Evening star., 1927-11-27
BY WILLIAM ULLM.A\.

~
though still a matter of the future.
nevertheless is even nearer compile
ton than is the famous pan-American
railroad upon which the Western ma
tions rested their hopes during the
closing years of the last century.
Much was hoped from tie compile
:'on Of this -1iIway. But 1.e countries
Of South America have been unable to
compete the pan-AmeiIcan railroad
.,ccause of the enormous expense any
such undertaking involves. Almost all
countries of South America today Stlil
sro naying large annual sums TO Eu-
H0ean and other states for loans
1>-ade them during the last % years
for railroad construction. Having
saddled themselves with obligations as
heavy as they could bear and the rail,
road project still remaining Ia he real
lied they now have turned to the
highway and its natural co-efticlent.
the automobile.
AS solution to all transportation
problems. the automobile, IL II mas
passable road over which to travel. an
swers virtually every reasonable need.
in the opinion of business men as wen
as statesmen. Railroad construction
takes infinite time and a large initial
expenditure. which is regalned only
after long years, whereas highway
construction. while expensive. does
not drain the public purse to too great
an extent. Various types of road may
be built. depending upon the volume
of traffic that passes over them. Ihus
the expense may be kept at such
figure as the territory easily can
carry. In railroad construction, how
ever, the engineer is left virtually no
.:',eicc. being forced to construct
rssad that will meet certain set
standard.
Interest in highway construction on
the part of the public of Central and
South America in recent years has
been developed to a high point. and
there is not a single country which is
not planning highway Improvement
and construction. What holds back
the plans of most is the lack of capi-
tai to carry out the programs.
But most of the countries are going
ahead actively on road construction
plans. and the results already have
made themselves apparent Mexico,
Panama, Columbia. Peru, Brazil
Argentina. Chile, Uruguay and Nene-
zuela for sometime have been building
new highways. following out definite
programs prepared by the various in
tere<ted authorities of these states.
THESE activitiey are a uirect result
Il Of the interest displayed in auto
motive transportation. South Amerl'
cans long ago realized that if they
were forced TO depend upon the rail-
road as a means of opening up new
territories of their countries, 1t would
be long wait. At the rate at which
railroads were being built the vast un-
touched resources of the hinterland
would remain inaccessible for years to
come. Railroad building. they felt,
aside from being an expensive process,
was a necessarily slow one. In addl.
ton. no railroad could be built except
through districts where there was
population large enough to hold forth
promises of having the road at least
pay for its running expenses within
the comparatively near future.
With the advent of the automobile,
however, it gradually was realized
that here was solution to the great
problem confronting them. Certain
vast stretches of the continent. such
as the Argentine pampas, lend them
selves to the use of the motor vehl-
Gle even without the construction of
roads, and these sections are pasSable
most of the year, except during the
rainy season. In other districts the
clearing a roadway temporarily would
answer the purpose OF highway.
But during recent years the public
has come to realize that, with the
growth of traffic, such highways are
inadequate. This change in public
sentiment is being reflected in the
greatly increased interest which now
is being displayed in the matter OF
highway construction and improve
ment.. Individual countries from time
to time have held highway conferences
for the purpose of preparing plans for
a comprehensive highway system. and
this idea has been carried even fur.
ther, so that next Summer will wit
ness the sessions of the Second Pan
American Congress of Highways and
the Pan-American Confederation for
Highway Education, both of which are
to be held at Rio de Janeiro. Brazil.
Virtually all nations of the Western
World are expected to participate and
much constructive work is expected
to result. Plans of the former confer
ence call for a discussion of the CO.
ordination of road systems, and in all
probability the question of the estab-
lishment of Pan-American Highway
also vii! be brought up.
A brief outline of what is contem-
plated in Peru adequately will Illus
trate the importance attached by the
various countries to highway develop
ment.
This country has population of ap-
proximately 4,600, 900, and has recent
ly completed a plan calling for the
construction of 10000 kilometers of
highway. approximately 10000 miles.
This system is to be built as soon as
practicable. But in the building the
roads at first will be of low-type sur
face. AS traffic increases on any
stretch of road the surface is to be
improved. Thus Peru and most of
the other states that are following out
the same general procedure are assur-
ing themselves of an eventual high
way system which not only will be
scientifically adequate to the traffic
demands placed upon it, but also will
be an excellent nucleus for further
expansion as the need of the country
demands. s.
Those countries of South America
living along the western slope of the
Andes, when carrying out their road
construction programs. will be forced
by reason of the contour of the terri
tory to extend their highways in
north and south direction. thereby
fashioning great individual links OF
the Pan-American Highway. should
that highway run along the western
coast for any distance.
The mountainous country lying to
the east makes road building difficult
and expensive, and the natural method
to be followed would be the construc
ton of a north and south highway,
with communication by means of short
lateral roads extending into the noun
tains and hills.
Having realized that a Pan-Ameri
can highway will have a definite eco
nomic effect in that it will enable
freer and easier as well as quicker
communication between the peoples of
the Americas, all classes harbor q
strong feeling in favor of the project.
This sentiment has been expressed
numberIess times by both great and
small alike.