Evening star., 1926-11-28
REPORT EUROPE IN DIRE NEED
OF BETTER TT1OROUGF1FARES
Big Building Program Required, Is View
Of y. S. Delegates to International
Road Congress.

Perhaps one of the most interest.
ing days OF our Journey was that
spent in a study of the Appian Way"
said Mr.. Macdonald. "As a concep-
ton of IA travelling way for the armies
Of old Rome, this highway crossing
in Il straight line from the old city
to the Adriatic Sea, was q. magnificent
idea. AS a modern highway. however,
IL is simply a monument.
Most of us think Of 1t as a travelled
road. The fact In that whatever re-
mains OF the old structure is retained
as "a memorial and not used for traffic.
The new Appian Way has superseded
it and 1t Is this fact which has given
rise to the generally held belief that
the road of 1000 years ago Is still in
traffic use.
"The roads of Napoleon and Maria
Theresa and their contemporaries,
however, are another story. AS re-
port has 1t, when the great French
man laid out his military highways he
did 1t with ruler and pencil, and then
ordered his armies to build accord
ingiy.
Roadways Built for Strength.
Further he built for strength and
the result is that today throughout
France and Central Europe there are
thousands of miles of main highway
of a much greater depth than any
which our finances have yet permitted
us to build in the States, which are
still in use.
I'm the years of the Great War and
since, these roads have been suffered
to fall into a state of disrepair which
makes most of them scarcely passa-
BILE. Everywhere, however, there is
evidence Of repair work under way,
notably in France and Germany,
where the reconditioning is now well
along.
"Financially, probably Austria and
Hungary have the most difficult prob
lem to meet, but even there some
work is being done and more will be.
"Of all of the countries which we
had the opportunity to observe, Den
mark appeared to have the most ade
quate system of highways at the pres
ent time, largely owing to the fact, no
doubt, that the nation was not a par
ticipant in the war. Some of the roads
Of the little kingdom by the sea are
very old, and one of them. built some
200 years ago, became a public high
way only after the King tired of
hanging subjects who persisted in
using it.
Swedes Solving Problem.
I'VE were particularly impressed by
the way in which Swedish authorities
are attacking their problem. The
Scandinavian country has thousands
Of miles of roads which will require
major and very costly treatment in
the form Of widening and straighten-
ing. AS this is done a new and most
interesting country for touring will
unquestionably attract thousands
from all parts of the world"
Asked about conditions in England,
Mr.. Macdonald said that the thor
oughgoing way in which the British
are meeting the needs of a very heavy
and diverse traffic was striking to all
of the delegation.
LAS every travellers knows" was his
comment, England has many most
attractive country roads, which wind
their way through some of the most
delightful garden spots to be found
anywhere. The Englishman Is con-
servative. and the ancient rights
which the engineer meets on every
side as he tries to ameliorate severe
traffic conditions constitute q problem