Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-07-21
The Army and Good Roads.

Ask Americas lighting men who come back
without the improved highways Of France il
your faith in the good roads cause is wavering.
They will tell you that without the advantage
of improvements made many years ago it
would have been impossible to halt the Ger
mans and to eventually drive them back.
Military men favor good roads because they
realize more fully than ever what they mean
in moving men, guns, ammunition and provi-
sions. To help create sentiment in favor OF
an adequate, plan for Improvement under the
direction OF the federal government was one Of
the purposes in starting the great army motor
convoy, which is now travelling from Washing
ton to San Francisco. Secretary Baker desig-
mated the world war as "a war of motor trans
ports" In authorized publicity there is in
cluded as among the purposes of the trip:
The war departments contribution to the
good roads movement for the purpose OF de-
veloping the construction Of through-route and
transcontinental highways as a military and
economic asset"
Something of the view OF the average army
man on the road question is to be gathered
from the following written by Captain A. NJ.
Flint of Indianapolis and printed in the Amaroc
News, now being published at Coblenz, Ger
many:
The most urgent necessity OF our
country in the immediate future is good
roads, permanent roads that can be used
IL months in each year
The roads of America today absO-
lutely inadequate, inefficient and anti
quated. They are not designated to
carry the heavy traffic now. What will
become Of them in the future?
1t is a vital problem, this question Of
roads, one that reaches down into the
very foundation of our social and eco
nomic scheme of Iife for roads are the
clearing houses for the various states
and the only means Of free travel
In no small measure the success OF
the allies is due to the great arteries of
travel which the farsighted Frenchmen
had constructed in the time OF peace.
Subjected to a constant stream Of heavy
trafhc for over four years, such is
largely beyond the imagination of those
who have not seen for themselves, these
roads stood the test, summer and win
ter spring and fall, and made possible
those victories which resulted in driv-
ing the Hun back across the Rhine.
Whether those who are opposed to the
building of highways are purposely blind =
sense, they are obstructionists. They are
a drawback to any community They
are uncivilized America, because of
her government, permits these creatures
to hibernate and live among us.
Since the time is approaching when
all of the expeditionary forces will re-
turn across the seas, it is inevitable that
their thoughts should be more and more
OF home, their minds relieved of the
worry of war America has
made a wonderful record during the war;
her fame has spread far and wide by the
manner in which her men responded to
the call to arms. Are we to show less
foresight or less determination in meet
ing the problems of peace?
We are faced again with a great prob
lem, for our national prosperity, educa-
ton, and social intercourse Of the imme-
date future demand that this disadvan-
tage of roads be overcome This can
only be done by honest legislators max
ing laws, the enforcement Of which shall
be placed in the hands OF men who have
passed the test, by service in the con-
struction and maintenance Of highways.
Good roads mean extended prosperity to
America