New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-14
PAN-AMERICAN RAILROAD
TO TUNNEL THE ANDES.
Prospects for Through Line from
Ne,c-YOrF TO BHeH0s Ayres.

y \ ~
vashirs,or March 1a-Thc project Of an inter
continental line which wiz ultimately place New.
York and BueuCs Ayres IN through railway com
munica-i1n IS. according To- report t1st submitted
20 the State Department receiving much encour-
agemert The report was made by Charles u
Pepper appointed by President Roosevelt as com
missioner carry out the lamentations OF the
second international American conference. held IN
Mexico two years ago. with regard 20 the Pan
American Railway. The State Department. WI!
transmit it to Congress
The second conference created permanent com
uittee with headqua rters IN Washington. OF which
ex-senator n. g. Davis IS chairman and Andzew
Carnegie r. member. The other members are the
arlbassaG-- from Mexico and the ministers rom
Peru ami Guatemala. SIR Pepper spent a year
visiting the various countries and was aided IN
his work by the United States ministers.
The report says that at present about forty-eight
hundred miles lacking for the intercontinental
line and estimates the cost OF construction at
$50 0O1H. based an average Of fifty cents sod
as the daily vase labor with an efficiency OF 70 per
cent as compared with similar labor IN the United
States
Commissioner PEPPER gives these FIVE specific
causes which have contributed 20 advance the In
tercoutnentaI project well as railway building IN
general:
First. there is progress az both ends Of souts
America. as shown in Simultaneous action b. Mex
leo on the north and the Argentine Republic on the
south % extend their railway lines so that one
will reach the border OF Guatemala and ths other
Will pass the frontier Of Bolivia.
Then there is the settlement % disputed eoun-
Garies and other questions which heretofore have
caused the countries to be Indifferent 70 railway
intercourse among themselves. third cause -
the law passed by che Gillian Congress for the
tunnel through the Andes. which will enable the
long deferred through railway connection DstSeen
Buenos Avres and Valparaiso 20 be made.
LEGISLATION by several OF the republics ofrsrins
greater Inducements for foreign capital 70 engage
IN railway construction viii aid the project es-
yecfaIIy the law passed by the Peruvian Congress
a few weeks ago which establishes a permanent
railway guaranty fund OF 100000 annually our %
the proceeds OF the tobacco tax. The definite deter
minatlou Of The Panama Canal. which Is expectSt
be beneficial both in the stability which VIII r.
from tho influence OF the United states on tAs
isthmus and from the overflow OF private capita
into railway enterprises
In reviewing IA detail the republics visited Com
missioner Pepper discusses the great progress L
Mexico and the actual railway work that IS sta
going or. only III miles. he says, arc lacking &C.
reach the border Ok Guatemala Reference also -
made 70 the interoceanic lines from the Gulf o
Mexico TO the Pacific. and It Is said that w1tl.a
two years TWO through trunk systems win be corr
p,eted Mexico now has 800 miles OF railways
excluding electrical traction and similar tramways
as against 800 miles IN 1873.
The commissioner says that most OF the Central
American republics have national policies for build
Ing iateEoce1nic lines 70 bring their Atlantic ana
Pacific ports into communication. ana these viii
In Guatemala the extension OF the Central Rsi1-
road iu November. 1903. has left only thirty miles
open from the capital 20 Ayuta, on the northern
S,l.If ,ffrfiT he rs9r gIflrs the contract MADE
by Sir William g. Van Horne and Minor c. Keith
with the government in January 1904, for cOInpet-
ing the Northern Railroad from Guatemala City %
Fl Rancho. viii insure q through rail route from
the Atlantic 90 the Pacific
Commissioner Pepper calls attention 70 the &C.
ton Of Nicaragua in reviving former projects for
q rail route through % the Atlantic as soon as Il
definitely settled that the canal was 70 be
built across Panama. In Costa Rtca. only fifteen
miles now are lacking OF a through route from the
In south America Commissioner Pepper CANS at
teutou the treaty under which the Argentine
Republic is extending its northern lines not only
Particulars are given OF the per cent guarantees
$4,000 FOR twenty years, under which the
Chilan government IS 70 nnance me tunnel
Tuary 1893. 90 let the contract. Recommendations
OF the Executive recently submitted 20 the Gillian
Congress call Cor apprOpria tons OF SlS0o000O gold
OF which is 20 be spent railways. the greater
proportion for the longitudinal line which viii
plac- Santiago IN through communication with
the nitrate port OF Iquque and the northsrn prov
iures
Attention IS also called to the Investment %
100000 by "a United states svndtCats IN the cop
Per mines OF Cer-p do IasCo, IN Peru. and IN col
lateral railway enterprises
Coruuissfoner Pepper Quotes the article IN the
Acre treaty under which Brazil sgress 20 build
within four wears n railroad from SantO Antonio
around the Madeira Fails 70 the MamOre. about
three hundred miles which viii insure the benefit
OF rail and water cuuauuIcation 20 a great region
the report makes Incidental reference 20 ths pos
siriiilv ~ utilizing rEn GLORIOUS water force IN
the Andes for electrical traction. practical test
may De- made in Bolivia and IN Northern Argen-
tina
The report win be translated into Spanish By
the Bureau OF American Republics.