Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-13

about from city to city and there are
still some thousands at the capital
AS to the railway officials, they claim
that conditions are not half so bad as
they have been painted. They are plan
ming new construction work, and as soon
as quiet is restored number of new
lines will be built The National Rail-
ways have just completed a final survey
of line from TampicO to Matamoras, a
\ distance greater than from New York to
Boston. and they have built something
like 800 miles on several branches OF
their system within the past twelve
months. The Southern Pacific Company
has added considerably to its mileage on
the west coast during 1912. and the Next
co Northwestern Railway has completed
its line from Ell Paso to Chihuahua.
In addition to this. concessions have
been asked for a number of lines. Two
railway companies have been formed to
build roads south of the Isthmus of Te-
huantepec. One of these is to go from
Santa Lucretia on the Tehuantepec Ma
t.onal Railway to the town of Campeche,
through the states Of Vera Cruz. Tabasco
and Campeche, and 1t will there connect
with the United Railways of Yucatan.
This road is financed by different capt.
taists 1t Is now being surveyed and
construction will soon commence. This
will form main line between the rest
of the republic and the peninsula OF fu-
catan. and will enable one to go from
the United States to that country by rail
zeal country Of the world.
Another important line. financed by
the British. but to be built by Ameri-
cans, has been projected from Acapulco
on the west coast through the state of
Guerrero to Balsas. on the Balsas river.
where connection will be made with
the National railways. 1t will open up
semi-tropical region and also large
timber and mineral reserves.
In addition to this new construction.
the old roads are being improved. Not
withstanding the revolution, the Ma
tional railways have been relaying
much of their main line with eighty
fve-pound steel rails and they have
improved hundreds of miles of track
on that line with rock ballast. They
have added to the rolling stock by
the addition of many oil-burning loco
motives and of new passenger and
freight cars. The Mexican railway has
during the same time relaid it's main
track with heavier steel and has turned
it's engines from coal-burning to oil
burning, while the Southern Pacific
has been improving its roadway. This
work has. of course. been outside the
region of active rebellion.
Few people appreciate how rapidly
Mexico has been moving during recent
years along railway lines. In COM
parison with the character and num-
Der of its population. 1T has been build
ing such lines faster than almost any
other country. 1t has now more than
twice as many miles Of railroad as
either Spain or Italy, it has 1000 miles
more than Austria and an equal
amount in advance of the Argentine
Republic. 1t is far ahead of Brazil and
there is not Spanish American country
on this hemisphere which approa ches it
in railway construction.
The lines now built are more than
$4,000 miles and their cost has been
over $500,0O0,000 in gold. OF these
roads. 20 per cent were constructed
under American auspices. Is per cent
by the English and other foreigners
and Is per cent by the Mexicans.
The general idea is that the government
owns or controls all the roads This is