Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-06-07
RAILROADS IN THE WAR

MI McAdoO, 1ofmef secretary OF the United states
treasury and director general of the American railroads
until his resignation after the signing of the armistice,
has just called attention to some of the things which
we're done by the American. railways during the war,
achievements which must cause every rcrmal citizen a
thrill of pride.
We heard during the war something about the food
shortage in Europe. We knew that certain kinds of food
were scarce We knew that the use of German subina-
rines had caused our European associates serious incon-
venience., But we did not know that because Of this
shortage the rations of the Italian army were reduced
lonce, and those of the FRENCH army twice. We did not
know that the shortage Of food was SO great that the
civil populations of Great Britain, France and Italy were
not theoretically. but sscctually-on the verge of starva-
ton. So .@- 4--- ~.- -- "
These facts have just been made public by Mr. Nc
Adoo, together with the manner in which the emergency
was met. Our friends across the ocean needed food, and
they looked to America for it. We had the food, chiefly
III the shape OF great stores Of wheat, but 1t was in the
interior Of the country. and the problem of getting it to
coast, with the pressure that our military prepare
tons placed on our transportation systems, was one of
tremendous proportions. ~
The problem was solved. 1t was not solved without
Inconvenience to = good many Of u.s. We had II wait
for our own freight deliveries. and ssotnetimAsf we could
not understand why. We had to endure a good many
unpleasant experiences which. in the absence Of an up-
derstandins OF their cause, induced some grumblins. But
the great need was met. The energies of the entire
transportation of the country were, for the time being,
concentrated on the moving Of wheat from the interior
to the coast. Within five>yeeks from the time the spe-
cial appeal for food was made more than a million tons
OF wheat had been rushed to Atlantic ports, and there
was ready for delivery to foreign governments more
grain than their ships could handle. And the work was
done so quietly that we scarcely realized that anything
unusual was going on.
1t was. in large part, to be in readiness to meet emer-
gencies of this kind that the government took over the
railroads for the period Of the war. 1t was known that
such emergencies would arise, and 1t was essential that
preparation should be made to meet them. 1t was de-
sirable that for the peculiar purposes to be served. the
railroads should be under the unified control and the alb
solute and unquestioned authority, just as it was essential
that in order to win a military victory the direction Of the
vast armies of the allied democracies should be placed
in the bands of one man. But the fact: that the emersen-
cy was met as it was met is no more an argument for the
continuation of government control of railroads than the
fact that General Foch was able to- use the Allied armies
in such a manner as to whip the Germans is an army for
4 military dictatorship over the world. And. in order to
be fair In the matter, let us remember that the fact that
the government lost money in the operation Of the rail-
HoadA when the supreme object was to deliver goods
rather than either to make or to save money is not Of itself
any reflection on the business capacity of those who were
in charge, Of the work.