Evening star., 1942-11-07
HitIer's Achilles Heel
From the Railway Age.

There is in popular discussion more
disposition to exult over Hitler's alleged
failure adequately to maintain his rail-
roads than zeal to promote avoidance
Of the same mistake in this country.
Before the war in Europe the expert
ence of the German railroads had been
similar to that of United States rail-
roads. They had suffered from loss
OF trafhc to competitors enjoying more
governmental favor. Their new rolling
stock had been greatly curtailed, and
their maintenance expenditures reduced.
But there had been enough operating
efficiency in large measure to overcome
these handicaps.
From 1929 to 1898 ownership of steam
locomotives by the German railroads
there were few of other kinds) declined
from 1858 to 21,278-or 10 per cent.
In the same period locomotive owner
ship by the railroads of the United
States declined from 57,571 to 43.81O-
or "a per cent. Railroad ownership of
freight cars In Germany declined from
66o,74S in 1929 to 617,97s in 1898, or
per cent. In the United States freight
car ownership by Glass I railroads de-
clined Is per cent, from 2,3O6,8O4 to
1,721, ,99S. BY 1888, however, car and
locomotive ownership by the German
railroads was on the increase-the re-
verse of the downward trend which pre-
vailed in the United States until 1910
In the case of freight cars, and until
1941 in the case of locomotives.
The individual efforts of hundreds of
railroads, aided by shippers organiza-
tions, in country of private enterprise
such as the United States might be
expected to perform more miracles" in
increasing utilization of facilities than
the efforts of transportation bureauc-
racy such as the German Reichsbahn.
Nevertheless, the German railroads have
not been insulated from improved eff
cheney. In 1887 and 1898 they hauled
both more tons and more ton-miles than
In 1929 with fewer cars and locomotives.
Furthermore, in 1885, a "four-year
program" of rolling stock acquisition was
launched in Germany, calling for the
annual construction of 1500 locomo-
tives, $500 passenger cars and $4,000
freight cars This was equivalent
translated into proportionate figures for
the much larger United States system
Of railroads.&c. yearly construction in
this country of 5000 locomotives, $4,000
freight cars, and number Of passenger
cars difficult to determine, but certainly
more than 1000. The railroads OF the
United States, under continued de-
pressed conditions, acquired nowhere
near this much equipment; and yet the
War Production Board Is unwilling to
permit them during the next year to
acquire 900 locomotives and 10000 freight
cars. and long since interdicted all con-
struction of passenger cars-although
between July, 1910, and July. 1912, rail-
way freight trafhc in this country in
creased 50 per cent and passenger trafic
1l2 per cent.
We hope that Herr Hitler's railroads
are in the bad shape that the popular
reporters proclaim. But those who are
exulting over Hitler's shortsightedness
In dealing with his basic transportation
might be more profitably engaged in
examining critically how much fore
sight. comparatively, our Government is
showing In dealing with our transporta-
ton problenA