The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-24
M ADOO RE|TERATES
 RAILROADS READY
 ID MOVE ALL FOOD
Prompt Adjustment of the Transportation Needs to Be Made as Hoover May
 Demonstrate Them

Washington, February 23.-Prompt adjustment of railroad transportation to the country's food needs as Food Administrator Hoover may demon strate them, was promised today by Direcotr general McAdoo, who reite- rated his statement of yesterday that practically all food offered for move ment by farmers and food dealers is being transported.
 Railroad administration officials pointed to the report that virtually no ships in New York harbor were held up by lack of food cargoes as proof that the movement of foodstuffs is satis- factory. Some ships are detained at South Atlantic and gulf ports. they said, because grain merchants of the west are not loading cars as rapidly as had been expected.
 FAILURE OF SHIPPERS
 Reports to the food administration continuA1 to tell of shortage of cars, however, particularly for the transpor- tation of grain products eastward from western primary markets. The rail- road admin Atration offered the expla- nation that if this condition exists, it must be caused by the failure of ship pers or the food administration to make specific requests for cars.
 The danger of a serious food short age in the west, to which MT, Hoover referred two days ago in his state- ment, which precipitated extensive public discussion of the relation be- tween high prices of food in the east and railroad transportation, was em- phasized less today by the food admin istrator.
 Replying to letter from Mir. Mo- Adoo promising to provide for every food shipment to which his attention was called by the food administration, MT. Hoover said:
 T am certain that this assurance from you will greatly quiet the grow the last few weeks"
 Mir. McAdoo replied to this letter by saying that MT. Hoover had failed to point to specific cases of the failure of railroads to move food shipments, and repeated his request of yesterday.
 RELATIONS FRIENDLY
 Both officials explained that their re- lations were entirely friendly and that their efforts to clarify the food and transportation situation did not repre- sent controversy either in fact or in spirit.
 MT. McAdoo said he was only trying to help Mir. Hoover and to do the best possible for the country, and that his antagonism was for the Kaiser,
 MT. Hoover after giving out a copy or his letter to i1e director. general, of- fered this comment:
 T have nothing more to say Nv face IS toward the future and not toward the past.
 Subordinate officials of the food and railroad administrations however, did not display the same degree of friendu- ness. Railroad men referred to reports that food shippers had not always utii- 'zed the empty cars supplied them and cited the case of a Lawrence (Kan.) elevator which they cliamed did not load more than three-fourths of the empties ordered to his ysidetrack on reauisltion of the food administrations Food ad- ministration men said the case was ex- ceptiona1.
 Congestion on eastern lines was only slightly improved today over yesterday. Reports to the railroad administration declared there were 43,970 eastbound loaded cars more than normal on east ern lines