The sun., 1919-07-07
PERUHAS'NETWORK
OF GREAT HIGHWAYS
System Inherited From the
Incas Steadily Enlarged
! by New Rulers! r. =
y
SHIPPING ALSO GROWS
New Lines to Be Established
Owing to Success Of Present
Operations.
SHIPPING ALSO GROWS
BY CARLOS GIBSON,

Specially Written for the Latin Amer
tcdn Section OF THE Sun.
In addition to the information rela.
tive to Peruvian railways, published
in the Latin American Section OF TIKI
SUN of June %. 1t may be of interest
to furnish few facts relative to the
matter of national road building in
Peru. since this problem, of great i'm
portance at the present time, offers
undoubted opportunities to American
concerns which are willing to extend
the field of their operations.
There are numerous highways in Peru
in the Montana" (the highlands) as
well as on the coast and tablelands.
1t should not be forgotten that, Peru
has inherited from its former rulers,
the Incas. a natural inclination for the
construction of these extensive PUBLIC
roads which united Cuzco in the interior
with the Pacific coast. crossing Cuntt-
suyQ, Chinchasuyo, Antisuyo and Col
lasuyo, strategical points of the power
full empire which they consolidated and
WHICH was then in touch with the fur
thest regions. not excluding even the
distant kingdom Of the Seires. which the
last Inca monarch, Huaina Capac. con-
ouered and added to his empire by
means OF the astounding road which
united Quito, the present capital OF
Ecuador, to Cuzco, crossing the noun
tains and following the coast
Contemporary Peru has not lost this
ability and the problem of road building
has. been ever present in the minds OF
its public men. considerable sdnis- being
spent every year in its furtherance. this
phase OF Government activity providing
employment for approximately 5000
persons. The Government has within
recent years built roads which link up
the valleys Of the coast with one an
other and these with the highlands, in
the manner of the road from Quilca to
Camana and that Of Lambayeaue to
La Magdslena. Cerro de Pasco to Hua-
nuco, Tarma to La Oroya, Huancayo to
Ayacucho and Izcuchaca to Huancave-
lica and others, to enable the valuable
products OF the transandean zone to be
distributed. such as the Ninacaca to
lingo de Hualpa on the River Pachita
road; that of Caraz to Yungay and the
Abancay to Cuzco road.
Highways Recently Opened.
The most important highways re:
Gently opened to public trafhc are the
following
That Of Capamarca to La Magdalena.
so kilometers $50 meters long, which
cost 5000. or about $4,000.
Cerro de Pasco to Huanuco. almost a
hundred kilometers long. a wonderful
road which admits OF automobile trafnc.
whore a gradient OF ) per cent. has been
0v sinaoscal to lingo de ffuaips. fl the
Pachitea region. efrecting "a Junction
with the Cerro de Pasco Railroad. %
kilometers 200 meters long. with
maximum gradient Of 3.75 per cent, the
64 kllometers built so far. more than
two-thirds OF the total distance. having
cost E16,356. or about $4,000.
Tarma TO Oroya, 40 kbometers long
forIwhose upkeep the monthly sum Of
5000 has been set aside.
Huancayo to Ayacucho. a road SAG
kilometers, S04 meters long,. with a slope
OF per cent. in its total course, builtsst
cost OF fS0,111, about half a million
dollars. The road links up with the
Huancayo railway, and has been OF the
utmost benefit to the important mining
centres through which It passes, espe-
cialty for those OF Huancavelica, Iscu-
chaca and La Mejorada. which two lat
ter are united by a road,61 kilometers
long with a maximum gradient of 8
per cent.
Abencay TO Cuzco. This is a compile
mentary road to the Santa Ana railway,
which, together with it, extends for 204
kilometers through the extensive pam
pa" or plain OF Santa Ana. and is called
upon to develop in the highest degree the
fertile departments of Apurimac and
Cuzco and facilitate the transportation
OF the many resources of the Montana"
region OF Peru.
The newest OF the constructed roads
is that of Sullana TO Morropon. 1l3
l;ilometers long. Others OF equal Inn
portance are those OF Caraz to Yungay.
lingo de Hualpa to Pachitea. Paruro
TO Cuzco and La Puntilla to Izco, which
are; in course OF construction.
waterways on River ana Lake. :
Peru possesses numerous ports, bays
and harbors and has at its command
countless means OF maritime transport,
both of river and lake. The principal
port is CaTlao. ten kilometres from Lima,
which possesses harbor and dock facili-
ties OF great commercial importance in
keeping with its position. as the most
frequented port OF call In the Pacific
and one Of the best, II not the best, port
on the west coast of South America.
Iquitos on the Amazon, River brings
Peru in contact with the Atlantic and
acts as the clearing house for the prod
ucts OF the tropical zone drained by the
Maranon. Ccayali. Huallaga and .Napo
rivers, all tributaries Of the mighty
Amazon and navigable by shallow draft
steamers, which belong principally TO
the large rubber firms established In
Iquitos. On Lake Titicaca n. feet OF
steamers carries on an active trade. be-
tween Peruvian and Bolivian ports on
its shores. a. .-., ~.
The principal steamship. companies ON
the Pacific coast are the Pacific Steam
Navigation, Company (British). the
Compania Sud Americana de Vapores
(South American), the Campania Per-
uana de Vapores (Peruvian) and the
Merchants or Grace Line (American).
The last two are the most recent and
are assured an important future. The
firm OF w. r. Grace & Co, which has
tween New York and the west coast OF
South America. has inaugurated a new
line since the first OF the month. be.
tween New Orleans and the West Coast
which will provide additional freight ia
ciIities for international commercial
communication between the two CONT
nents. ~.
The following figures will give an idea
OF the development which has taken
place in commerce between Peru and
the United, States: ct.S, srr
1sls-Peruyian merchandise exported > 90
TO the United States Aforementioned S. 242, $40
1sI9-Peruvian merchandise exported
20 the United States ,.,............., ASH. $50
1slf-Peruvian merchandise exported
to- the United States ~ $50, ia
The returns for 1918 have outdis-
tanned all former years. according to
coynnatent authoritiss hut thu of3oIaI