The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1920-07-06
No Road to Haul
Grain Crops from
Russian Territory
(By Charles Mccain. United Press
Staff Correspondent

London, June 5.-(By mail.)-I
Take every railroad engine in Eu
rope to Russia and IT will still take
you two years TO build up that coun.
try's transportation system to nor
mall
This was the startling statement
made by one of the foreign office
experts on the Russian trade situa.
lion, and was advanced as an argu-
ment against those who talk optim-
istically of getting vast supplies Of
grain and foodstuffs out of Russia
in day
Russia's transportation system
isn't II simply doesn't exist-as
transportation systems are conceived
in countries like the United States
and Great Britain, officials well in.
formed declare RELIABLE information
Cleaned by the British intelligence
department shows that only six out
Of every hundred engines in Russia
were in working order early in 1920
And OF these six, the majority oper.
ated on wood and other inferior fuel.
Furthermore, whenever an engine
l.aced from another engine. thereby
rendering that engine doubly incapac-
itated and immensely harder to re-
pair when materials finally became
available.
Railway cars and freight cars also
are insufficient and in bad repair
Hundreds of thousands of worn out
wheels which only need retiring are
piled at the railway terminals. The
airbrake system doesn't exist be
cause only few cars in 4 train
have valves which are in working
condition. Naturally speed in trans
portatlon is obtained only at the sac
rifice of safety.
Another difficulty which Russia
will have to overcome before her inn
mense transportation system can be
re-established is the training and re-
cruiting of a large force of railway
employees who have the interest Of
the roads at heart. Since the war
the personnel of the railways, never
much to speak about, hat deteriorat-
ed rapidly. Thousands OF the best
mechanics have been killed, died ok
disease or left this country. Other
thousands have gone into other in
dustries or ceased work altogether
Tor the more lucrative vocation Of
being member of the red army"
The will to work investigators re-
port is conspicuously absent among
the former laborers. Their limited
taste of Communist Utopia has
merely served to whet their appe-
tites for more leisure. Lenine, Trot'
sky and Company have at last real
lied the boomerang effect of certain
OF their doctrines and have taken
decisive steps to remedy the situa
tiOn.
The "indusrial army" was their re-
ply. What its success. might have
been no one ventures an opinion
Unfortunately the Polish offensive
forced their immediate re-transfer-
ence into fighting units again.
That Great Britain, italy and even
France arc very desirous Of opening
up trade with Russia is unquestion
ed. Europe ut large desperately
needs grain and foodstuffs. Where
il comos from is of no great moment.
The reported under-acreage and poor
crop prospects in America has only
served to accentuate the situation.
Already breadstuffs have taken un-
precedented increases here. France
and Italy are almost certain to be on
ration again this winter or Germa'
ny. no one in the entente countries
except the statesmen give thought
But even there conditions are bound
to be worse than in entente coun
tries.
Consequently the allies are as anx.
ious to put Russia TO work as her
proletariat rulers themselves appear
10 Ga.
Bat even though Russia produces,
they are again confronted with the
ia. o. getting the grain to the sea
loafd What the outcome will be,
no1ody knows. The hopelessness Of
the outlook has driven more than
enc government official into despair
The most deplorable development.
from the European economic view
point, Of the present year thus far,
is the Polish -Ukranian offensive
against the Bolsheviks
Ukrania. the breadbasket of Rus