The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-02-22
NEW IMPETUS GIVEN. RAILROAD PROJECT ID SOUTH AMERICA
Line From Hudson Bay to Patagonia Nearer Reali- zation Than Ever
 Before
By Associated Prsss

New York. February l4.--NedltzatloH of the dream of railroad from 'Hud- son Bay to Patagonia and Buenos Aires" has been brought nearer as a result of the recent Pan-American financial conference in Washington, ac- cording to Charles M. Pepper who in 1903, was appointed by President Roosevelt under authority of Congress to visit the several countries from Mex 3co southward and report on the project
 journey by rail from the Arctic Circle to the tip of South Amertca-ap- proximately 10000 miles-could be made under good traffic conditions, 1t has been estimated, in Is to IS days. At pres ent 24 days are required for the 5,S71- mile sea voyage from New York to the capital of Argentina.
 This dream of a trans-hemisphere trunk line, running almost the entire length of the two American continents was born in the brain of Hinton Rowan Helper, a southern writer and former United States consul in South America, more than 50 years ago. The late United States Senator Henry Gassaway Davis of West Virginia, a practical railroad builder, saw it's feasibility, and, with Andrew Carnegie and other w&althy Americans, gave the idea fresh impetus James c. Blaine also once advocated it.
 The project however, received first definite form at the International American conference held in Mexico City in 1902. when it appointed per manent Pan-American railway com mittee composed of prominent citizens of the United States and diplomatic of ficials of Latin American countries resident in Washington. Former Sena- tor Davis and MT. Carnegie were mem bers of it. Later, as the envoy of the President and the representative of the committee, MT. Pepper went to Central America and South America, and, after visiting the various countries for year, returned and made report which has been the basis of subsequent dis cussion and legislation.
 The general idea outlined in the Pepper report was that the different South and Central American nations in their railway construction should give special attention to the links in through ter-continental trunk line north and south which ultimately would be joined. Attention was also given to the building of branch lines and feed ers." especially in South America, on the theory that in time there would be through lines from the Atlantic to the Pacific which would form intersecting systems.
 Subsequent Pan-American confer ences held at Rio Janeiro and Buenos Aires approved the idea and continued the Pan-American railway committed. The interna tional high commission, now renamed as the Inter American High Commission, which was the outgrowt tn of the first Pan-American financial also approved the project and urged it's conference held in Washing ton in 1915, support by the various republics.
 "In the eighteen years since the plan was indcrsed by the Mexican confer ence," explained MT. Pepper, consider able progress has been made in joining up various railway sections. Chile has completed the longitudinal line from Puerto Montt in the south to the rail- ways in the north, which form functions with the main trunk of the Pan-American system.
 'sThe Transandine line, from Valparaiso to Buenos Aires, also has been complet- ed, while the lines joining the Brazilian systems radiating from Rio de Janeiro have been finished so that they form functions with Uruguayan and Argentine lines.
 '-The Argentine line was finished to the southern border of Bolivia at La Quiaca several years ago, while Bolivia has closed up most of the links in her Pam American trunk line. There are now less than 125 miles in Bolivia to be com pleted, some of which is also graded, in order to provide through railway con nection from Buenos Aires to La Paz and to the Pacific, It would cost ap- proximately s5,ocoooo to complete it.
 ''The group committee on Bolivia at the recent Pan-American financial con- ference recommended that loan be granted Bolivia for the purpose of com pleting this link. It was explained that the gauge was the same as that of the Argentine lines and an arrangement by which Bolivia could use Argentine rolling stock was suggested"
 By a coincidence MT. Pepper, who made the Pan-American railway report under President Roosevelt, was member of the group committee on Bolivia. He also was railway adviser to the committee on transportation. This committee adopt cd a resolution offered by Martinez Var gas of Bolivia for calling a Pan-American railway conference further to consider the subject of railway operation, inter change of traffic. standardization of rates and financing. This resolution as amended by the committee on resolu- tions and adopted by the recent confer ence, provided for referring the calling of such meeting of Pan-American rep resentatives to the inter American high co ommissiop. Just when the trans hemisphere railroad conference will be called has not yet been determined
 Argentine's keen interest in developing the Pan-American trunk line project was indicated by Dr. Cicardo c. Aldao, a member of the Argentine financial mis- sion, not only at the conference in Washington, but also in his address at the recent banquet of the Pan-American Society here. It was later pointed out by others that Argentina now has a LOO mile railroad from Buenos Aires to the Bolivian border, much of 1t built by British capitalists whose interests in South America are estimated at s4ooo. : 0o,eoo, half of which is said to be in Argentina. The Argentine government, 1t was said, controls this line. France and Belgium also have heavy South American railroad investments
 The war, 1t is said has made 1t vir- trally impossible for Furopean countries to continue their financing of South America and this is why delegations from Colombia Peru. Chile. Brazil. Ecua- dor, Uruguay, Paraguay and other South American lands have visited the United States in recent years to awaken invest ors to what they call "a big investment opportunity" The proposed trunk line would run from the United States through Mexico. Central America, Co., lombia, Ecuador. Peru. almost the en- tire length of Chile and from La Quiaca, Bolivia, to Buenos Aires. From this main line would be connecting roads, some already completed. extending like fin gers" in many directions toward the At lantic ocean.
 wireless station five times the strength of the Eiffel tower station. with a sending radius of 250o miles. or half way around the world, is to be