Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-30
SEE PAN,AMER|CAN
ROAD IMPERATIVE
Route From Canada to Cape
Horn Called Indis-
penSabIe.

The proposed Pan-American highway
connecting Canada, the United States
and South America is more necessary
for present-day social and economic
needs than was the transcontinental
railroad in the early days Of this coun-
try, according to Frank L. Hambly, ex-
port manager in the automotive field,
who returned recently from an extended
trip to Central and South America.
1.-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 single government.
The Pan-American highway, however,
would join two continents with inhab-
itants of entirely different customs and
modes of living and would result in mu-
tual advantages almost without limit in
number or Importance
During his journey to South America
the export manager visited dealers in
Argentina. Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and
Peru. His views on the benefits that
would follow in the wake of the COM
pletion of a roadway connecting the
two American continents are based upon
the statements of South American off,
Gals and business men with whom he
talked and his own observations of con-
ditions in the countries south of the
Equator.
Land of the Future.
South America long has been looked
upon as land of great future, and the
developments there in recent years serve
to strengthen confidence in the posi-
bilities of this rich region" MIR. Hambly
continued. Natural resources are abun-
dant, but modern business methods, so
far as they have been introduced, are
handicapped severely by sadly made
quate transportation facilities.
THE paved road, as we know 1t in
the United States, is confined in South
America to the cities. Consequently
there is no intermingling of the people
of the various sections, and as a result
their viewpoints are restricted to the
bounds of their own immediate sur
roundings and happenings.
This situation creates two obstacles
to the marketing of products, either
local or imported. In the first place,
great part of the population in the inte-
rior has not been educated to the ad-
vantages of modern merchandise. These
people do not travel any great distance
and have no opportunity to learn of
new products or new methods of doing
things; therefore they feel no desire
for them.
Secondly, even though a demand for
new products did arise, it could be sup
piled only by overcoming the handicap
of poor transportation facilities. Thus
merchandising efforts are checkmated
at both ends and will remain SO until
adequate roads are provided so that the
automobile, the bus and the truck can
break down the isolation of South
Americans from their own people and
from the rest of the world.
Important Steps.
THE construction of the Pan-Ameri-
can highway is the first and most i'm
portant step that must be taken. South
American business men favor 1t, but
they freely admit that their countries
must have outside assistance to bring
the plans to conclusion. When the
highway is started-and it is expected
that some definite action will be taken
at the second Pan-American Congress
on Highways. which meets next July at
Rio de Janeiro-other roads branching
out from it will be undertaken by the
Latin American countries. Therefore,
it can be readily seen that the conStruc-
ton of the long north-south roadway is
the key to the solution of the entire
problem
Aside from the transportation phase.