Evening star., 1924-09-06
AMERICAN MOTORS
FAVORED IN SPAIN
Neglect of Highways in Past
Gives Impetus to Traffic
Under Present Revival.
Correspondence Of The Star ard the Chicago
Daily

Correspondence Of The Star ard the Chicago
Daily News.
MADRID. Spain. August 1J-One of
the most important items on the di-
rfctorate'S program is the reorgapiza-
ton of communications. Highways.
waterways and railroads were in
cred1bly neglected by former gov
ernments. The most neglected were
the highways-to the point, indeed.
that one can pick out on a large scale
map more than 1000 Spanish villages
with no roads leading into them
Since the directorate took office
progress is to be reported The up
Keep OF the existing roads imme-
diately improved by the mere order
for general inspection in April
This infused much activity into the
road members and engineers of the
public works department. The i'm
proVement is most welcome to trav-
elers in motor cars and in the auto
buses that are rapidly replacing the
old mule stage coaches of picturesque
but agoniZing memory.
There are in Spain 10000 miles of
roads only about 5000 miles of which
can be called first class. Upwards of
90 per cent of the total are third
class roads. suitable for only cart
and mule traffic These figures show
what great possibilities of develop
ing the country lie ahead if road
building keeps pace with motor traffic
development. The characteristic of
the present situation is that motor
traffic has suddenly overtaken the
road system and is even far ahead of
it. Good cars are being knocked to
pieces on bad roads.
Quick Progress After World War.
Motor developments came with a
rush after the Great War. Hundreds
of French and German lorries were
sold cheap in Spain. These vehicles
soon died, but they showed what motor
lorries could do. Oil and wine pro-
ducers. as well as brickmakerS and
charcoal, burners, soon saw that the
performances of the heaviest teams of
mules We're easily surpassed. AS most
of Spain's mules had been sold to the
allies at prices which trebled the value
of mule flesh, the discovery was
welcome.
Then came the venture of an Ameri-
can manufacturer of low-priced cars
in setting up an assembling factory at
Cadiz. This enterprise contributed in
an extraordinary degree to the de-
velopment of motor traffic in Spain.
AS an instance Of how intense the
development is, it may be said that the
Compostella, some distance off the
main railway system, with which it is
connected only by a branch line, IS
now the headquarters of score of
motor bus services running in all
directions. Within the last two years
the quantity of goods transported IN
Catalonia by lorry has risen to double
the quantity carried by rail. And the
roads in Catalonia are by no means
a nIol1 Y
in the relnotest provinces of Spain, the
motor bus and lorry have found their
| work and bump merrily along in clouds
of dust.
American Cars In Favor.
The share the industry of the United
States is taking and can take IN thls
| development is immense. American
| cars are best suited to peninsula
| roads.
| American firms are getting the
lions share of the sales despite high
| tariff duties. French, German and
Italian cars compete hotly, helped by
the low wages in those countries. The
| preference of Spain is marked for
| good even if expensive, material ano
| a Swiss lorry has a good sale, while
| British auto buSSes have taken con
| tracts for the big services in Madrid
Barcelona and Cordoba. 1 have no
where met a big motor bus of Amer.
lean manufacture. though IL ia II
passengers are often crowded into
| small American delivery car httet
with seats Italian cars have beer
much encouraged by the recent Italo
Spanish treaty of commerce.
| Only one powerful car is built II
Spain, but the company, which mas
factory in France as we'll as one II
Spain, finds that it can import th'
cars it manufacture in France, pa!
the customs duty and still keep unde
the. cost of turning out Spanish
made car Spain produces no re
liable tires or accessories.
| A road into the Val d'Aran, a piec'
of Spanish territory on the Frenci
side of the Pyrenees, which for sever
centuries had not been visited by ;
Spanish sovereign until King Alfons'
went there this summer, is unde
construction from Balaguer to tn
lfrontier-126 miles. An ancient con
yeution with France provides for tn
conveyance of the Spanish mail ant