The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1922-10-05
VICTORY HIGHWAY news

sion of the standing which the Vic
tory Highway has secured during its
year of existence, as a sentimental
memorial to the men and women who
served their country during the world
war as well as a commercial PROPOSE
ton, is found in the following edi-
torial, which appeared in the San
Francisco Bulletin, in the issue of
September 6, under the title, CIVIC
tory Highway Greatest Monument in
All History"
''When the Victory Highway is
completed it will constitute the great
est monument in all history. From
the pyramids to the peace palace at
The Hague there is nothing that COM
pares with the gigantic enterprise of
proclaiming our part in the World
War by means of a paved roadway
crossing the continent and linking the
two oceans with a concrete chain $500
miles long. The most colossal of the
triumphal arches, ancient or modern,
becomes a minor circumstance when
contrasted with the Victory High
way. And, like the roads of ancient
Rome, it will be an enduring monu-
ment preserved as long as the United
States remains the great republic of
the West.
At each end of the highway there
will be an enormous bronze statue of
a soldier standing at salute, the one
in San Francisco facing New York,
and the one in New York facing San
Francisco. There will be other
statues at the State boundaries and
at each county line a memorial con-
tanning the names of the men of the
county that gave their lives to the
cause of their country.
Arrangements have been made for
a prize of $500 for the best design for
the terminal statues, the same to be
open to competition among sculptors
in California, and it is proposed that
San Francisco, in addition to erect
ing her own bronze statue, shall
donate a duplicate to the City of
New York The statue in New York
will bear tablet stating that it is the
work of a Californian sculptor and
the gift of San Francisco.
This matter of emphasizing the
terminal cities is vitality important to
San Francisco. Los Angeles, natur-
ally, is not hospitable to the Victory
Highway, and in the publicity maps
sent out by that city the new road
prefers the Lincoln Highway because
by that route it is comparatively easy
to divert transcontinental traffic in
its direction. Ben Blow, who is en-
gagged in promotion work for the Vic
tory Highway, makes the practical
suggestion that when the road is
completed San Francisco should
establish an Office in Salt Lake for the
purpose of giving tourists the inform
alton that will send them over the
road to this city instead of over the
Southern route.
AS far as completed the Victory
Highway is already attracting more
business than any other road, and
when the last links have been con-
structed there should be enormously
increased transcontinental traffic to
San Francisco.
Everything is in favor of the Vic
tory Highway. 1t is declared by the
Automobile Association to be the best
of all possible transcontneintal routes
not only in the matter of maximum
attractions The entrance to Cali
fornia is by way of the Truckee river
canyon, and after a stretch of desert
country it will present to the tourist
most alluring picture of the beau
ties of the State.
For this and other reasons the en-
terprise is supported by the leading
officials of the country from the Pres
ident to the Governors of the re-
spective States.
San Francisco wants the Victory
Highway because it is the nationally
designed monument to our part in the
World War. She wants it because it
will be another link between the East
and the West, and she wants it be-
cause, when completed, it will bring
the maximum of roadway tourists to
San Francisco"
10000
The memorial nature of the Vic
tory Highway, transcontinental motor
route from San Francisco, Cal, to
New York City, is being more strong
ly emphasized as the project grows.
The commercial and industrial value
of the road is not ignored. The cities
and towns along the highway are