Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-10
GREATER HIGHWAY
PROGRESS IS URGED
Satisfaction with Present
Development Held Bad
for Future.

1 Snug satisfaction with America g
present highway system, the greatest
ever known in history and encompass.
ing more than 500 900 miles of sur.
faced roads, is to be definitely avoided
II essential road development is to
continue.
This is the warning contained in a
statement issued by the American
Automobile Association, which points
out emphatically the danger to prog.
ress which lies in such an attitude.
Thomas P. Henry, president of the
American Automobile Association. Is
quoted in the statement as follows;
The public and the public official
must realize constantly that the time
when IL may rest upon its oars in the
matter OF highway building is far. far
in the future. Our progress in road
building has been remarkable. But. if
the fine promise of the automobile for
even further strengthening the eco.
nomic fabric of America is to be real
lied fully, we must make even more
remarkable progress.
Wrong Impression Cited.
The millions of motor tourists are
peculiarly susceptible to the tempta-
ton to regard the present road mile
age as ample if they limit their travel
30 the more progressive sections of the
eountry, the A. A. A. points out. On
this subject Mr.. Henry says:
1T is true that, in greater or
smaller degree, q vast majority of
Americas 22.000.000 motor car owners
so in for touring. This driving. in
the main. is confined to the best mile.
age of the more than 5000. 900 miles
OF highway that exist in the United
States. Because of this fact the
motorist is likely TO judge the whole
highway system by that part of it
over which he travels.
1T is the old story of judging the
box of Strawberries by the large
luscious fruit on the top. Just as the
berry buyer regrets his purchase
when his error is discovered. so the
motor car owner eventually will be.
moan his bad judgment il he assumes
the national highway system to be
perfect because his touring has been
confined to the best of the roads. 1t
is mental trap into which one easily
may fall unless one is wary of the
danger of its presence.
Resources Held Enormous.
America has enormous floor space
and tremendous resources in the i'm.
portant matters of finance and genius
and the automobile needs increasingly
more room in which to fulfill its prom.
Use, the statement continues. Thus. it
says, while the need is present, the
means by which it may be met also
are available.
Bringing the two. together" Mr..
Henry says. lis a matter of constant
alertness, constant realization that
the need for expansion exists. This
task does not belong to the few far
sighted individuals among public off,
Gals and motor club executives. II
Ia one for the multitude.
For this reason. no motorist should
allow himself to regard the highway
system as adequate merely because it
provides him, personally, with suffi.
cient good hard surfaced mileage.
There are millions in all parts of the
country whose automobile travel still
DIS confined largely to muddy, rutty, al
most impossible roads. In addition.
there is convincing evidence even in
Cur large cities and contiguous terri.
tory that the automobile rapidly out
grows what may appear to be more
than sufficient network of good streets
and highways
Thus, there is no dearth of data
10 prove the necessity for constant ex.
pansion of our street and highway
systems. 1t clearly is the duty of
every one TO give the good roads
thought more aggressive quality in
stead of allowing it to grow torpid. :"