Evening star., 1921-05-08
STATES PUSH PLANS
FOR A LEE HIGHWAY
Organizations and Officials Join in Cam
| paign to Make Road Great Memorial.
Opens Up Historical Points,

! tercourse and understanding easier
| 1t is to be the counterpart in the
| south of what the Lincoln highway
| means in the north.
Rnpidity in Movement.
| The movement to improve this
! great highway. for improvement is
| all that is needed. the highway itself
being now a reality. has moved with
| rapidity not found in the develop
ment of other similar memorials. but
yet characteristic of American speed
Already series of roads from New
York to New Orleans. the shortest
ana most direct route between these
two points. running through the Ma
tionai Capital, the Lee highway i'm
proVement is being pushed so fast by
/ the Lee Highway Association, that it
is predicted that within period of
three years it will become a fact in
/ one of the finest highways between
the metropolis and the southernmost
point, and with a lateral running to
San Francisco by way of Memphis-a
gigantic memorial of great soldier r
the nation.
Provides Pleasant Egress.
AS value to the National Capital it
cannot be overestimated, for il will
provide means of pleasant egress
! 10 the people of the country and
strike a greater interest than ever
tas been known before. 1t will open
up the historical points now difficult
to reach. 1t will open to general
view natural wonders which are the
rivals of the old world and will Gre
a'e an admiration of its people which
VIII lessen as nothing else can the
desire to see the other side
Already the headquarters for the
Lee Highway Association has been
moved from the south to this city,
and its directing officials are here.
several of them in official authority
IN the new administration President
Hardlns is heartily in favor of it's
ter to President D. d. Hull, jr.. he
said: ''' ~
Il am deeply interested in the
sood roads movement and I am es-
peclaily concerned with the devel-
opment of interstate highways which
are sure to knit the various sections
OF our country much closer together
ana bring them into that contact
ana understanding which will con-
tribute so much to the making of a
greater and better America. 1t is
mighty fne thought 20 make the Way
easier to connect north and south
ana bring them into that intimate
lelio"Shlp which is becoming All
these things are ref1exes of a very
promising American progress
IndOrsed by Woodrow Wilson.
Former President Wilson indorsed
1t IN these words:
t is certainly most appropriate
mortal to Gen. Lee 1t is one Of the
happy circumstances of our national
.llfe that the bitterness of the civil
war has disappeared and that Gen.
Lee is now recognized as a man
worthy of Che admiration of the
i'll, ~
was true to the nation, and he did
al in his power to heal the wounds
which were made by the bitter civil
take part
The Lee highway follows the nat
ural line of travel from the northeast
part of the country to the south.
and east and west bound traffic be-
tween the two coasts. 1t is the
shortest line of travel between the
points. assert those directing it's i'm
provenlent.
1t is possible to negotiate the
highway now. except in wet weather
the going is bad in spots but every
effort is being made to bring about
at least the temporary Improvement
of these stretches as quickly as pos
sble.
PASSES Natural Wonders.
Through the valleys of Virginia
] passes
most beautiful natural wonders of
the world. the caverns of Luray end
less caverns. the Shenandoah grot-
toes. and crosses the Natural bridge.
In the section from Washington to
Chattanooga it passes the greatest
wealth and varieties Of mineral
springs known to the world, around
which are the most beautiful scenery,
dotted with sanitariums and pleasure
resorts.
Between Roanoke and Knoxville, it
crosses laterals from the great coal
helds. section of untold possibilities
for development which awaits only
adequate transportation. In this sec
tion. too, may be found large forests
of hardwood timber.
Those who are bending their ef-
forts to an early Improvement of this
wonderful highway and who have
travelled its total length point out
that with the completion of this road.
the section which it traverses will
show a development second to none
in the country or in the world, for
that matter.
400 Miles to New Orleans.
The distance from New York to New
Orleans over the Lee Highway is
1.400 miles. From New York to
Washington the road is fine. but it
is in the section south of Washing
ION tHdl STfdltT OF tnt I'M
provement will have to take place
Between Staunton and Bristol. Va. is
worn macadam. but much of this has
been resurfaced. But in the section
between Staunton and Lexington. and
also in the vicinity of Christiansburg
below Roanoke there are a few miles
where the travelling is difficult after
heavy rains. At other times the en-
tire route between Winchester and
Bristol is in a usable condition. From
Bristol to Knoxville. Tenn. there is
only about fifteen miles of dirt road
in the whole 14S miles.
1t is expected that the road from
New Orleans in the direction of Bir-
ming ham. Ala. and up to the Iabama
state line Will be completed in a lit
tie over year The declaration of
the s25 100. 900 good roads bond issue
Of Alabama as Illegal makes i'm
provement in this state somewha t
uncertain. but those pushing the Lee
highway Improvement say that in
two or three years there undoubte ed Y
will be good road to birmingham,
and within three years the highway
between this city and birmingham
should be in a fine state for travel by
motor car.
The development of the proposed
route out of this city is attracting
no little interest at this time. 1t viii
open up a section rich in the coun-
rys history
CrOxs-COntinent Line.
The cross-continent line would leave
the New York New Orleans line at
Chattanooga and cross the Missis-
sippi at Memphis. 1t would traverse
Arkansas. Oklahoma. Texas. southern
New Mexico and Arizona, thus avoid =
ing the Rocky mountains. In this
section it would pass through Little
Rock. Ark: Roswell. n. NJ: FL Paso
Tex. and Phoenix. Ariz. This would
| carry the motorist through a terri
! tory rich in natural beauties and
wonders as well as a country rich in