Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-02-17

getting peace in the world. For until we
ratify the treaty and establish the bases
OF peace, we can have no world order and
hence no national order--no world pros
rerity and hence no real national pros
perity-for long. Under existing condi-
lions no American business man can deal
in import or export trade while the bases
OF peace are still undetermined and the
international credit situation remains In
ITS present chaos and the economic stu
alton is kept In a state Of uncertainty.
As export trade declines, so does national
prosperity decline. The people must be
made acquainted with this fact so that
they will insist that the obstructive tao
Tics now employed in Washington by the
republican senators shall cease, and
world order be quickly restored
Our foreign trade is, OF course, linked
up with our railroad system and our
merchant marine system, so that this
problem Of getting peace quickly is in
timaely connected with the matter of i'm
mediately energlzing our transportation
systems"
And now again there emerged from
McAdoo that outstanding trait, that
motivating impulse Of all the character
istic strains that strive in him-bis bent
for wringing fsom everything that comes
significance.
PEOPLES WELFARE
AND RAILROADS.
II came to know enough about the
railroads OF our country" he began, pill
ing the words on top of each other, so
swiftly did he speak, while had the
Job Of running them on wartime basis
while We wore 'railroadng' the kaiser
TO defeat to know that upon their prop
or functioning depends the welfare OF
cur people. We have got 70 realize that
every phase Of our life, social and eco
monte depends upon our transportation
system. We have got to meet the Ques-
ton honestly as to whether our railroads
are now to be unified or broken up again
and we have got to know that even were
they returned to private control today
and operated on the most efficient basis
possible, they would fall far short Of
meeting the necessary demands OF this
great nation.
1t is plain 10 those who studied at
close hand the problem during the war
that we have got to provide funds for a
great program OF national railroad i'm
provement. We must provide sufficient
freight and passenger facilities and en-
large our rolling stock Npd motive power
and. more than all else. We must turn our
attention 10 the providing % adequate
and efficient terminals iu our great cit
les. As these are constructed and OPP
Grated today. they are deadenjng CON
strictions on the arterisl system of our
body economic. and our transportation
system is our circulating system. So far.
H.. l. 9
problem are unsound and unsatisfactory
and will not meet our difficulties; ! am
convinced that we can arrive a the prop
er permanent solution only by extending
federal control for Eve years over the
railroads and merchant marine the in
ternal and external transportation sys-
tens Of the country. In this way only.
by providing swift. adequate and high
ceared domestic and outside transpor
tatioa facilities. can We meet tho world
for trade that will ensue rs
peace CONES 4 FIVE year test period will
tell Us what the hnsl solution should be.
The republicans controlling congress fail
or refuse TO see this, AMI 40 add TO their
final record Of having done practically
nothing constructive since they came into
power. Playing partisan politics AZ a
time ike this seems q dangerous game
70 those who love their country.
IMPORTANCE IN
PEACE AND WAR.
we can hest sec the importance n
he railroads in peacet.me by cons der
iee their breakdown az the outset or
the war. which simply accentuated the
regular problems or transportation Had
the railroads not been made 10 function
efficiently IN 1918 the war would not
have ended until after summer cnfn
paicn in 1919. Most OF the military con
sidercd q 1919 campaign Inevitable The
efficient fun -tiouing OF the railroads IN
transporting troops and material between
environments and ports Of emharkation.
In handling materials 70 keep the indus