Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-12-08
Latin American Highway

Proponents Of the proposed North-south American
highway to extend from Winnipeg, Canada. through
the United States and the stin-Ameri countries 70
the extreme southern part OF South America. are in
terpreting President Coolidges message to congress as
advocating United States participation on the project.
In commenting upon American relations with
and the necessity for closer eommer-
eial and social ties, the president said: Authority
should be given by law to provide these countries, at
their request, with engineering advisers for c~onstrue-
tion OF roads and bridges" To this he added: "Pri-
waite interests should look with favor on all reasonable
loans sought by these countries to open such main
lines Of travel"
According to Charles NJ. Upham. director Of the
American Road Builders Association, President Cool
idge's message is q distinct approval Of the cOntem-
plated international highway extending from Canada
20 South America. Plans for this highway will be dis
eussed during q session of the road builders from Lat
in-American countries to be held in Cleveland in con-
nection with the road builders convention during the
week beginning January Q.
Twenty-Five nations have been invited to p~artici-
pate in this conference, and several have already ac-
eepted the invitation and will be represented by Off
cial delegates. The statement of President Coolidge is
expected TO greatly augment interest in the project
throughout the ~Latin-American countries and will re-
suit in practically all countries having representation
at the congress.
Members Of the Road Builders Association, who
proposed the North-South American highway two years
ago, assert that the majority of members Of congress
are ready to extend their support to the project as
soon as they are shown how such support can be ex-
tended. Many Of the Latin-American countries have
also indicated their interest, which will be materially
heightened by the attitude Of President Coolidge and
his suggestion that engineering advisers be supplied
TO aid those countries whenever necessary.
Practically all plans for the great international
highway propose TO make Brownsville and Laredo the
ports into Mexico. with a loop from San Antonio con-
Meeting at Mexico city, the Laredo highway to run
through Monterrey and the Brownsville highway via
Tampico. The Brownsville Tampico route, being the
shortest. will probably he designated as the main high
way in the event the project is carried through.
The suggestion offered By President Coolidge
should be accepted by Congress. The n-Ameri
countries, in which modern road construction is get
ting underway, would profit materially IL engineering
advisers were supplied by the United States. This
country today has the best road engineers in the
world, and with their aid the highway problems Of the
1a~tin-American countries could soon be solved. Prac-
tically all the southern republics are now in such
shape financially that participation in a highway Pro-
gram OF this character would not be a serious drain,
and with the United States encouraging the movement
there should lie no serious difficulty in eventually at
tanning a paved highway from central Canada through
70 the tip Of South America, an international highway
which could be financed and maintained By an inter
national commission.