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TILE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



In France the state has been made 

 the sole depositary of the coal. The 

 general and municipal councils act 

 as dispensiniT agent. Paris, her sub- 

 urbs, and other cities have been on coal 

 rations. Coal cards have been issued, 

 so that a central heating plant, a busi- 

 ness, or an industrial plant may each 

 receive its fair allotment of the dimin- 

 ished supply of coal. For domestic 

 consumption the quantity of coal per 

 month is based upon the number in the 

 family. 



The Italian government produces no 

 coal. It imports all the coal of the 

 country and acts as a clearing house for 

 its distribution. 



In Germany the control of coal has 

 been centralized under the government 

 administration. 



That there has been fuel shortage in 

 all countries engaged in the war is 

 due largely to the fact that this is a 

 war of coal-clriven machines. This 

 war differs from previous wars in that 

 to a vastly greater extent than ever be- 

 fore its prosecution depends upon ma- 

 chines, that is, upon mechanical power 

 instead of man power. This is the first 

 great war which has been fought since 

 the modern concentration of industry. 

 This is indeed a war of machines driven 

 by engines; of gigantic guns, of shells, 

 and other explosive devices; of ships 

 and railroads; and behind these, the 

 necessary multiform supporting manu- 

 factures, of which iron is the most im- 

 ])ortant. Any and all of these are pos- 

 sible only through the use of coal. 



Coal, therefore, lies back of the war 

 efficiency of all nations. The nations 

 that possess abundant supplies of coal 

 are in an enormously advantageous 

 position. Germany's original strength 

 in coal — and in addition to that she 

 immediatelv acquired control of the 

 coal fields of Luxembourg, Belgium, 

 and northern France — has given her 

 a superiority in coal power as com- 

 pared with France and Italy which has 

 placed her in a most advantageous posi- 



tion. Great Britain is the only one of 

 the nations of Europe that has coal 

 power commensurate with that of Ger- 

 many, and she has been compelled not 

 only to furnish coal for herself, but 

 also to furnish a large amount of coal 

 to the rest of the Allies. 



Of all the nations engaged in the war, 

 however, the coal power of the United 

 States is by far the greatest. Indeed 

 our production of coal before the war 

 was more than ec[ual to that of Ger- 

 many, England, and France combined. 

 But even in the United States the enor- 

 mously increased demand for coal for 

 railroads, for munition plaints, for 

 shipbuilding, and for government use, 

 has made greater requirements than 

 can be met. This limitation, however, 

 is not that of the mines. The limitation 

 to some extent is that of labor at the 

 mines, but to a far greater extent that 

 of the railroads. 



The railroads are unable to furnish 

 cars to transport the necessary coal. 

 The magnitude of this task frequently 

 is not appreciated. The tonnage of 

 coal handled by the railroads is greater 

 than that of any other commodity ; in- 

 deed greater than that of food. About 

 twenty-five per cent of the motive power 

 of the roads is used in handling coal. 



As the war continues it is certain 

 that the demand for coal will continue 

 further to iBcrease. Since the produc- 

 tion of adequate coal is fundamental in 

 order to dominate, as our coal resources 

 make it possible, in the mighty mechan- 

 ical contest of winning the war, it is 

 absolutely essential that the railroads 

 shall have sufficient equipment in coal 

 cars and motive power to furnish the 

 necessary amount of coal ; and what- 

 ever steps are necessary to put the 

 railroads in this situation must be 

 taken. If adequate steps be taken to 

 bring to bear all the potential possibil- 

 ities of our vast coal and iron resources, 

 in the war of mighty machines driven 

 l)y the energy of coal, we shall over- 

 whelm the enemy. 



