Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1922-07-13
OST ROUTE IS
ESSENTIAL In
DEFENSEPLANS
War Department Urges Com
pletion Of Old Spanish
Trail Along Border To San
Diego, California
(By Mark L. Goodwin in tn
Dallas News)

Daiias NeWsJ
Washington, July 9.-Complction
of the old Spanish trail system Of
highways from st. Augustine, Fla,
through Texas, paralleling the Mex
lean border to San Diego, is urged
by the War Department, in state
ment issued by Acting Secretary Of
War Wainwright, under date of
July z, as an essential element in
plans of the department for national
defense. The highway should be
completed without delay, says the
statement, and according to the
best Federal standards for road con
struction. Recognition of the high
way with its connecting roads, ac-
cording to a statement from Harral
b. Ayres Of San Antonio, managing
director Of the Old Spanish Trail
Association, in its national distinct
ton, is the result of seven years
effort. Mr.. Avres has been in Wash
ington for six weeks, and through
the interest of members OF Con-
gress from the States supporting the
highway, was able to bring its i'm
portance to the attention Of the
War Department, and based upon
data already compiled by the Gov
ernment, to secure the approval.
The Old Spanish Trail System en-
braces 1000 miles of trunk lines,
about one-half of which mileage is
in Texas, including trunk lines To
border points for military and tour
ist purposes.
"All this mileage" said Mr.. Ayres,
now is rated as primary Importance
on maps being prepared for the Fed
eral Highway System, except pos
sibly 100 miles. The War Depart
ment statement is really a culmina-
ton Of general agreement among
national leaders Of the necessity for
invoking all forces to promptly car
ry on construction and to conform
all plans to the important character
Of the project.
The trail enters Texas from Lake
Charles and Vinton, La. at Orange,
touching Beaumont, Liberty and
Houston. From Houston there IL a
fifty mile drop to Galveston. West
ward from Houston the route in
cludes Richmond, Rosenberg, Eagle
Lake, Columbus, Waelder, Gonzales,
Seguine, San Antonio, Borne, Com
fort, kerrville, Junction, Roosevelt,
Sonora, Ozona, Sheffield, Fort Stock
ton, Kent, Vanhorn, Sierra Blanca,
Fabens, Mission, Ysleta and FL Paso
From Eagle Lake, trunk line
from the main highway drops along
the coast country TO Corpus Christi,
where the Government has recently
approved a new deep water port,
and on to Brownsville. In the vicin-
ity of Corpus Christi this drop is
met by another from San Antonio.
Also from San Antonio the plans
redo, and another due westward
from San Antonio to Del Rio. From
Fort Stockton to Vanhorn the route
is doubled, the lower one including
Fort Davis, Maria, and Valentine.
The Rio Grande is paralleled from
Del Rio and to the lower portion Of
the double route at Maria. There is
another drop due south from Maria
to the border.
The Importance Of the system from
military conception in the de-
fense plans is indicated in the
War Department statement, showing
that the corps headquarters at San
Antonio and other border concentra-
tion points are brought within easy
distance Of the Southern frontier.
The following is the statement Of |
Acting Secretary of War Vain
wright:
"The highway from Pensacola,
through Mobile to New Orleans, il
considered by the War Department
of first Importance, and its early
completion in accordance with Fed
eral standards, including necessary
bridges, is urged in the interest Of
the national defense. A standard
Federal highway between Pensacola I
and Jacksonville also il considered /
important.
I'm Texas the following trunk |
highways are considered essential \
from the standpoint of military ope-
rations along the border; San An
tonic to Del Rio, with branch road \
ley; San Antonio to Laredo; San An
tonic TO Del Rio, with brnach road /
to Eagle Pass; along the Rio Grande
from Brownsville to Del Rio, thence
westerly to Maria mad FL Paso, with
connections southwark to Corpus
Christi. Standard Federal highways
from San Antonio to Houston, Gal