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

In the closing months of World War I, the nation’s top transportation official gathers regional leaders to make a case for a sweeping shift in how America moves goods. The speech opens with a bold resolution: motor trucks should be freed from restrictive regulations so they can shoulder a share of the war’s freight burden. Listeners are drawn into the urgency of linking highways with existing railways and waterways, a strategic move meant to strengthen the home front while easing pressure on the rail network.

Redfield then walks through a concise history of the country’s transport arteries, from the early water routes of the Hudson and St. Lawrence to the transformative Erie Canal. He argues that highways are the natural next step in a three‑part system, not a fleeting experiment. The address invites the audience to consider how coordinated infrastructure can become a lasting pillar of national resilience.