The sun., 1919-07-28
INTEREST REYIVES
!. IN PAN-RAILROAD
--.-----s----....- ---- ~ si.-
Project Connecting American
Continents Gains Impetus
l Through War.
HIPPING Is INADEQUATE
|outh America. Further Away
Than Europe and Almost
Isolated at Present.
HIPPING Is INADEQUATE
ny A. A. pnrcIADo.

ny A. A. PREcIADo.
frtften expressly for tho Latin Amer
icon Section of THE SUN.
south America is not nearer to the
United States than any other market in
be world. as many suppose. The fact
bat It happens to be a part OF the New
Forid and that It In geographically
bnnected to the North American CONT
knt does not bring II physically nearer
J the United States.
When It Is remembered that It is near
/ 5000 miles from New York to Val
praise and about 5000 miles from New
fork to Buenos Ayres and only 3.74o
plies separate the American metropolis
rom London and 4.s40 miles from Ham,
burg, the vast space between this coun-
fy and the principal centres Of South
lmerica can readily be visualized. 1t
bikes something like twenty-four days
pr n letter to reach Valparaiso from
Few York. Sometimes the time can be
put down to seventeen days. About
wenty-four days are required for
letter to travel from THE SUN Office to
buenos Ayres: A New Yorker on BUSH
less bent may visit London and return
lorne and then return to the British
hpital before a traveller may reach VAL
tafbibo OF 1uenOB AyFeS lTOIn tnlb poEG
The choicest markets for American
Merchants In South America at present
te south of the equator. but they are
lot nearer to the source OF supply
han some Of our lucrative helds in old
Europe. II seems. therefore. that when
Inc speaks of South America ais being
nearer to the United States II Is pos
tble one means nearer" In a political
iense, for we are every bit Of that The
Lmilarity Of our political institutions
Ana the common ideals OF democracy
hat the peoples of the two continents
Worship invite friendship. good will and
Pie cooperative desire to safeguard these
treasures. .I
Il has been the dream OF American
hs we'll as South American. champions
H Pan-American solidarity, however.
10 link the two continents together In
kone concrete form that should supple
hent the common political ties A gigan-
tic railroad system that would stretch
from Canada to Buenos Ayres has often
been suggested by engineers who have
given the matter considerable thought.
The IDEA is an old one, however. 1t was
practically born at the Pan-American
Conference in washington in 1890. dur
Ing President Roosevelt's Administration.
At that time PaD-American commit
ticability of the project
4 Lessons of War Days. .i
Interest Jagged, however. although up
to the time Of the great war consider
able interest was manifested in all the
countries through which the road was
to pass The war OF course put an end
to the matter temporarily at least. but
even II 1t did postpone action on the
gigantic proposition 1t awakened the
people of both continents to the real
ization that. an Inadequate number of
steamers could easily isolate South
America In times of stress such as
those the world recently experienced.
The necessary supply Of merchandise In
South America ran very low during the
war days. Prices hit the ceiling. The
cost of living doubled and all on &C
count ofNthe lack of tonnage.
The champions of the Pan-American
railroad contend that a line running
from the United States to the southern
most section of South America would
remove all fears of future Isolation. as
the tremendous quantity of freight that
could be hauled over the land route and
dropped of at various centres along the
line would relieve the pressure that
might arise as the result of shortage
In shipping. Not only that. but the
road would tap some of the richest VAL
legs In South America, whose products
are rotting In the interior Tor the want
of adequate transportation.
n seems that interest in the project is
again reviving. Press dispatches from
Buenos Ayres declare that an engineer
In that city by the name Of Juan Briano
has been arousing enthusiasm among
bankers IN the matter through articles
in the newspapers. Briano's plan is to
tap the valleys of Colombia and to eff
feet q coordination with the navigable
rivers for the shipping Of freight to the
ports along the seaboard.
IN Chile Senior Santiago vicuna, mem
Der Of the Institute of Engineers and
former chief engineer of that country's
railway system. recently prepared a
paper IN which he explained the details
of q proposed line which he submitted
to the Pan-American Conference In
1910. In an interview with the writer
last fall In Chile, Senior vicunS declared
that only 20 per cent. Of the line re-
quired construction, as the existing rail-
roads now In operation In the various
countries could be requisitioned to form
part OF the gigantic system.
'-rhe main lines OF Canada, the United
States, Mexico and Guatemala already
being connected" said Senior Vicuna.
''the Pan-American railroad would fol-
low from Zacapa. the terminal station
OF the Guatemalan railroads. and on
through the other Central American
countries. utilizing the lines of those
regions and tapping the principal citieA
and valleys until II reached the Republic
of Colombia In this country the line
v ould run along the River Atrato, cross
the Western Mountains. pass thrSdgh
the fertile valleys and, continuing via
Paste and Itiale to the Republic OF
Ecuador, -rr ~
Need OF Railroads.
Senior yicuna explained that the main
line could connect with various branches
running to other parts ;of Colombia and
Venezuela. The most expensive and dir
fcult sector of the line would be encoun
tered in the Colombian, and Venezuelan