The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-06-27
"A Road of Remembrance"
The Bankhead Highway

Washington June 26-(SpeciaD-.I hope says Attorney General A Mitchell Palmer that I may yet see the United States closely gridironed with scientific ally constructed highways, and my eff forts as a citizen will be to hasten that erd. When we do get such system of rational good roads, and I believe we will, it should be. lighted by electricity We have the power waiting in our rivers whose latent usefulness for transporta- ton has been too long neglected. Lighted highways will have a doubled carrying value, and will bring light and heat to the farmers outdoor"
 An event took place in the City of Washington on the morning of June IA, of a significance and interest especially to Alabamians which would have been given to the people in Alabama in great CT detail. had not dear old Hugh Roberts taken his flight a few days previous with the rest of the flock of correspondents to Chicago to report the Republican Con- vention l do not wield a facile pen, but it has been in my system ever since those exercises took place to tell our friends in Alabama about it, feeling certain of their interest and pride in the achieve- ments for good roads by the late lament ed Senator Bankhead.
 The war department having granted authority for the despatching of a motor
 
 Diego, California, over the Bankhead National Highway. Brig, General Charles B. Drake chief or the Motor Transpor- tation Corps, set June 14 as the time for the convoy to start. The morning dawned clear and cool. An early hour was set for the ceremonies which were both his- toric and impressive Secretary Daniels had gracously provided the Marine Band which is noted for it's good music The musicians were seated under the spreading boughS of a magnificent red beech tree which threw it's welcome shade about the speakers and audience Through a vista the flag floated on the south porch of the White House where President Wilson reviewed the convoy. The Senate Chaplain, Reverend Joseph r. Prettyman, offered an invocation, and the band played patriotic airs General Drake in explaining the purposes of this trip said: Tt was to assist in the devel- orment of a system of national highways by bringing before the public in an edu- cational way the necessity for such system: To provide extended field ser vice in connection with the training of officers and men in motor transporta- tion To recruit personnel for the var lous branches of the army To secure data on road conditions throughout the territory in the immediate vicinity of the highway along which the convoy will op- crate And to secure data relative to the vehicles"
 Alter brief and well pointed remarks by the president of the Bankhead high way, Col. Benhan Cameron, J. Asa Roun- tfee secretary of the association ap- pointed by General Drake, field director of the Motor Transport corps, in a very happy manner introduced the speakers Secretary of War Newton D. Baker. Sec- retary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, fla r.Nr cf (tf.,,,r lxy der, Lieutenant Governor Buchanan of Virginia, w. F. G. Harding, Governor Federal Reserve Board; John Skelton Williams, Comptroller of the Treasury Senator Oscar Underwood, who had hoped to be present on this occasion. wa out of the city for a much needed rest. I realize that space in your paper is too valuable to print in part even the splen- did talks made by so distinguished a group of men
 | WILL therefore. confine my communf- eaton to the more personal tributes paid by the speakers to Senator Bankhead. Secretary Baker said in part: "I feel that the spirit of that great and good man whose last public act, although his 1atai Illness was then upon him. was to visit the war department with a good roads delegation from twelve states. with the request that this convoy which is ieaVlng here today be sent out is now smiling down upon this scene He talked and worked for a system of good roads with that fine enthusiasm which char acterized all of his public activities. No more fitting name could be found than his for this highway, both as reward to him and his memory, for his great services to the cause, and to stimulate and stir those to whom the task is left to see it finished from ocean to ocean," At the conclusion of his address Secre- tary Baker presented a memorial wreath to the president of the Bankhead high way to be presented to the mayor of Los Angeles. At the same time Mrs Arthur G. Lund, daughter of Senator Bankhead the only member of his family then in Washington, presented a similar wreath in the name of the Bankhead family to be given the mayor of San Diego
 HARDING'S SPEECH
 Secretary Daniels, as did all of the speakers. paid glowing tributes to Sena- tor Bankhead, but it was W. P. G. Hard ing of Alabama, warm life long friend of the senator, who devoted his time to personal eulogies of Senator Bankhead He said:
 Back in the year 1886 the people of the Sixth district of Alabama elected as their representative in Congress a sturdy farmer-a practical man of vision and determination. John H. Bankhead came to Congress with a fixed idea of his mission in public life, an idea as definite the destination of the convoy which is about to depart from here this morning. He had determined that the keynote of his public career should be the improvement of the transportation facilities of the people.
 Tn those days there were no motor trucks or automobiles. Road building was conducted throughout the country in de- sultory way and purely as local or affair At the beginning of his public career MT. Bankhead de- to direct his efforts to the im- provement of domestic waterways, to make navigable streams which had not been utilized by commerce and to make more dependable and regular the navl- gation of the more important rivers of the country. He was interested also in the improvement and the deepening of