Evening star., 1927-05-15
ROADWAY LINKING
. AMERICAS SOUGHT
End of Year May See Work
Started on Gigantic
Project.

to connect the capital of every Latin
American State and which will extend
through the United States into Can
ada are now being actively advanced.
with the probability that the end of
the year will see some of the prelimi-
nary work actually started. This
highway. to extend thousands of miles
from Canada via Detroit to Loredo,
Tex, and thence through Mexico.
Central America and on into South
America, is being furthered by Col.
James DIETRICH, one of the late T.. If.
Hartman consulting engineers and
who has spent much Of his time IN
the Southern republics.
If started simultaneously in all
countries concerned. the road would
be practically completed within five
years, according to Col. DIETRICH, and
it would be one of the greatest boons
to both civilization and commerce that
ever has been created. 1t would
open up thousands of square miles OF
fertile farm lands which now stand
idle because they are inaccessible and
it would make communication between
all countries not only cheaper, but
speedier. he said.
ulSHWdf cLdtAS AS bCAus"
The proposed highway would start
at Laredo. Tex. and connect with the
great new highway being built in
Mexico. of which 65 per cent already
is completed. It would run through
a stretch of woodland 1900 miles in
length, connecting the Central Amer
lean republics. and it's cleared width OF
200 feet with a 25.foot width of pave
ment would afford landing places for
commercial airplanes.
''At the present time" Col. DIETRICH
said, 1.-The only means of travel be-
tween the neighboring republics is by
horseback or by water. No motor car
can make the trip, for the best roads
are but poor trails. If the trip Is
made by water. 1t is necessary to
travel to coast. then board ship and
go up or down to the port of the re.
public YOU wish to visit. Then travel
into the interior. Such a trip costs
about $50 because of the tremendous
route, while by main highway the
cost would be but about SIS.
THE presidents of the various re-
publics are whole-heartedly backing
the proposed highway. 1 know them
all personally because of my years
spent down there. They are cocky as
bantam roosters and want progress.
The leading newspapers of the repub-
lies are constantly printing editorials
backing up the project, and the people
are all for it.
Cameron Offered Bill.
Senator Ralph II. Cameron OF Ari-
zona introduced a bill in the United
States Senate on January 8, 1927, to
provide for the creation of the pan
American peoples great highway COM
mission, to visit the South American
and Central American republics with
view to obtain their cooperation
in the proposed highway. The bill
passed the Senate unanimously after
read into the record, but it was killed
in the House.
The colonel has in his possession
letter written by an editorial writer of
Guatemala City on the action OF the
House. 1t is as follows:
"It is my belief, and very forcibly
expressed by all editorial writers OF
Central and South America, men OF
rare standing and high judgment, that
the United States lost glorious OPP
portunity for its future national life
on account of this stupid inattention
to the great Importance Of this Won
derful international construction Of
q through highway, much needed
link to weld the nations firmly to-
gether and repair neglected wrong
so badly overlooked"
Gales Pledges Help.
President Gales of Mexico on March
3 Of this year wrote a personal letter
TO Senator Cameron in which he
pledged his hearty support in further
ing the plans Of the new highway. II
want to see 100, 900 American motor
cars crossing the line into Mexico"
the letter read, to enable the Ameri-
can people to see and meet my people
that a better and friendlier under
standing may obtain between the two
nations
About the first of June of this year,
Col. DIETRICH, together with Senator
Cameron, will make another tour of
the Central and South American coun-
tries. They will act in an advisory
capacity as to the methods to be used
in floating bond issues for the start
Of construction of the new highway
by the different countries, and have
the assurances of influential men of
American finance of their backing.
Ready i'm Five Years.
Col. DIETRICH summed up his pro-
posal and interview by saying: 1T
can be arranged to complete the main
line of the great highway through to
every capital of Central and South
America within five years time by
heroic construction and commencing
the actual work Of building simulta-
neOuSly in each country.
THE work would give employment
to thousands of laborers, now idle, in
each country, and would actually dis
tribute among laborers of all coun.
tries more than two hundred million
of dollars in wages.
1T would open to transportation
idle farmlands Of unsurpassed beauty
and potentialities Of enormous value.
It would open up more than q million
homes on idle lands to comfortable
farms OF so acres each, where a man
and his family could make comfort
able living. There would be joy of liv-
ing on such farms in an everlasting
Summer climate.
Our Washington Government, po.
litically, economically and socially, is
interested in having this great high
way an actual fact, as are all of the
peoples Of all of the countries. Their
respective governments are equally
interested and will lend every assist
ance to get the highway placed in
operation at the earliest possible date,
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