Evening star., 1927-11-27

der of Guatemala will have to be
built. since the country is wild and
mountainous and rather sparsely In
habited. For the most part. nothing
but trails now exist, despite the fact
that this part of the country is one
of the most beautiful in Mexico.
Through Guatemala road building is
not so difficult. The nature OF the
soil lends itself easily to making roads
which are excellent during the dry
season, and this condition continues
in the republic of Salvador. In both |
of these countries road Improvement |
is going forward. Salvador at present |
being occupied with the construction |
of a system of national roads extend |
ing for a distance of more than 500 |
miles. A total of $12 100000 has been |
appropriated for this work. |
From San Salvador. capital of the !
small republic. the highway will lead |
through Honduras into Nicaragua. a
lateral road leading to Tegucigalpa, |
canitaI of Honduras. will connect with |
the main highway as it skirts Fonseca
Bay, where the United States. by a
treaty negotiated with Nicaragua by
William Jennings Bryan, has the right
of constructing a naval base. Much
work will be necessary along this Sec
ton of the road.
and considerable improvement and
new construction will be necessary be-
fore anv appreciable traffic can be ac-
commodated. A motor highway VIII
have to be built from San Jose. capital
of Costa Rica, to David. Panama.
distance of some 200 miles. but from
there on across the Canal Zone 10
within about $50 miles of the Panama
Colombian border there is good sys-
tenn of roads. Panama at present IS
working on a plan whereby eventually
all cities and ports of the repubhc VIII
be connected by highways.
* X **
CERIOUS difficulties, from the stand
- point of highway engineers, will
be encountered in that part of Pan
| anna close to the mainland OF South
America This country is Wild ana
rugged and the mountains stretch in
| every conceivable direction. This sec
ton of the country is inhabited by VIZ
| tually savage Indian tribes. the pest
| known of which are the Mayas. Road
| construction costs will be enormous
for this stretch of the Pan-American
| Highway.
| This link of the highway, one OF the
most important when considered from
| one standpoint. probably will connect
with the highway which is now being
built from the Gulf of Uraba to Medel-
| lin. Colombia. This road is about 215
miles in extent and it is being sur
faced with water bound macadam.
| Colombia. as already indicated. has
| been actively interested in road con-
struction, and within the next few
years it will be possible, if present
| plans are carried out. to travel by
| automobile from the Gulf of Craba to
| the Ecuador border without inconven-
-nce. Along this stretch there Will
| be established a lateral road connect
| ing with Bogota, the capital. and
thence running northeastward into
| Venezuela to Caracas, capital of the
! latter country. This road already is
| in existence for the most part. as
Venezuela for many years has been
| one of the most active of South Amer
| ican states in road construction. From
Caracas through Venezuela to George
town. British Guiana, a road of sorts
already exists. Along certain sections
of this road bus transportation has
| been inaugurated.
Through South America there are
| three possible routes for the proposed
American Highway. One route is
that following the western coast line
| Of the continent through, Ecuador.
Peru. Chile and thence into Argentina
to the shores of the Strait of Magel-
Ian, where 1t would end at Punta
Arenas. the southernmost free city in
the world.
| A second route is one that follows
the coast line as far as Lima. then
branches off to Lake Titicaca, the ele-
walton of which is 12,500 feet, and
thence leads into Bolivia, touching La
Paz and Sucre. it's capital. From
Sucre the road leads southwark to the
| Argentine border. where it could turn
| in general easterly direction, going to
Asuncion. capital of Paraguay. and
thence along the Parana River 10
| Buenos Aires. Or the motorist could
continue southwark from Sucre to
| Cordoba and there turn either east or
west. depending on whether he desired
to go into Chile or to BuenOs Aires.
| This trip already has been made by
automobile, but before what could be
termed a motor highway is established
much work will have to be undertaken.
The third route is one which will
remain in contemplation for some time
to come. Although, from the stand
point of development of the hinter.
land it has everything to recommend
it, yet, due to the great expanse and
the fact that it would pass through
country in which virtually no civil
lied people is living, it will be I'M
possible to realize it at present.
This highway would extend from
Bogota. Colombia, along the eastern
slope of the Andes through section
of Peru and then. making wide turn,
cut toward the east and in general
follow the Amazon River, but at
distance of several hundred miles to
the south of this great body of water.
This route eventually would reach the
sea coast near Pernambuco and thence
would continue southwark to Rio de
Janeiro, following the coastal plain.
This route would follow the decline
of the high table land of interior
Brazil. where it starts sloping off to
the shores of the Amazon and would |
tap some Of the richest country in the |
world. The potential wealth of this |
section of South America is immeas- |
urable. Timber. minerals and other |
products abound and the climate is |
one of the best for the production of |
tropical plants such as rubber. 1t was |
from here that an EnClishman, back |
in the 70s, smuggled the seeds of the |
rubber plant out of the country |
thereby bringing about the eventual |!
establishment of rubber plantation |
There is no doubt but that this road |
would make it possible to tap vast re. |
sources of hidden wealth. open new |
markets and add vastly to the ma.
tional wealth of Brazil But as a !
route for motor touring it would he /
lmpracticable. for it would virtually
follow the equator during it's entire |
east and west course.
X X X X
THE most probable route which the
Pan-American Highway will take
is that following the western coast |
line. The greatest difficulty here will !
he met in Ecuador. where few roads
exist, and those that do for the most
part are in DOOR condition. Close L