Evening star., 1923-06-04

of the discovery of the Gilt Pill
lar" erected by Augustus Caesar in
the Forum of Pome-the milestone
from which started the great system
of wonderful and substantially built
highways that led from Rome
throughout the great empire !.
Today we are dedicating this Zero
Milestone" in the capital of our
great country. the starting point of
our national highway system which
carries enlightenment, progress, in
dustry and prosperity to all parts of
our broad land.
In ancient Rome. the need for a
more extensive system of good roads
exceeded the governments ability to
construct them. Notwithstanding the
building it was doing, so julius
Caesar and other leading men of his
time contributed literally from their
private funds to an enlarged road
building program. Today we find
ourselves in the same condition Rome
was in during Caesars time in this
respect, so numbers of public-spirited
citizens of our country are contrib
uting literally from their private
funds to an enlargement and better
ment of our national highway sys-
tenn.
Birth of National Highways.
Let this ceremony proclaim the
birth of new national highway
spirit. and may this inspire US as a
nation TO enlarge and extend our
present federal aid road program to
meet our constantly increasing traffic
requirements, which the rapid eco
nomic and social development of our
country demands. We need addi-
tional legislation, providing for fed
eral construction and federal main
tenance of roads on unappropriated
N n
mo more urgent demand faces US
today than the. building and main
tanning of an adequate system of ma
tional highways which we now lack.
1t will enlarge our economic activi-
ties and prosperity to an extent al
most beyond calculation. What finer
and more useful monument can men
build than good roads-the best evil
dence of civilization in any age. Let
this new national highway spirit
reach every corner of our broad land
The result will exceed our fondest
hopes"
America makes its roads serve
more people than any other nation,
Mr.. Chaplin pointed out in his ad-
dress. THE highway is now an in
and appreciate it as never before"
he said. Let us all seek to under
stand it's manifold influences upon
our citizenship-mold it for the
3 L
our children's children-beautify it,
guide 1t straight:
All Roads to Washington.
Time was when all roads led to
Rome" said Mr.. Chaplin in opening
his address. THE world moves west
| ward. civilization follows the same
pathway and today we dedicate this
roads lead to Washington. From this
zero milestone will radiate to the
homes in America improved high
ways over which will pass daily tens
of millions of our people and a vast
proportion of our commerce.
ut is appropriate that this marker
of the hub of the American highway
system should be located at our capi-
tal-named for the one who brought
this nationalism about. Just north of
running eastward to the Atlantic and
westward to the Pacific, Is the
Lincoln highway an everlasting
memorial to him who abhorred sec
tionalism and who kept united for
posterity this great nation of ours.
From here. tying the north and soutf
together, runs the Lee highway.
What more fitting than it should be
ever will hold our respect and ad-
miration!"
DR.. Johnson's Idea.
The idea for the zero milestone
was originally conceived by DIR.
Johnson in a letter to Col. J. NJ.
Ritchie of the Motor Transport Corps.
June z. 1919. the plan being that it
mark the starting point of the motor
convoy to the Pacific coast, and that
it be dedicated by the President of
the United States.
The Secretary of War was author
ized by Congress. June 5, 1920, to
erect a zero milestone, the design to
be approved by the Fine Arts Com
| mission, and on condition that the
government be at no expense, since