Evening star., 1928-02-05

plane and the automobile is dream
that has been in the somewhat nazy
offing of transports tion. minded people
since the ship Of the air became more
than a plaything for the military SerV-
ices of the Nation. But nothing def1-
mite was done about providing ma
tional highway with landing fields 70!
airplanes-either OF the emergency type
or the class AA type-until quite re-
Gently. Now such project is In actual
contemplation and If the big men IN tn'
highway field have their way. great
national automobile traffic artery will
some day stretch from coast to coast,
with airplane landing fields scattered
along It's length 25 miles apart, its
eastern ends set down in Washington.
D. c.. and Newport News. Va. and its
western terTnini the cities Of San Fran
cisco and Los Angeles. where the blue
Pacific looks in on the western border
Of the United States
OF course. out where the West be-
gins and great distances interpose be-
tween the tranScontinental traveller
and his next destination. II would be
impractical to space airplane LANDING
fields IS miles apart. because the COM
mercial and industrial centers are not
there to merit them. But east Of Colo.
rado, and particularly in the thicklY
settled industrial and commercial areas
in West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio. In
diana. Illinois and Missouri. landing
fields spaced 25 miles or a little more
apart are quite practicable and many
times extremely needful.
Associations Urge Project.
This combination Of national trans
continental highway over route not
now traversed by any of the several
routes which convert the continent into
an east and west boulevard, Is the
thought and hope Of the National
Roosevelt Midland Trail Association
whose president is George A. Bond Of
Kansas CITY. Mo. and which maintains
Eastern and Western Offices. The East
ern division is in charge of DR.. r. r.
Elmore Of Louisville. The project has
the backing Of virtually all the organ
lZed highway and motor travel associa-
tions and is actively being pushed by
the National Highways Association
Unique in its present Development as a
combination of airp!ane and autonlo-
bile transportation. the Roosevelt Mid
land Trail was originally logged anC
established back in 1912 by the late
A. L. WeStgard who was then fielc
representative Of the American Auto
mobile Association and later became
director Of tTanscontinental highway,
of the National Highways Association
Yves" Travelled the route in the year!
Immediately prior = 1912. saw is pos
sibilities as means Of linking the Eas'
and the West with a great trarsccrti
mental highway through a rich and ua.
tapped industrial and commercial re.
gion. and proposed it IN 1912 But II
the then state OF development OF IN.
airplane the ship OF the air was not
considered as an important adtunc. K
travel.
Planes Ciassed as Auxiliaries.
Airplanes were then considered rathe,
as AUXILIARY units. nice playthings. anc
pleasant 10 look at as showing man!
conquering spirit. but hardly reliaoic
and safe methods Of transportat!o
Then came the World War and the de
velopement OF the plane in the year
/ following the great struggle to It's pres
ens stage OF dependabiliiy. The though
was born In the minds ot the men NH
had originally backed the Roosevelt
Midland Trail that here was rox
chance 70 combine the two methods O
- Gi4ckF Ndt4tAz u k4GhEGs11- AEC&
artery between East and West and a
the same time providing landing field
for aivplanes along lis entire length s.
they sat down 10 draw Up the plans fol
such a road
First they looked over the map Q
the tyanscontinentaI routes OF the coun
try, discovering that the Lincoln High
way runs through the so-cal!e6 North
era route and traversing the grea
Industrial districts along the Grea
Lakes from which feeders travels
south 10 the nearby business centcrS
They saw The Lee Highway plan for
roadway running south from Washing
ton through the Valley OF Virg.ni.
down 10 Bristol. and thence rllnnin
through Dixie 70 Los Angeles Tha
! left the middle o. the continent ops,
and the cities and towns n The rl66it
OF the country betwee;. the Great Lake
and the Gulf Of Mexico un:rayerse6 ,
q lranscontinental rad They saw hi
vtsi0iled ard with il came The s63e<
vision ths; the airplaue Is certain I,
become great factor II opening Y,
this territory. not sio1c Eo- ;hs Sho-
hops but also for the long ;-eSS ove
the spaces ii the Middle and Far VeSg
Military Engineers Give Aid.
II the work they had the aid Q! IN
Society q: American Military Engineers
headed by Gen. E c. IanSt.;t and -
Association az the A:n,y o. Tire Cn!.sS
States, for the Army saw II his mid
continent highway great military ak
IL time Of emergency--a gres, h,shwa,
stretching from the rising "a The Sstt3a,
sun, which might become rtcSt vo;eH
aid III time Of armed cortatcI
So with this vision before ,hen,. ara
the slogan, Highway sirportS nus, X
established or We cannot have ser!s
navigation; highway a.rpnrtS logically
are located along ,he tr,lnS line high.
ways" they set 10 work 10 map oGt n,
route
They started At Washington and New.
port News. carrying their rnuse from
the Capital City over the Chain Bridge
through Oakton and Ty>onS CH>SSyosi,
10 Fairfax From here shey followed n,
old route of the Lee Highway ;aro0Sl
Manassas and New Baltimore to Var,
renton. But there they switched src.,
the present route sponsored by ;ee lie,
Highway Association, Instead ~ cyy>SS
ing the E,ue Ridge al ThorUtnHS CAP
rs the Lee Highway NOW cgyNSScS yhS
rugged range. they cut due Ssctl'a frvsf
NuunzlnnnzusaHazzIHHz azzIHHzunusuzumzznunnuusuum