Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-22
pain TO BE READY
WHEN PEACE COMES
Railways and Water Routes Will
Vic With Germans for
Trade.
INVITE AMERICAN TRAVEL
King Alfonso and Ministry Are
Behind Progressive Improve
mcnt Plans.
'corresDondcncc Of tho Associated
Prcss)

'1orrespondcnce Of the Associated
Prcss)
MADRID. STAIN, hprn 2l.-While
most Of Europe Is at war Spain, de-
tached. neutral. ana far removed from
Che actual fighting. is putting her
house in order for tho period Of re-
construction and revival which will
follow the war II is recognized tina.
Inc hghting nations. comprising vir-
'ually all Of Western and Central f:u-
rome, VIII be heavily burdencd II not
PROSTATE. financially. and In many
othcr ways. for u generation or more
AFTER the war. This is true also of
y1ost OF the neutral European nations.
located In the midst OF the lighting. lik e
Switzerland. Holland, Denmark and
Irecce which, though neutral are. SO
near the area Of disturbance that they
share many Of it's burdens
Spain Is the one European country
so far removed geographically from
the conflict that she feels little or no
direct effect from the war Life IN the
cities and the interior goes on as usual.
with little or no change in industry.
production. labor. finance and all the
",ther branches which are being drained
TO the limit by the need OF fighting
men and supplies in the countries at
war. The submarine scare looked
threatening for time. but this has al
most passed. -: Spanish industry Is
getting the .oal il needs to keep the
wheels In motion. and Spanish exports
which fear the rishs Of ocean transport
are getting out by new land routes
eastward TO France, aud thence across
the channel 10 England
With Spain thus normal. while the
rest OF Europe is abnormal, she is in
position To look over her economic
resources, bring them up to a more
modern standard. and he ready for the
important part sh" expects to take
after the war. She Is doing this in all
branches Of activity. particularly In
| undermining her railroad system. dc
relopinE her merchant shipping. i'm
proving her ocean ports. and consider
eng new trade routes with the outer
world which may make Spain tho high
way and commercial link between F.u-
rope and America. and between Amer
lea and the vast traffic coming and
going to the Mediterranean. King Al
fonso is taking 81 direct personal in-
terest In this Development. and his
views are shared by the ministry and
by public men without distinction OF
party. while details cannot "a, pres
sfnt be given. II can also be said that
American capital and enterprise are
likely 10 play an important part in this
development. Thus far British. French
and German capital have been doing
most OF the development in Spain. and
have not done i, we'll. while now the
appearance OF this new factor OF
American capital promises a new order
OF things for Spain
I, CRUDE RAILWAYS WILL.
Isl; REPLACED soon
y new system Of Spanish railways is
now receiving very fun consideration
In the highest quarters. with some Of
the master builders Of America taking
an important part Spain is one OF the
Few countries OF Europe where the
railroads are not owned by the state
bat are farmed out TO private parties,
on concessions. These are supposed to
give mutual advantages TO the conccs-
sionaires. TO the state and to the pub :
Tic. But in actual practice the conces-
sionaircs have received most Of the
] benefits. and have given the public a
railroad system OF the most antiquated
type, with old-f fashioned ranshaclil lie
| tars and excessive fares for trips which
are made as long and round about as
! possible.
In the study now being given to the
new system. some OF the present routes
| look like curiosics Of engineering con-
struction one OF The foremost cngi-
meers OF America said they seem TO he
! built on the theory that they should
| run along the two sides OF IA right :
angled triangle. instead of the hypoth-
! cnuse. That is. they seem 10 defy the
Scomctrical rule that the shortest dis
4 lance between two points is a straight
| line. Some Of them go straight away
from their objective point. and then by
Il long detour come around to II. Others
actually loop-thc-Iocp. swinging around
like a letter eight.
The line from Madrid to 1run on
| the Spanish frontier. and thence to
| Paris. Is one of the links i'm the great
system, crossing Europe. east and west
much like the transcontinental railway
systems In America. Blu, this vital link
i'm great chain is so miles long.
winding and looping from Madrid to
..---i'un. instead of 40 miles over AN easy
straight course in u level section. why
the useless waste OF Time ana distance
over Clio miles. has been a mystery to
engineers who recently have studied
the system.
There is lie same defiance of clc-
mentary engineering principles in an
other chief route. linking Madrid with
Cordoba and the rich region of Anda :
itsia and southern Spain Here the
road from Madrid runs away from
cordoba. almost at right angles, and
after getting about 200 miles east OF
the city. turns abruptly west and final
Iy rounds up at Cordoba
There arc about 10000 kilometcrs
(ahout 10000 miles) OF railway i'm
Spain, or an average of about a mile
TO every thirty square kiometers. This
Is almost the lowest average in lIu-
rope.
sEAPORTs WILL. CONNECT
WITH CENTRAL EUROPE;
One of the chief purposes of those
I, CIT, ytar hor