Evening star., 1946-05-24
Army Planes Stand By
To Insure Movement
OF Essential Supplies

VI ISSSuiiul SupplVS
Military transport planes in
Washington were standing by
today prepared to help out in
the emergency, as the Govern
ment moved swiftly to assure
the transportation of essential
supplies in spite of the railroad
strike.
Strict regulations were clamped
on all freight shipments by the
Once Of Defense Transportation
and the Interstate Commerce Com
mission.
Food was put at the top of the
list In each Of the four travel cate
gories-air, rail, highway and water
Under the orders. priority items
must be moved before the carriers
can take care OF anything else.
800 Planes in Use.
The War Department announced
that 600 Army planes already are
carrying civilian cargoes and sup
plies across the country Here the
AIR Transport Command is waiting
30 see If its planes will be needed.
The Anacostia Naval Air Station
also was alerted to handle emergency
traffic, but neither the Naval Air
Transport Service nor the ATC had
reported any actual flights of mail
or freight by midmorning.
ATC has set up 3S stations
throughout the country and will
use CAT or larger type planes for
emergency flights. Scheduled ATC
flights, air-sea rescue operations and
administrative flights will continue
with all other planes standing by to
take up ODT- ordered traffic.
Robert Rsmspeck, former Georgia
representative in Congress, took the
helm as director of air transporta-
ton for ODT and began the job OF
channeling priority supplies to air.
ports.
Under a series of ODT orders, all
carriers are directed to move GER
tain essential commodities before
they take care Of routine traffic
They are asked to pool their facili-
ties and to make maximum use of all
available equipment in the country
All trucks not now licensed for
interstate commerce are author
lied" to obtain a license from Guy
A. Richardson. highway transport
director for ODT. No railroad can
move any cars except under permit
issued by Warren C. Kendall, newly
appointed general permit agent for
the ICC.
Mr.. Kendall was directed to make
sure that all shipments sent by raj
can be handled to their destination
before issuing permit. The few
receive permits for carrying food
fuel, medicine, chemicals and trans
portation equipment before they car
carry other freight.
Truck owners were asked to take
Joint action to pool traffic. exchange
equipment. load Jointly and operate
Joint terminals or joint pickup anc
delivery trucks.
The American Trucking Associa.
ton have set up committees in every
locality to expedite the movement
of vital freight and to organize
joint action sought by the ODT
John V. Lawrence, managing direc,
tor, announced.
These committees will cooperate
with shippers and receivers o
freight to keep docks and terminal
clear and will assist in the leasin!
of truck equipment where necessary
he said
More than 100000 trucks operated
by the for-hire branch of the in
dustry are available for hauling
of essential commodities, he re
ported. A substantial number o
the remaining 100000 trucks regis
tered in the country can be mad
available to help shoulder the load
Mr.. Lawrence believes
Trucking Crisis Avoided.
No trucking crisis requiring as
signment of priority cargo or thu
pooling of trucking facilities ha!
developed in the District and i
may not develop at all, said E
Harold Tolbert, president of the
District of Columbia Trucking Asso,
ciation
Washington is not a manufac,
turing orSa food distribution center
he pointed out. Mr.. Tolbert doubted
that the, emergency will continue
long enough for it to be necessary
to send trucks from Washington to
pick up emergency freight for the
District
Trucking firms moving essentia
cargo will be asked to notify the
trucking association if they are un-
able to handle it, he reported. The
association will act as part of {
Board of Trade committee to handle
any emergency that should arise
Local and long distance trucking
firms queried by The Star said the.
had received no instruction on thu
ODT order and were continuing tt
transport routine freight. Somt
long distance truckers were waiting
for word from their main Offices il
other cities.
ODT Orders Available.
An ODT spokesman said tha
comics of the order ARE being glVer
to every one who wants them" ane
announced that it will issue a lis
of Interstate Commerce Commission
local motor service bureaus where
truckers can get information or
how to comply.
The War Department was work.
ing out system to supply Army
posts throughout the country by
truck, but there was no immediate