The Washington times., 1922-06-25
~ Univsrsal service.

M ~ Univsrsal Service.
paris juno iS.-In q copyright
ed article publishsd n LII
ls.stration. Guglielmo .Ferrsro,
famous Italian historian, after a
tour Of Europe, discusses the old
scorlds dilapidatsd roilroad sys-
TENS. There are no nors fast ear
presses or chsdp, clean trains.
and the giant NTH steel nsuscIss
and breathing fire noto suffers
from asthma, says Ferrsro. J,
ryHERE II q sick giant in the
world today. It IL giant
- with steel muscles, breath
Ing fira He was born between
1890 and 1880 and IL thus nearly
q hundred years old: but .
century for . giant 10 youth.
He Of whom we speak was. in
1914. o miracle of strength and
freshness. His shoulders were indie
fatigabie. his grim features young
looking. his feet Of . velocity
without equal.
But now he 10 tired, gasping.
old. It II as though he had been
stricken with acute asthma.
This asthmatio giant is the
Railroad.
I have Just travelled hastily.
N . month. throughout Europe
from Florence to Stockholm and
from Stockholm back to Flor
'ence. On the outward trip I
traversed Austria ana Germany;
coming back, came through
Denmark. Germany and, France.
EVERYTHING Is WORN OUT.
Where II the happy time Of
rapid. commodious voyages. at q
low price. that we knew in
smother dayf Naught now. alas!
but an historical souvenir become
. legend. ...
Everywhere the giant with
the infatisabls shoulders and
speedy feet is stoop-shouldered
and limps. In vain one searches
for the fast expresses. frequent,
In running and cheap. or-save
IN Sweden-trains clean and
shiny a. Of yore. Everything
n dear, slow. deteriorated. worn
out. W. 5s.&>
Who would have believed that
railroads would have to be included
among the victims Of the world
war; That trains would not run
~ fast as in years gone by be-
cause the peoples Of Europe strive
hatefully one against the other.
But II IL thus. not only In
Europe. In the entire world. more
or less, the railroads are sick. Ia
tigued, grown old. ...
Everywhere the construction Of
new lines rs suspended. And the
visible evil. to be constated by
every casual passenger, Ii not the
worst evil.. ..
/ THE GIANT IS SICK. .
The giant which in other years
was so docile. 80 obedient and 80
Aiscreet. has become restless, ca
precious. fantastic. insubordinate.
Always he IL menacing to sit
down and cross his arms--if his de-
sfres are not satisfied-and God
knows whether they are always
20 reasonable. these desires! Be-
fore the war the eager servant Of
the family, today he becomes the
terror. for his continual and capri
cious whims risk ruin for all. "'
The giant IL sick. Is the sick
ness grave, or not 30 serious as II
appears to be? Doctors are al.
ready at their work. but mono dare
venture a sure diagnosis. The sick
hess Il 30 new. 30 unexpected. 30
strange 50 obscure!
; And yet It IL true that the fate Of
an occidental civilization depends
on this mysterious illness. How
many things win change perma-
fientiy II the giant should be seized
with convuisions and die: or not
recover. the strength with which
ne was bornt
LittieSas we may believe II, the
railroad II .one Of those things
which we use without understand
sng its veritable nature. We class
Il m the family, large enough to-
day, Of means Of transportation,
reader to reproach Il for It's faults
---siowness, collectivist spirit. dust.
smoke--than to recognize its iner-
fits. .|.'.. =
but. the railroad has a place in
history, for II. was tire first real
condueror of the earth.
rIGMY WITH A BIG MIND.
one might define history as .
frightfui duel between Man and