McAdoo did when he as
sumed supreme control under the
President of the Federalized Ameri-
can railroads was to devise and then
order the utilization of the tunnels
under the Hudson which the late 4.
]. Cassatt built for the Pennsylvania
Railroad for passenger service alone.
\ 1t was not a new proposition for
Mr.. McAdoo. He must have recalled
the days when ne. too. contemplated
the construction of a tunnel suitable
for freight traffic between New York
and Jersey City. By his authority,
instantly sexerted, and with the ade-
quate support of the railway man
ayers the Pennsylvania, tubes under
the Hudson were utilized as soon as
possible and the strange spectacle of
many carloads of freight passing un-
| der the Hudson through the passenger
service tubes thence by the tunnel
under Manhattan and the East River
| to Brooklyn and from that point over
the new Hell Gate Bridge to the New
Haven Railroad yards has served to
impress the people with the fact that
great ability, great energy and fairly
reasonable, although therefore unused
resources could, in cooperation, Ie-
heve the most dangerous situation
New York City and New England
ever found themselves in.
There has been coal in compare
tive plenty upon the jersey front
Of New York harbor, but the faci'I-
ties for transporting it across the
Hudson River to New York and New
England have been so poor that but
little of it could be availed OF until
the tubes were utilized
Record Making Figures.
The mind cannot conceive the
| magnitude OF the figures which tell
of thu exchanges and balances
made in the New York clearing
house association for 1917, or for
tha- matter the magnitude of the
clearings in Chicago, Philadelphia,
baltimore and other Ia-ge financial
centers-
1t IS only by some comparison
that a vague understanding of
these figures can be gained. The
government authorities at Wash
ington estimated that WITHIN the
fi-st twelve months of the war the
United States would be compelled
TO raise and pay out nineteen bill
lion dollars.
But that sum is only 5000 0Oo0O
more than the mere balances with
which ex: ranges in the New 1ork
clearing house exchanges were per
feCtsd. The { tai exchanges ascIe-
agted ne IrIy S17S.0 10000, and il re-
quired only $14.eoe 0cO.OO0 in cash to
complete these exchanges by settle
| ment through balances.
The magnitude of our world trade
and the ineonceiveabIy great increase
in our domestic industry and COM
nerce and barter are suggested by
these figures OF themselves they
furnish ample evidence that the
United States Is strong enough finan-
cially to maintain whatever material
strength may be necessary In order
10 secure ultimate victory over the
brmies of Germany and Austria.
Then again the estimate now made
by the washington authorities agrees
with a statement reported in this col
umn few days ago respecting the
aggregate amount of our foreign trade
IN December.
The Department OF Commerce fixes
ne money value of our international
rade Tor the calendar year at $780,
1000 or almost exactly one half Of
he amount which Secretary McAdoo
estimated would be necessary for the
nited States 70 raise and expend in