Evening star., 1923-06-04
SHRINE THOUSANDS THRONC CITY
AS CONCLAVE GETS UNDER WAY;
DUE HERE BY TONIGHT
Multitude Sees Dedication
Service at Zero Milestone
Marker of Hub of National Highway
System, accepted by President on
Part of Nation.

carry the institutions and the civiliza-
tion of the imperial state to their
expanding world. The Romans were
the highway builders of the ancient
world; and we shall find inspiration
on this occasion I'm the thought Of
how greatly their highways infiu-
enced the course of all history since
their time. Along those ancient
highways surged the great conflict
ing forces of civilization and bar
barism. now ebbing. now flowing
but always influencing the barbarians
toward the civilization. the institu-
tions, the religion of the italian penin-
sula. Indeed, it would require little
imagination to picture our civilliZa-
tlon In terms Of its distance, by miles
or by centuries. from that ancient
Roman community which first con-
celved the highways as the arteries
or the enlightened state. Always the
avenues OF trade were the paths of
widening civilization.
Dependent on Highways.
Our country has been more de-
pendent upon the development of in
ternal highways than any other in
all history, because our vast con-
unentlal area is so ill-supplied with
those arms of sea. which have always
kept the countries of western Europe
In close touch with that great uni
Versal and common hghroad, the
open ocean. To US. coming late in
the drama OF human development. it
was particularly necessary that won
ders of highway construction should
be accomplished in an almost incon-
celYably short time. On the whole,
we nave made wonderful progress,
as Is attested by the fact that our
continent possesses approximately
half OF the worlds whole mileage of
railroads. But in the matter of rural
roads. tributary TO these. We have un-
til very recent years made a far less
impressive advance. Within two dec
AIDES, however. marking the begin
ming of the motor age, our advance
in this respect has been phenomenal,
making 1T most fitting that a recog-
niZed center of the highway system
should at this time be set up.
1T is appropriate, too, that our
golden milestone has been placed here
in the National Capital. the spiritual
and institutional center of the nation.
From it Will diverge, to it will con-
verge, the ceasless tides whose move
ment will always keep our wide flung
population in that close intimacy of
thought, and tntsrssts and aim
L 4 unies srd e III nss
Meeting Place of Highways.
There Is another reason why this
particular location should have been
chosen for our golden milestone. 1t
marks the approximate meeting place
of the Lincoln highway and the Lee
highway: of the northern and south
ern systems of national roads. From
II we may view the memorial to Lin
coin and the home of Lee. 1t marks
the meeting point of those sections
which once grappled in conflict, but
now are happily united for all time
in the bonds of national fraternity,
of a single patriotism and of a COM
mon destiny. AS we shall extend
and improve our highways and more
and more adapt them to the methods
of transport which this age has so
marvelously developed for us, we
shall strengthen, year by year, the
ties of mutual interest and interde-
pendence which united all our sec
tions Every year of our develop
ment in this epoch of rapid and uni
versal transportation makes it more
unthinkable that suggestion of dis
union shall ever be tolerated among
us.
Our highway system has been
Continued on Page II. Column %