The Winslow mail., 1925-07-07
HIGHWAYS FROM
COAST TO COAST
ARE u. S. NEED
By w. r. HEARST
(In Los Angeles EXaminer)

securing several great transconti-
mental highways, which would be
trunk lines for motor traffic from
the Atlantic to the Pacific.
The object was a most commend
able one. The method has not
been quite sufficient to secure the
desired object. Many years have
elapsed since the program was
first announced, and yet these very
necessary transcOntinental high
ways have not been secured Sec
tions of the highways have been
built, but sections have not at all
the great value that the contin-
uous highways would have.
The federal government should
revise its program and adopt a
more liberal attitude, an attitude
whatever it may be-that lis suf-
ficiently liberal to insure the inn
mediate construction of several
continuous transcontinental high
ways.
The attitude of the federal gov
ernment was liberal enough when
the ranscontinental railroads
were being built, and it was only
through such liberal attitude on
the part of the government that
these railroads were built.
Hardly less important than these
transcontinental railroads are the
transcontinental highways. These
highways have great value in
many particulars. They have an
economic value, a patriotic value
and a military, value.
Their economic value, as mere
avenues of transportation, is OBJ
yious, but they would have anoth-
er economic value quite as impor-
tant.
At present thousands upon thou
sands of our people go abroad ev-
cry year. They work with GUS
tomary American efficiency for
nine months in this country and
then take the well-earned reward
of their work abroad and spend a
large part of it.
How much better it would be
for the country if those millions
upon millions of dollars were
spent here in America instead Of
in junkets abroad!
If trips abroad are more attrac-
tive, our people have a right to
take them and to spend their
money in taking them,y but Europe
is not as wonderful as our coun-
try and the opportunities for en-
joyment in Europe are not as great
as they are in our own country.
If the means of reaching the at
fractions of our own country were
made better with great paved
highways extending from coast to
coast, and as perfect in construc-
ton as the California concrete
roads, it would lead countless
thousands of our people to take
delightful automobile trips across
their own country and see won
ders and enjoy experiences that
could not be duplicated in any
other section of the globe.
And how great would be the
patriotic value of such trips! Tt
more we know of our country, the
more we love it, and the III
glory in it's greatness.
People who remain in one sec
ton can never know how wonder
full this land is and can never full
ly realize what a privilege it is to
be citizen of America.
But the more these citizens trav
ell throughout their own country,
the more they realize the privilege
of citizenship, and thus the better
citizens they become.
The value of these transcOnti-
mental highways from patriotic
standpoint would therefore be i'm
measurable; from a military stand
point they would be equally val
liable.
They would supplement the rail
roads in the transportation Of
troops in case our coasts were ever
attacked and they would bind our
country and our people together
with a closer bond, making each
section better acquainted with ev-
cry other section, and more con-
scious of the other sections condi-
tions and requirements.
None of these great advantages
will be secured, however, until
these highways are constructed t.
be continuous and are perfected
throughout their whole course.
To secure the completion of the
highways the federal government
should give greater aid to tbs
states and assume a larger part Ol
the expense of construction. Ant
in the sparsely settled states
WHERE THE GOVERNMENT
POSSESSES NSID ERABLF
AREAS OF UNOCCUPIED LANDS
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
MIGHT PROPERLY AND PROF
ITABLY ASSUME ALL THE Elk
PENSE OF CONSTRUCTION in or
der to make the highways contin
uous and to complete them propt
ly. These national trunk line:
should not be considered as stat'
affairs, but as national necessities
and it is with that idea in mine
that congress should approach th'
problem of their immediate com
pletion.
SOnC Of VntnrauS 0nDOC,