The Punta Gorda herald., 1920-04-22

All aboard! Let's go! We're start
ing from Manila, the great picturesque,
AmeriCaniZed Oriental city, and will
travel by automobile 200 miles to the
north to Baguio the summer capital OF
the Philippines. The trip can also be
made by train.
We have ahead of us one of the most
scenic, spectacular and thrilling auto.
mobile trips in the world. We will
have excellent roads all the way. The
Philippines are, in fact, a paradise fol-
autoists, possessing $500 miles of fine
macadamIzed roads.
The first part of the trip is through
typical small towns and then across
the central plain of Luzon and through
several rich and fertile provinces,
where tropical vegetation is seen at its
best. Here one Is impressed with the
great agricultural wealth of the Philip.
pines, which represents one of the
East's greatest producing areas, with
sources for the development of further
production. It is regrettably true that
even in the United States there Is far
from any real understanding of the
pOtentiallties of the islands.
At some points rice fields, looking in
the distance like the greenest of green
lawns, stretch away as far as the eye
can see. If you want color, If you
want to feel the romance and mystery
Of an Oriental twilight, pass this way
as the red eyed sun at the end of the
dying day is slowly sinking behind the
unending expanse of green fields. At
first you cry out in ecstacy at the
gorgeous scene. But as you ride along,
your eyes fastened on the panorama
of tintS and colOrs, and with the I'M
black Oriental night COM
ing on fast, you become enthralled
You no longer try to express your feel
ingS. You cannot. You realize that those
now fast changing, colorful master.
pieces in the heavens and on the land.
scape are pictures that no man can ad.
equateIy describe nor human hands du.
plicate. SO what's the use of trying
True, these are but impressions, but
the trayelOguer considers himself iustl.
fed in mentioning them, for they are
part of the trip to Baguio and return.
Indeed, the gorgeous sunsets in all
parts Of the Philippines leave an i'm.
preston on the mind Of the tourist that
IS everlasting.
We leave the palms and tropical
foliage and enter the zone of rugged
pine. We pass from the soft, incense
aden air Of the warm lowlands to the
crisp, invlgoratlng ozone of the tenn
perate zone, all within a few hours
time.
For mile after mile the road now fol-
lows the tortuous course Of river the
road lying in the bottom or on the
rocky sides of granite canyon.
The Philippines are rich in hydro
electric possibilities. This power Is the
cheapest power on earth. And 1t is
everlasting. Your traveloSuer Is nei-
ther prophet nor the son Of proph-
ct, but he predicts that one day there
will be innumerable Philippine govern
ment owned hydro-electric plants in
this canyon we are now passing
through. Think Of the possibilities Of
such project Today the trip from
Manila to Bagulo is too expensive for
the average Manila worker and his
family, many Of whom may live and
die without behOlding the wondrous
beauties Of their own island OF Luzon,
Think of what n blessing It would be
to Filipino mothers and children to
feel upon their fevered brows the cool.
inyigOrating breezes Of the mountain
tops now 80 near and yet so far! With
the Philippine government owning its
own electric railways and hydro-elec-
tFic plants It would be possible to bring