Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-01-27
ALL YANKS HOME BY JULY--GEN. hIARCH
5-Year Control of
Roads Needed Says
Letter by McAdoo

Santa Barbara, Cal, Jan. 27.-W
G. McAdoo, former director general
of railroads and former secretary
of the treasury, made public today
a telegram in which he urged FIVE
year government control of the
railroads as a necessity for the de-
velopment of inland waterways and
for the coordination OF the railroads
and waterways with the new Amer
ican merchant marine.
The telegram, addressed to AL
bert Krell, chairman of the Miami
and Erie improvement committee
of the Cincinnati Chamber. Of Com
merce, was sent in response to an
/ invitation to attend an inland wa
terways meeting today at Defiance,
Ohio. The message said:
Regret it is impossible for me
to attend your inland waterways
meeting at Defiance Jan. 27.
1T seems to me futile to expend
great sums of money on the devel-
opment of our inland waterways
unless our government adopts an
intelligent policy about railroad
control. The future Of waterways
development is absolutely depend
ent upon a government control
which will enforce the operation of
the waterways and the railroads as
a coordinated and articulated sys-
tenn which will give the people the
benefits of an efficient combination
of water and rail facilities. This
cannot be accomplished under the
present railroad law, which pro-
vides that the railroads cannot he
controlled by the government for
a longer period than 81 months
OTTER the return of peace. Within
81 months period no substantial
development of existing waterways
can be made, nor can their opera
ton in so brief a period afford any
adequate test of their values.
Upon the return of|the railroads
TO private ownership, which must
be made within the 81 months per-
iod, as the present law provides,
the cut-throat competition of the
railroads under private control
with the partially developed water
ways will effectively destroy water
transportation as heretofore and
the peoples investment in these
facilities will continue to be of lit
tie if any value.
81 have urged congress to ex-
tend the period of federal control
of the railroads for five years be-
cause that will give us time to de-
velop some of the most important
existing water routes, coordinate
them with the railroads and prove
their worth as a part of great
American transportation system.
Il also feel that the government
should control the railroads and
the inland waterways for a period
of five years so that they may in
turn be coordinated with our gov
ernment merchant marine which
has been built at a cost of more
than two billion dollars and which
under existing law the government
controls for five-year period.
unless we look at this great
problem with vision and from the
solely of the American
people instead of from the stand
point of the selfish interest of Prt-
vate railroad owners, private
steamship owners, private shippers,
private investors, or any other sin
gle class, we shall not measure up
TO our obligations to the American !
people, not realize the great oppor-
tunities and destiny that lie ahead ,
of us.
''The confusion of counsel about |
the railroad problem, made daily
more evident by the great variety
of conflicting views and opinions
now being presented at the hear
ing before the interstate commerce
of the senate at Wash |
ingtOn. makes it more and more |
clear that the course of wisdom /
sagacitv and prudence is to extend |
control of the rail |
roads for five years that our inland /
waterways be developed to the |
largest possible extent during that |
period and that these inland wat !
erways and rail facilities be CO.
Ordinated with our great merchant |
marine in an endeavor to get for |
American business enterprise a
fair participation in the benefit of 1
world commerce.
mo part of our union is more |
vitality concerned in this question
than the great states of the Ohio
and Mississippi valleys, as well as
hose bordering on the lakes, the
oceans and the gulf. Many of their
leading ports will continue to be
starved and their development ar
rested unless they are given a
chance under the impartial control
)y the government of rail and
facilities.
THE powerful and sleepless
'orces of reaction are soIidly ar
-ayed against this plan. They Will
lefeat it unless the American
people are aroused to the situation.
The time is short. The matter is
yital. My earnest suggestion to
-ou and your associates i5 that you
press upon the attention of the
congress the importance of the five
year control in order that the
hings you want to accomplish
nay be brought about
wv. G. McADOO."