Evening star., 1942-01-23

their workers sssz1
Nearly all the David Lawrence.
railroads, involving more than 200,-
600 miles of track, were used.
Seventy-fv per cent of the soldiers
actually had sleeping accommoda-
tions and the remainder travelled In
day coaches, so not a single COM
pany had to be moved in freight
cars, as was the case in the first
World War.
This whole troop movement, which
embraced travel from nearly every
section of the country, was achieved
with the loss Of only one mana
colored cook who was killed in a
minor collision.
For 18 months the War Depart
ment and the railroads have been
studying this very contingency
what should be done If orders were
suddenly issued for mobilization.
Mistakes made in the last war had
been surveyed for nearly 20 years.
There were in the last few months
opportunities to move large con-
tingents Of troops for maneuvers
but the more recent troop move
ment was the biggest ever attempted
on American soil. And 1t went off
with a smoothness that seemed like
. routine rehearsal of q long g-laid
plan.
Resources Pooled.
The colossal job is difficult to de-
scribe. 1t was a mammoth task in
planning and administration. The
Association OF American Railroads,
acting for all the railroads, sent out
orders and worked on a 24-hour
basis, pooling locomotives and cars
and fitting in here and there spe-
cial trains irrespective Of whether
the load was enough for train. 1t
was important to move the troops
and get them to their destination
and the wires of the railroads were
so crowded that at times all forms
Of communication from telephone
to relayed messages through various
channels were utilized.
The odd part of it was that the
public hardly noticed the movement
because delays to civilian traffic were
the exception rather than the rule.
The American people co-operated. |
Travel just before Christmas was
held down to a minimum. The rail-
roads asked their own employees and
families to refrain from using their
passes. Here and there regular
trains had to be put on sidings, but
On the whole little time was lost.
What makes the performance of
the American railroads even more
remarkable is that along with the
troops travelled freight cars which
bore their supplies and equipment.
The soldiers went fully equipped
ready for action. That means they
had everything along. To carry this
equipment-tanks, guns and am
munition-was a tremendous trans
portation Job in itself. But it was
done.
Feat Would Amaze Hitler.
How was such large number fed?
The Army carried its own food
kitchens, which were set up in bag
gage or freight cars. 1t took an
immense amount of planning, but
everything went off without hitch.
The troops were moved-some 6OO,-
600 OF them-and they arrived at
appointed places on a schedule that
would have amazed Hitler. For it is
doubtful whether he has ever moved
80 many troops so fast as America
did.
To the locomotive engineers, the
trainmen, the conductors, the brake
men, the dispatchers and the hun
dreds of thousands of maintenance
men who worked long hours and
with a spirit of cooperation that
was typical of their efficiency-for
they have always been in the fore
front of American labor-there is a
tribute due, and it will doubtless be
forthcoming from official quarters.
There was no confusion, no lost
trains-every moment in the day the
authorities could keep track of every
contingent-and the important thing
was that the orders issued immedi-
ately after Pearl Harbor were carried
out.
Just where the troops were dis
patched or what has happened since
In the way of additional movements
are still military secrets. The rail-
roads get half fare for the troops
and it probably cost them a great
deal Of passenger revenue, but when
the Government called every
thought except the military purpose
was sIlbordinated. 1t was a masterful
achievement.
Reproduction Rights Reserved.)