Evening star., 1923-06-04

Continued from First Page)
laid down on lines which we recog-
nize as presenting a parallel to our
political institutions. For in our
scheme of communications we have
carefully adhered to the general plan
of national unifcatton with local
control and responsibility for local
elements. Our highways are built
by and under the states, with such
federal participation as is calcu-
lated to assure continuity and ar
ticulation: precisely as our political
system seeks to work out the local
control of interests that are essen
TALLY local, while maintaining ma
tional sovereignty over national con-
Germs. We have all come to realize,
with the growth of motor transport.
in the open country, that a broad
plan must be kept always in mind
aiming to make the improved rural
highways Complementary to the rail-
ways.
Rural Life Showing Effects.
The rural life of the nation is
showing the effects of the trans
portation revolution which has been
annihilating distances and costs. and
removing the disadvantages of re-
moteness and isolation which have
ever been the greatest drawbacks
to life in the country. Thus far the
motor vehicle has seen an evolution
SO rapid that the highway has not
kept pace with the vehicle. But de-
spite all our difficulties since the
war, a truly wonderful progress has
been made in highway construction,
until now the Interstate system of
approximately 100000 miles begins
to assume definiteness.
But lying beyond this system of
modern main highways. are more
than 100000 miles of roads whose
service is though of great Importance.
essentially local. Looking out from
the viewpoint of this. our golden
milestone. we must recognize the OBJ
legation to modernize these more re-
mote sections of the system, to the
fullest extent justified by economic
conditions. Every form of transport.
by water. by rail, by highway, or by
maximum of the particular kind of
service for which it is best fitted.
Urges Use as Air Distance Zero.
I'm this connection it will not be
inappropriate to suggest that in our
development of airways, for the
aviation of the continent. this Zero
stone and others which will be placed
in the various cities, may be used as
reference points for obtaining the air
distances and of landing fields.
The importance of perfected
highway system as measure of ma
tional defense has been profoundly
impressed upon us, and must not be
overlooked. The amazing mobiliZa
tion of the forces which only yester-
day were fighting for civilization, was
possible in no small part because the
roads built by the Caesars were still
available for such tremendous move
mentS. If the time comes when our
own country has need for a like
mobilization in the national defense,
perfect system of highways will
be one of our most powerful bull
warks.
The efforts of the various ma
tional road organizations which are
presented here today, for the COM
pletion of main trunk highways from
long distances, are altogether to be
commended. The Lee Highway Asso-
citation, in presenting the government
with this monument, is making an
important contribution to the CO.
ordination of the highways. There
is not in existence at present a sin
gle road from coast to coast which
the entire year. So, in the spirit of
patriotic ambition for d national
highway unification. this association
has planned to connect Washington,
Baltimore, Philadelphia and New
York with a boulevard, and to con-
tinue that boulevard from the Lin
coin Temple to the Lee mansion by
way Of the Arlington Memorial
bridge, thence, by way of the Manas-
sas battleflelds, into the heart of the
south. and thence to the Pacific.
Erecting Pacific Milestone.
'At San Diego. 5000 miles away,
this same association is now erecting
the Pacific milestone. At San Fran
cisco it will shortly erect the termi-
nal milestone; these to be duplicates
of the zero stone here, and properly
inscribed. On each will be given the
latitude, longitude and elevation
above the sea. Like monuments are
planned for other strategic points
throughout the continent. All will
be official bench marks of the United
States coast and geodetic survey.
1T is, therefore, apparent that this
ceremony of today is truly significant
in connection with the evolution of
accepting the gift Of this zero mile
stone to the nation, I wish to thank
the Lee Highway Association for the
contribution which it plans to the Sc
curity, unity, development and well
fare of our nation. We may flttingly
dedicate the zero milestone to its pur-
pose, in the hope and trust that it
will remain here through the genera
tionS and centuries, while the repub-
lie endures as the greatest institu-
tional blessing that providence has
given to any people"
AL SlO"u, SuCu DIS never
before congregated in the vicinity of
the south front of the White House,
viewed the ceremonies, which fitting
ly marked the arrival of the trans
continental Shrine motor caravan in
Washington, and the greatest as
semblage of automobiles in history.
Cheers from the immense throng
greeted the caravan of machines as
1t rounded the Ellipse, led by Caravan
Director Noble Bernard S. Mcmahon
and escorted by Edgar c. Snyder
chairman of the entertainment COM
mittee of the Shrine convention, and
DR.. J. T. Prendergast, chairman of the
Shrine conclave automobile commit
tee.
Ask New Highway Spirit.
Strong pleas that the monument
proclaim the birth of a new national
highway spirit and inspire the nation
to enlarge and extend the present
federal aid program to meet the con-
stantly increasing traffic require
ments were made by speakers repre-
senting the government and automo-
bile organizations. Among them were
Thomas H. Mcdonald, director of the
United States bureau of public roads;
J. Walter Drake, assistant secretary
of commerce; DR.. s. NJ. johnson, gen.
eral director of the Lee Highway AS