Evening star., 1927-11-27
Highway Linking Americas May Soon Become Reality

Paita, Peru, has been made by auto
mobile, as we'll as the run from San.
tiago across the Andes to Buenos
Aires. This latter direction has been
suggested as the one that the pan
American highway should follow at
this point.
The Andes in this section are not
too high and there is, a road which
runs via Mendoza and. Rosario across
the continent TO the capital of the Ar.
gentine Republic. By the side of this
road at the top of the continental di.
vide. along which the border extends,
a cross has been placed by the au.
thorities of Argentine as well as Chill.
pledging both countries never to 20
TO war with each other unless their
constitutional rights are involved. The
cross was put up following an arbitra.
tion award made by King Edward
VII of England in connection with
boundary dispute between the two
countries
Should the road be laid out to lead
farther southwark through Chile. 1t
probably will run through heavy for
est country to Puerto Montt and
there turn eastward, crossing the Ar.
gentine border and continuing south
| eastward to Puerto Deseado. whence
1t would turn south again. cross back
| Aiit' \tiIC HcdI TIE OF AdgeIIan
and lead into Punta Arenas This
city is surrounded by a network of
| fair roads leading into the surround.
ing territory and easily could be linked
/ up with the Pan-American Highway.
1t is the natural southern terminus of
| such a route.
If, however, the route is laid out to
| so from Santiago to Buenos Aires, the
motorist. after crossing the Andes
u ft1Nr
turn either north or south. South.
ward the road will lead through the
Argentine pampas, long, level prairies,
where no great difficulty will be en-.
countered In road construction Al.
most all this territory now may be
Travelled by automobile. except dur
ing the rainy season. Through this
area the road would lead to Raw<on
and from there on to Puerto Deseado,
where it would connect with the high
way from Puerto Montt.
Should the motorist desire to turn
| northward, ferry would take him
across the Rio de la Plata, recalling
the days of Drake and Morgan and
the Spanish Main, where, just north
of the Argentine capital, he will find
a hrst-class concrete motor highway
leading to Montevideo, about 100 miles
away. From here roads are being
Dult IduldtllS INTO tne surrounding
country and one of these eventually
will be extended to connect with a
road which is to be built by Brazil.
This road will extend from Sac Paulo
southwark along the coast. From Sac
Paulo the road to Rio de Janeiro now
is being built. to be completed early
next year. During the last Summer
1000 men were working on this road,
and money for its completion has been
appropriated.
Brazil for the last several years
has been actively engaged in road
building. That country has in.
stituted a gasoline tax as we'll as an
automobile tax for the purpose of
raising money for road construction.
At recent highway conference in
Brazil it was decided to push the plans
of constructing a system of roads ra.
} dating from Sac Paulo to the state
capitals of Brazil. Sac Paulo is the
richest section of Brazil, being the cen.
ter of the coffee growing district, and
large number of automobiles are
registered there.
There seems to be no doubt but
that eventually the Pan.American
Highway will be a reality. and that
motorists from as far north as Can.
ada will be able TO journey without
difficulty to the important cities Of
South America. When IL actually will
be completed is a hazardous guess. but
considering the advance which the au.
tomobile has been making during re.
cent years. that day certainly is ap.
preaching at an ever swifter pace.
Both the desire and the realization
of the need for such a highway are
, present. There still remains the means
to secure financing for the undertak.
ing. However. the economic progress
being made by the interested countries
is resulting in an outlook more hope.
full than ever. and with the increa sing.
ly excellent results being achieved
through the various Pan-American
conferences, which are becoming more
and more valuable as means of set.
Ting inter-American questions. the
project certainly promises of eventual
accomplishment.