Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-10-14
HIGHWAY IS
! GREAT need
Marmon Export Chief
For Pan-American
Auto Route

The proposed Pan-American high
way connecting Canada, the United
States and South America Is more
necessary for present-day social and
economic needs than was the trans
continental railroad in the ea-ly
days Of this country, according to
Frank l.. Hambly, export manager
of the MarmoE Motor Car company,
who returned recently from an ex-
tended trip to Central and South
America.
"The Union Pacific railroad" Mr..
Hambly pointed out, was built to
bring together the widely separated
sections of one nation containing
people of the same race under a sin
gle government. The Pan-American
highway, however. would join two
continents with inhabitants of en-
tirely different custom and mode of
living and would result in mutual
advantages almost without limit in
number or Importance"
During his journey to South
America. the Marmon export man
ager visited Marmon dealers in the
Argentine. Brazil. Chile, Uruguay
and Peru. His views on the bene-
fits that would follow in the wake
of the completion Of a roadway con
Meeting the two American continents
are based upon the statements Of
South American officials and bus
mess men with whom he talked and
his W observations of conditions
in the countries south of the
equator.
South America long has been
looked upon as a land of great flu
ture and the developments there In
recent years serve to strengthen
confidence in the possibilities of
this rich region" Mr.. Hambly con-
tinued. Natural resources are
abundant, but modern BUSH SIS
methods, so far as they have been
introduced. are handicapped severe
ly by sadly inadequate ~transporta-
ton facilities.
THE paved road. as we know il
in the United States, is confined in
South America to the cities. Con-
s~equently, there is no intermingling
Of the people Of the various sec
tons, and, as a result, their view
points are restricted 10 the bounds
of their own immediate surround
ings and happenings.
This situation creates two OBJ
stacles to the marketing Of pro-
ducts. either local or imported. In
the first, a great part of the pop
ulation in the interior has not been
educated to the advantages Of mod
ern merchandise. These people do
not travel any great distance and
have no opportunity 70 learn Of new
products or new methods Of doing
things; therefore, they feel no de-
sire for them.
Secondly, even though a demand
for new products did arise. il could
be supplied only by overcoming the
handicap Of poor transportation Ia
c~illties. Thus, merchandising eff
forts are checkmatcd at both ends
and viii remain so until adequate
roads are provided so that the auto
mobile, the bus and the truck can
break down the isolation Of South
Americans from their own people
ard from the rest Of the world.
The construction of the Pam
American highway is the first and
most important step that must be
taken. outh American business mcn
favor It, but they freely admit that
their countries must have outside
assistance to bring the plans to a
conclusion. When the highway is
started. and il is expected that some
definite action will be taken az the
next Pan-American congress on high
ways (which meets next July at Rio
de Janeiro, other roads branching
out from il will be undertaken BY
the Latin-American countries. There.
fore, il can be readily seen that
the construction of the long north
south roadway is the KEY TO the
solution Of the entire problem.
aside from the Transportation
phase, there is another great ad-
vantage that must not be over
looked. Cooperation between the
United States and the other conn
tries involved will be necessary IL
the construction Of the highway ard
the mutual understanding which
viii result undoubtedly will bring
about the adjustment or material
reduction Of the high duties that
now exist on merchandise exported
TO South America. This, together
with better and cheaper transporta-
ton facilities. would mean subj
stantialiy reduced prices OF United
States goods to South American con-
sumers.
Business ME in this country an
preciate the Importance of a Pan
American link. and the American
Automobile association and the "a
tional Automobile Chamber az Com
merce have been working for some
time to center public interest on
this movement. With such senti-
ment existing. il appears that the
financial and commercial leaders of
the countries involved " be able
TO obtain prompt and immediate nc.