Address by Honorable William C. Redfield, Secretary of Commerce at Conference of Regional Chairmen of the Highways Transport Committee Council of National Defense

In Short

This book contains an official address delivered by the United States Secretary of Commerce during the final months of World War I. It serves as a manifesto for the Highways Transport Committee, urging a shift in how the country views road transit. Moving beyond the era where railroads were seen as the sole backbone of commerce, the author articulates a vision for "rural express" services and coordinated logistics. It remains a fascinating historical document for anyone interested in the evolution of supply chains and the early influence of the internal-combustion engine on national policy.

The Story

The narrative begins with a reflection on the historical nature of transportation, specifically focusing on the Hudson River Valley. The author observes that for centuries, the geography of this region dictated the flow of trade, with water routes serving as the primary arteries for both peace and war. He identifies a consistent, underlying principle: the "tool" must fit the "job." Just as the steamboat replaced the primitive sloop and the locomotive eventually dominated the rail, the emergence of the internal-combustion engine represents a technological shift that demands a new approach to the nation’s highways.

The argument proceeds to challenge the prevailing "unitarian" view of transport. For too long, the author contends, Americans viewed the railroad as the only essential method of moving goods, leading to the neglect and even the deliberate suppression of waterways and roads. He proposes a "trinitarian" model instead, where railways, waterways, and highways operate as mutually supportive friends rather than hostile competitors. By leveraging the specific strengths of each—rail for long-haul bulk, water for massive tonnage, and highways for local collection and delivery—the nation can achieve a perfect, door-to-door distribution system.

As the address unfolds, the author provides concrete illustrations of this integration. He describes a system where motor trucks radiate from New Haven to gather goods for overnight boat transport to New York, where they are then transferred to rail. He envisions a future where a single bill of lading covers the entire journey from an inland farm in Kentucky to a destination in Illinois, utilizing truck, river, and rail in one continuous flow. He argues that this is not merely a logistical upgrade but a necessity for national development.

The final arc of the argument addresses the psychological and physical barriers to this progress. The author warns that "muddy highways" are a symptom of a "muddy state of mind." He recalls his own administrative efforts to modernize isolated government outposts, such as the Pribilof Islands, by introducing motor trucks where only horses or manual labor had been used before. He concludes by reiterating that the highway is no longer an accidental or secondary concern. By treating roads as a vital, scientific component of the national infrastructure—and by educating the public on the high cost of poor road quality—the government can finalize a transportation system that is as reliable as the rising and setting of the sun.

How It Unfolds

The historical foundation The author draws on his own upbringing in the Hudson River Valley to demonstrate how geography and technology have always dictated national progress. He establishes that transportation is not a modern invention, but a long evolutionary process of matching the right tool to the right route.

The trinitarian necessity Moving to the central thesis, the address rejects the idea that railroads can or should do everything alone. It posits that a complete national system requires the harmony of water, rail, and road to reach every citizen’s door.

The internal-combustion revolution The author highlights the arrival of the motor truck as the missing link that finally brings highway transport to the same technical level as rail and water. He argues that government policy must adapt to this new, powerful tool rather than trying to restrict its use.

The vision of integration The final section describes a future of intermodal logistics, where trucks act as the essential feeders for water and rail systems. The author concludes by framing road development as a moral and economic imperative, dismissing the "muddy" thinking that keeps local communities isolated from the wider world.

The People

The text features the Secretary of Commerce, who serves as the primary advocate for this modernization. He is a pragmatic visionary who views transportation not as a political issue, but as a matter of common sense. He is frustrated by the "unitarian" narrow-mindedness of the past and is eager to see a more interconnected national economy. He acts as a teacher to the regional chairmen, using his own experiences with factory sites and government fishery stations to prove that small, simple tools like the motor truck can yield outsized results.

The Regional Chairmen of the Highways Transport Committee represent the audience for this argument. They are tasked with the practical implementation of these ideas across the country. They are the ones who must navigate the resistance of local authorities—such as the governor mentioned who wanted to ban trucks—and oversee the transition from old-fashioned transport to a modernized, systematic approach. They represent the bridge between federal policy and local reality, needing to grasp the author's broader philosophy to effectively manage their territories. The farmer is also a central, if unseen, figure; he is the ultimate beneficiary of this "rural express" system, moving from a state of relative isolation to one where he is connected to "all the round earth" by a road system that finally serves his needs.

In Its Own Voice

If in the process of transportation evolution we have reached the normal use of the highway, together with the waterway and the railway, then you are doing a constructive work for your country.

The author challenges his committee to ensure their efforts are based on natural, sustainable development rather than artificial interference.

You may have the most perfect equipment for their use but the instrument must work in a proper environment.

This serves as a warning that advanced technology, like the motor truck, is useless without the fundamental investment in road infrastructure.

I can not think of that except as a matter of common sense.

The author dismisses the complexity of modern logistics to emphasize that his proposed integration of transport methods is the most logical path forward.

What It's Really About

The book is an argument for efficiency and systems thinking. It asks how a nation should organize its physical space to maximize productivity. The underlying question is whether a country can overcome the limitations of its past—specifically, the bias toward railroad-only thinking—to embrace a more complex, multi-modal reality. It explores the tension between local, traditional methods and the rapid, standardized progress demanded by a nation at war. Ultimately, it is about the "law of transportation," which suggests that human development is tethered to our ability to move goods and people with increasing precision. It argues that physical isolation is a choice, and that the "mud" of a country’s roads is a reflection of the intellectual clarity of its people.

Why Read It Today

Readers with an interest in the history of technology or the development of logistics will find this a rewarding, brisk read. It offers a rare, direct perspective from 1918 on how the automobile transformed from a luxury into an essential industrial tool. The prose is warm, confident, and rooted in the author’s personal experiences, making it feel less like a dry government bulletin and more like a lecture from a pragmatic, forward-thinking official.

The language is clear and accessible, though readers should be prepared for the specific context of World War I, where the urgent "war burden" provides the pressure that accelerates the author’s arguments. You will likely walk away struck by how much of his vision—door-to-door delivery, intermodal shipping, and the vital importance of paved infrastructure—has since become the standard, invisible background of modern life. It is a reminder that the world we inhabit, where goods arrive at our door with little thought, was once a radical, hard-fought, and revolutionary idea. It is a brief but potent look at the moment when the twentieth century’s transportation infrastructure was truly born.