Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-02
ROAD CONFERENCE CALLS
FOR GOVERNMENT AID
State Highways Being Cut to Rib
bons by Great Fleet of
Army Trucks.
GOVERNOR DAVIS WIRES BAKER
IWcnty-Two Counties and All East
crn Cities OF State Join in Petition
Tor United Action-Nill Lay Mat
ter Before Delegation in Congress.

Governor Wcstnoreland Davis last
night dispatched the following ,ele
gram to Newton u. Baker. Secretary
Of War
Nearly 200 patriotic, Representatives
NirGinians. delegates from cities and
counties along wha, must be the grea,
military highway from. Wash;nrton 70
me sea and the army camps and can
torncnts and navy stations within the
state. have to-day. in conference. call
cd upon the War Department to make
provision for road system that will
provide safe and economical passage
'or III: heavy war trucks aud ordnance
which have destroyed the bridges and
highways OF the line from Washi.,r
ton. Virginia Is not complaining ever
her ruined highways. but is willing to
donate her roads and help the govern :
nent TO produce highways that are
essentially important. il not absolutely
necessary. TO win the war. Our peoplc
Just ask the government 10 do its
share. that is all
This telegram was sent by Governor
DAVIS. following adjournment of the
conference called by the State Coun
Gil OF Defense to consider steps to :.
wards building the contemplated mili-
'ary highway from Washington to
Newport News Norfolk and peters
burg. by way OF Richmond. TO take
care OF the heavy traffic resulting from
the use Of massive army trucks and
future tanks" on the roads from points
OF production 10 ports of cmbarkation.
PROPOSE CONFERENCE
WITH WAR DEPARTMENT
Resolutions embodying plans fer a
conference OF the War Department, the
Virginia delegation in Congress and a
representative from each Of the coun-
ties and cities. and the Rotary Club
Travellers Protective Association and
the Virginia Good Roads Association.
which are interested in the construction
OF durable roads from Washington tc
Petersburg, Norfolk and Newport News
by way of Richmond. were adopted by
the conference. This action is purely a
war measure, due to the great damage
done roads in the vicinity of the war
motor trucks.
The object OF the conference TO be
held in Washington is TO secure the
co operation of the Virginia delcsa-
ton in Congress in impressing on the
of reconstructing these roads. which
were declared in the conference to be
piowed fields. II was the general belief
OF the 2oc delegates that the govern
ment would easily see that this action
Is an imm cdiate war emergency move
and that it would. If proper attention
was called to 1t. get to work on the job
at once. y second resolution in this con-
ne 70 n 10 he
ernment the adoption Of a definite sys-
tenn o: great artery highways and a
definite policy with reference to the
construction OF IT. while the third was
10 request the American Association
of State Highway Commissioners to
get behind this movement as na :.
tional military mission.
I'WENrY-Two COUNTIES ARE
REPRESENTED At CONFERENCE
At the conference were over 200 rep
resentatives of twenty-five counties on
the line from Washington to Norfolk
and Newport News. the cities of Rich
mond, Norfolk, Petersburg Suffolk.
Hampton, Newport News. Williams
burg. Hopewell. Alexandria and others.
and OF the Travellers Protective Asso-
citation and the good roads leagues of
the State. to attempt to persuade the
Federal government of the imminent
and immediate necessity of rebuilding
these army routes as a winning
emergency. Governor Davis opened the
meeting with stirring appeal 60 the
people to lend their untiring influence
10 this movement at this time. lie
spoke OF the trains Of army trucks be-
ing driven over the roads and Of the
probability Of war tanks soon cun;ing
along the presently impossible ways.
The principal speaker of the meet
ing WAS State Highway Commissioner
Coleman, who was nominated as chair
man OF tho meeting by Chairman Of
the State Council OF Defense 10 Lane
~, -, SIi.