| Show T I Nations Nation's Railroads Move Troops Each Day Special Surveys Decrease Cross Hauling Developments Abroad May Force Unexpected Shifting of Troops d a r. r I i I By BAUKHAGE J N News cs Analyst and Commentator WIN Service Union Trust Building I Washington D. D C. C Recently I had to make seven consecutive consecutive consecutive con con- week end trips between Washington and New York York York-I I left Washington after a late Friday broadcast and had to return Monday for one at noon Not once was I able to get reservations for the return return return re re- re- re turn trip until at the last minute when some unused space was turned in If I groused a little too loudly over this it may have been because I didn't know then what I learned officially only the thc other day namely namely namely name name- ly that if the war department insisted Insisted insisted in In- in having all the Pullman equipment It could use all the Pullman Pullman Pullman Pull Pull- man cars of the country would be carrying troops In other words If Johnny Doughboy Doughboy Doughboy Dough Dough- boy didn't step aside occasionally wed we'd all use coaches or walk Compromise The present arrangement is said to be a compromise in recognition of essential civilian needs At present present present pres pres- ent a million and three-quarter three soldiers soldiers soldiers sol sol- sol sol- diers are arc being moved a month month- that is a day day in hi Americas America's trains in official troop movements This does not Include the many men menon menon menon on leave There are of course movements of whole divisions with full equipment equipment equipment equip equip- ment but these are the exceptions As you have probably noticed if you travel very much there are usually usually usually ally a few cars containing troops attached to your passenger traIn tram This is the way most of the troops are transported transported-in in small groups of or less However that is a considerable addition to the regular passenger traffic Its It's said a soldier eats cats twice as much as he did in civilian life lile and that is one reason why food has tobe tobe to tobe be rationed to civilians But he travels a lot more in proportion to his normal civilian peregrinations Many a man saw his first big city when he reached London or Cairo or New DeIhL I know a pilot who dropped in at the airport here recently recently re re- re and had several hours wait- wait over When he was asked why he didn't cross the bridge and look the cap capital tal over he said hed he'd never been heen in a big city and didn't want to get lost The next thing heard from this particular was that he was in Calcutta Average Number In the last war the average number number num num- number ber of moves made by a soldier were three Here is a list of typical moves he makes in this war drawn up by the Office of ot War Information 1 To the Induction center 2 To reception center 3 To replacement training center center center cen cen- ter 4 To his particular branch of service 5 To big maneuvers 6 6 Return 7 7 To special training areas 8 To port of embarkation Special studies are made to cut down unnecessary hauling cross-hauling but sudden developments abroad may force soldiers who are located near one port to be he shifted to another far away Or a special need for particularized particularized particularized training may arise and that may force men to be doubled back to desert or mountain for the specialized specialized practice in snow or under undera a n hot sun that new requirements make necessary Maneuvers In the southeast and southwest including the desert training areas of California have sometimes required the moving in ofas of ofas ofas as many as men within few weeks equipment and all that disrupted a n large p passenger traffic for severa several at a time tune Unessential Travel Efforts are being down extra passenger t conventions big sports contests One exec made and that is t the President sax sav with a continuation ot of bureaus He Lowell Tho Washington plea pica for tor a n er Thomas represented many people peo peo- people pIe who do considerable public peo-I peo speaking I know how difficult it is I I. I myself have been unable to accept accept accept ac ac- ac- ac lecture dates because it is so difficult to be certain of connections and a broadcaster has hos to move with willi the regularity of a train schedule a 8 a train s schedule in peace time time lime the microphone waits for no man marl There have been rumors of late that transportation was snagged that because of ot the boats U-boats supplies supplies supplies sup sup- plies were piling up on the docks and loaded freight cars were jammIng jamming jamming jam jam- ming the yards and causing con con- congestion But the Office of War Information Information In In- formation says that latest advices advises indicate that congestion is being lessened In fact tact the official word wordIs Is The battle of transportation at a crisis at Pearl Harbor time is now being won S e e Nearing caring N Limit LimitI I hope that this statement isn't over As a ma matter of ot fact the reservation is noted that the victories are not necessarily permanent perma perma- nent neat Our transportation equipment with few tew exceptions is being used close to its limits and and there remain remain remain re re- re- re main two situations which are not satisfactory one is movement of oil and the other is the problem of getting the war workers to and from work The latter difficulty is responsible according to some investigators for much of the recently decried ab ab- ab- ab To get an idea of what the traffic has to bear in a city where war industries industries industries in in- are concentrated there has been an Increase of use of ot the Detroit Detroit Detroit De De- troit street railway systems of per cent The Baltimore transit line is up 90 per cent and the Washington Washing Washing- ton per cent I know what these figures mean as does docs anyone who has to make his way to and from work in the capital I have also seen that fabulous city of San Diego Dieg once a pleasant sleepy town which seemed to move lazily with the pelicans pelicans pelicans peli peli- cans that flew over the bay boy or the whispering palms The pelicans have been replaced by planes and its it's a 24 hour 24 hour town with a n per percent percent percent cent increase In the use of its busses and trolley cars e Diary of a Broadcaster Today I made it from bedside to desk in one hour and 18 minutes including the time to make my own breakfast of coffee poached eggs grapefruit and zwieback my wife is away also to traverse on foot Coot some 13 Washington blocks I think that this record is not bad considering consider consider- ing the variety of activities included I managed to hear henr the early five five- minute newscast and scanned the headlines which told me whether the news wind was blowing In the same direction this morning that it was last night when the newspapers went to bed bed in in other words was I Ito Ito Ito to plow fresh tresh fields or harvest what I could from the old ones I also removed the blanket that shields our three parakeets from northern drafts and waited for the welcoming chirrup that one the least snobbish of the three condescends condescends condescends conde conde- to give me before I leave the room As soon as I do they all burst into song Walking to work in Washington these da days s 's Is like w g the armies of the theone for forone one can m between vania the ia V. 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