Evening star., 1922-11-05

ment authorities. while. yet doing
their full required duty. may be prone
TO take the easiest course by indors-
ing a route required by the state au-
thorities, which under the law have
the initiative.
You will remember how dry and
unsympathetic were the reports we
ana the associations engineers made
20 you in regard to the facts and ex-
istlng conditions and requirements
as compared with the results of your
personal Investigations after / in
sisted that you take the time to in
spect the desert crossings yourself
before you and Mr.. Fisher gave the
state $125,000 to build the route 1t
then indorsed.
"A right decision now is Of the most
vital importance to all cross-country
motor traffic of the future and par
ticuiarly to all of northern California,
which while tremendously affected
has no official voice in the matter If
you can emphasize to Secretary Wall
! lace through your personal knowl-
edge OF the facts the Importance of
this situation and the error into which
the bureau may fall. 1 hope you will
do SO. Northern and central Califor-
| mia would be forced to largely aid
| the expensive construction of the road
now demanded by Utah in order to
provide any inlet for westbound
traffic should the Lincoln way be left
without federal aid. Central Nevada
financed and across which it will be
completed by 1924 would have no con-
nection to Salt Lake City.
Discusses Utah's Attitude.
"There is some likelihood that Utah.
at present, does not anxiously desire
the construction of any road west
from Salt Lake City. Tourists would
spend more time and necessarily
more money in Utah in following, out
of necessity, that road leading south
from Salt Lake City through the en-
tire length Of the state and connect
ing through southern Nevada with
Los Angeles, than they would on any
direct western route across the des-
ert into northern California. Six
months work could, with the funds
we have offered, together with Tooele
county money and federal aid, make
the Lincoln highway excellent for
| travel in western Utah, while years
| must elapse before the new proposed
road could be travelled at all. for
which reason northern California's
desire to see the prompt completion
Of the Lincoln highway can be well
understood.
"Regardless Of what action the
exigencies Of the political situation
may develop in western Utah. all
America owes a great debt to your
self, Mr.. Fisher, Mr.. Durant and Mr..
Willys, who have contributed such
large sums, and to the many thou
sands of people who contributed lesser
amounts to aid in bringing about the
opening of road first across the
American continent-the Lincoln
highway. 1t has been, and is. the
guiding principle of the present main
arterial highway system of America.
The Lincoln way has certainly been
the great "object lesson road we in
tended it to be. and but for the vacil-
lating policies of varying political ad-
ninistrations in the state of Utah
would have been by now open for
comfortable and safe travel across
the continent.
Crucial Moment Mt Hand.
Now a crucial moment exists when
effort from every source should be put
forth to prevent any possibility of "a
! wrong decision which would indefi-
nitely delay the completion of the last
link in the cross-country road. The
states east of Utah which have in
vested millions in providing good
connecting road from New York city
| to Salt Lake have done their part well
and have a vital interest in the open
ing of the route to the Pacific coast.