The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1942-05-22
LET'S BE PREPARED
BY j. e. Jones

gantic production program upon
which we have embarked will bring
with it a corresponding transpor-
tation job of unprecedented magni-
tude. Are we prepared to meet it?
If not, what are the steps that
should be taken so that national
traffic jam will not imperil our en-
tire war program" These ques-
tions are asked by Harvey c. Frue-
hauf, Detroit manufacturer Of truck
trtailers, who states:
Let us first look at the railroad
situation. We face war production
program today many times as great
as that of the first World War TWEEN
ty-fve years ago. We face this situa-
ton with an aggregate of trackage
and freight cars considerably less
than we had at that time.
Railroad transportation broke
down in 1917 because it was our
only transportation system. For
tunately today, however, we have a
a highway transportation system to
back it up. 1t is no longer necessary
to use railroad freight cars, inval-
liable for full-load, long-distance
transportation, for short 1. C. L.
hauls. We can eliminate the railroad
bottleneck before it ever arrives by
devoting all rail freight facilities in
the country to the full-car, through
function of the railways"
nh -
freight cars are devoted to mer-
chandise traffic at the present time,
relieving the railroads of this part
places about 100000 more cars at
the disposal of the country for full
car operation. Instead of the 49,
100000 tons of merchandise freight
they handle annually today these
cars could handle over 100000, 600
tons per year of through carload
freight.
According to the year book of
railroad information, 1941 edition,
by the Committee on Public Rela-
tions of Eastern Railroads, the rail-
roads are only handling IA per cent
of the railways total tonnage. This
is the 100000 tons per year re-
ferred to above. 1t represents a
most uneconomical use of the rail
road cars and should not be toler-
ated in view of the coming demand
on transportation. Mr.. Fruehauf
warns:
Let us not wait until the situa-
ton is upon us before we prepare
for it. Truck-trailers can handle the
job of transporting the |. C. l. freight
1t is the job for which they are best
adapted. Because of their big pay
load as compared with their weight,
they provide maximum capacity
per pound of steel or per pound of
rubber. Before the situation is upon
us let's become prepared by build
ing up bank of truck-trailer equip
ment, now''.,
War Bonds And Stamps
Secretary of the Treasury Nor
genthau is opposed to any plan that
would force the public to buy war
bonds or stamps, and he indicates
that there may be intensive can
wasting every week, and every
month to encourage the voluntary
purchase of Government securities.
In the first World War a similar
policy was followed with the result
that everyone who could do so
bought Liberty bonds and stamps
the ease with which these securities
were liquidated and disposed of af-
ter the war left a record behind
that encourages Treasury Morgen-
than to stick to his voluntary
PLAN.
Heavy Damage From U-Boats
So many tanks and ships have
been sunk by U-boats that it is no
longer possible to move enough gas
oline to the East Coast fast enough
under the present arrangements
But the railroads, and highway mot
or services say they can handle all
present needs. Pipe lines are favor
ed by some of the Government
authorities and opposed by others
becaues it takes good deal of steel
to build pipe lines. The present pro-
gram is not likely to cure the
shortage of transportation.
. $50
Remarkable Martin Dies
For number of years the coun-
try has been hearing all sorts of
criticism of the Dies Committee.
Martin Dies is Congressman from
Texas. six-foot tall, belligerent and
persistent. He is chairman of the
Dies Committee, and he has un-
hundreds of traitors. spies
and tricksters. A year or two ago
the President and Mrs. Roosevelt