The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1916-07-27
Washington Gossip.
War Authorities Contemplate Military
Highways.

War Authorities Contemplate Military
Highways.
WASHINGTON, July 20, 1916. With the
passage of the federal good roads bill,
providing means for improving the roads
of every State in the country, comes the
important announcement that Uncle
Sans war authorities will offer sugges-
tions looking toward the connection of
roads so as to make the best system of
military highways possible at this time
Secrets of the War College, which
makes plans for the country's defense,
are more striking with regard to the
lack of military roads than on the lack of
naval and army equipment. The Euro
pean war has served to emphasize the
need of highways and feeders necessary
to adequate national defense.
AS an example, it has been pointed out
by war authorities that if there had been
better roads, troops could have been
shifted with greater celebrity from one
point on the Mexican border to another
with infinitely greater protection for
ways along the coasts, they say, are
equally essential for the Nations de-
tense.
So important does the War College re-
gard the need of highways by which, in
the event of war, troops and military
equipment can be transported, that high
officers of the college have taken up
with good roads authorities plans by
which the contemplated road improve
ments will lead to at least makeshift
for military highways.
The American Automobile Association,
which perhaps did more than any other
organization of its kind toward assisting
in the enactment of a good roads law, is
heartily in favor Of the plan for military
highways. Its officers have offered their
services to the War College, and among
those recently engaged in conferences
were A. G. Batchelder, chairman of the
executive board, and George C. Diehl,
chairman of the Association S good roads
board, and probably two of the best gen.
eral authorities on roads in the United
States.
In the new good roads law army Off
GERS see a prospect for a much needed
system of highways suitable for military
necessities, in addition to other purposes.
The wages of the American farmer are
higher than those of industrial wage
workers but lower than those of salaried
employees in industry. This is based on
intensive studies of 4,019 farms made by
the Department Of Agriculture. The
government experts found the wages of
the average farmer are about $500, COM
posed of about 5000 in cash and about
$500 supplied by the farm. The average
wage Garner in factory earns about
$3.50 and the average salaried employee
about $1,000.
DR.. Philander P. Claxton, u S. Com
missioner of Education, is conducting a
nationwide campaign for better rural
schools and for longer school term of
not less than 100 days. The average
number of days school for urban schools
is said to be 1874 days and for rural
schools. 1877 DAYS.
"The impoverishment in money and in
young men has carried Europe back to-
ward conditions of utter collapse pro-
duced by the religious wars that succeed
ed the Reformation, said DR.. David
Starr Jordan, the peace advocate, while
IN Washington recently.
DR.. Jordan believes the political lines
of the next half century will be drawn on
the question of militarism versus civilism
He says the present war is the greatest
intellectual and political struggle since
the Reformation and believes that we
cannot continue the present war system,
for it has fallen of its own weight, he
says.
Following an exhaustive study of the
peace problem, Dr. Jordan has just pub
lished a volume on ways to Lasting
Peace" (Bobbs- Merrill, Indianapolis) In
which is reviewed the peace plans not
only of prominent individuals and organi-
cations of this country but of foreign ma
tons for centuries back.
DDnSDENT