The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1943-07-08
Railroads Hdndle
4 Times As Many
Troops AS In 1917
War Materials Are Moving
Foster With Less Time
Spent On Sidings

Washington, d. c. GLNS). - 10
move our fighting men and keep them
fed clothed, sheltered and equipped
the Army Service Forces employ more
people, own more land, spend more
money, handle more merchandise and
operate over Il greater area than any
comparable organization the world has
ever known, the Office of War lnfor-
nation reports.
More than four times as many
troops were moved by rail within the
United States in the year prior to
December Z, 1912, than in the period
from April 1917 to April 1913. During
the year following Pearl Harbor, Army
freight moved by rail totaled nearly
four times 1be load ,dlriug. the peak
month of 191S-19. War materials are
moving faster, on longer and more
heavily loaded trains, with less time
spent on Sidings. than in the last War
During our first year !of the last
war. the American railways handled
>, ,134 ,J37 troops, including inducteeS.
y
to December 7, 1912, the railways
handled 11,641 1873 troops, or more
than four times as many. During last
November alone, the army delievered
more than 100000 troops to the rail
ways for trips ranging up to 5000
miles.
Six out of every ten Servicemen
moved by rail in the first year OF TN"
present war Travelled on special trains
For every ; passenger cars there Wer"
= baggage or freight cars for the
troops supplies, including large mum
bers of gondolas and llatcarS for
trucks, tanks and heavy artillery. But
when troops have been moved u
camp, long freight trains must rumble
day and night. Approximately 1000,
OOO, 900 pounds Of varied military
equipment must 20 every month To the
more than 100 Army camps, posts
and stations i'm this country Wher,
battle training is in progress.
Although railroads today are opcr
ating with less equipment over fewer
IIllItS bl lIdth ilfill III ili' l''''' wa
and freight longer distances. In l94-
the tOn-milcS of revenue freight ha,
increases IS per cent over 1917, ant
the passenger miles - per cent. lhR
was accomplished by running longcI
trains, by moving them faster, b.
loading cars more heavily and 10y re
,IlIcing the time which Gears are per
mittpd 10 spend on SidingS under .loA'
or empty. During the first - months
of the present war, the railroads han
d died Approximately 1l,OOO,OOO tons o
. Army freight about ) 2/3 times tn
amount handled in the peak months o
10lS-1S.
Today, freight cars do not pile III
at ports, rs they did in 1917. At on
time during the last war, more THAI
were immobiliZcd at or in back of tn
Atlantic Seaboard. Today the numbc
: of railway cars waiting 10 dciiN"
freight at Atlantic ports rarely cN
ceedS $4,000.
In lyT-lS The railways stood praC
lIltIilA al'1t, ilIN' lll'llbl llllN anu IT NN
industries were in their infancy an
highway operations were II ncgIighl
factor in the nations Transportation
Today, in spite of the rubber Shortag,
the motor carriers are doing Il ful
: sized job. The Army is now giVin
the bus lines about 100000 passenger
' per month, and approximately 10000
tons of Army freight are being move
monthly by commercial trucks.
The fact that no need has Vet dt
vclopcd for tight control over dome,
: tic traffic is Il source of pride to In
Transportation Corps. Despite the ta,
' that the railroads of the country HAY
5OO,OUO fewer cars and 10000 icWC
locomotives than they had in 1917 th"
: are nevertheless handling an all-tin
high in terms of lon-milcS hauled.
1 Stutes Plan To Prevent