The Washington herald., 1917-02-25
GREAT COAST.TO-COAST
ROAD SYSTEM FORESEEN
Senator Bankhead Says Nation Will
Have Finest Highways in World.

II predict that In the lives of the
younger men now before me will be
seen from ocean to ocean in. the United
States the greatest system OF highways
to be found anywhere In the world. :"
was the prediction of Senator John H.
Bankhead, recently uttered in Atlanta at
a meeting Of its convention bureau, held
for the purpose of acceleratins the build
ing Of the Bankhead Highway through
the Southern States.
'The present Federal appropriation Of
Sc. 100000 is but the beginning of the
work that the National government will
shortly be doing in the matter of road
construction" asserted the chairman of
the Senate Committee on Postofices and
Postroads, land, before the expiration of
the five-year period in which this money
will be expended in conjunction with S75.-
100000 contributed by the several States,
expect to see the Congress making
appropriations OF from $50.000.000 to $75.-
0OO.0 900 annually for highways progress" !"
It Is doubtful II a more enthusiastic
series Of good roads meetings have been
held than the sessions which had to do
with the Atlanta gathering in connec-
ton with the Bankhead Highway. to ex-
tend from Washington to Richmond. Va,
to Atlanta, Ga, to Birmingham, Ala.
to Memphis, Tenn, and then across Ar
kansas and on to the Pacific Coast over
a route not yet decided upon. Governor
Harris, Of Georgia, Mayor Gambler. of
Atlanta, and Judge T. E. Patterson.
chairman Of the State highway commits
sion, were among the speakers at the
luncheon given in honor of the Alabama
Senator whose name was coupled with
that OF Representative D. w. Shackle-
ford. OF Missouri. in the passage of the
Federal Aid Road Act
The consensus of opinion. and the sub
sequent action of the business meeting.
was that a great highway made UP of
intercommunicating State post roads
would prove OF incalculable benefit to the
States passed through and would meet
our national necessities. commercially, So
cially. and for defense. Senator Bank
head. in the course OF his address. dwelt
particularly upon the great wisdom of
keeping in mind at this time the part
which connecting highways would serve
in military mobilization purposes. 1t was
agreed that the use of combined Fed
eral and State money should have refer
ence to roads which serve the greatest
number of people and relieve the states
of a percentage of their expensive high
ways and thus make it possible for the
States to give increased cooperation to
the counties on the essential market
roads.
In Birmingham, April 10, there will be
held probably the most important gath
ering yet OF the Bankhead Highway. for
the governors OF practically all the States
included in the route have given as
surance of being present.
Immediately the complete route is set
tied upon, the Touring Information Board
of the American Automobile Association
with national headquarters in Washing
ton and New York, will add the route
to its strip maps, besides which the
Bankhead Highway Association will sign
post the great road from Washington
across the Southern States to Memphis
and then to whatever city may be de-
cided upon as the terminating point on
the Pacific Coast