Evening star., 1928-04-08
WASHINGTON GETS
WORLD ROAD MEET
Sixth Conference in 1880 viii
Mark First Such Gath
ering in West.

At the invitation of the United States
Government, the leading highway engi.
neerS. economists and administrators ol
4he world will meet in Washington III
1880 10 attend the Sixth international
Association of Road Congresses.
Fifty nations and five continents are
expected to send hundreds Of delegates
to the meeting, which will be historic
in that II viii mark the first time the
International Road Conference has as
Senbled in the Western Hemisphere.
The resolution authorizing the inVi-
tstion was signed by President Coolioge
last week. having passed the Senate and
the House Of Representatives under the
able leadership of Senator Lawrence c.
Phipps Of Colorado and RepreSentatife
y. Charles Linthicum Of Maryland.
Senator PhippS. as a member OF ne
Senate committee on post Offices ana
post roads, sponsored the measure III
the upper chamber. while Representa-
tive Linthicum Of the committee on
foreign affairs introduced the measure
before the House and followed 1t through
committee hearings, The formal invi-
tation viii be transmitted by Secretary
Of State Kellogg, by direction OF PreSi-
dent Coolidge, to the Permanent Inter-
national Association Of Road Con-
rresses. which is the Official name OF
the association.
Tribute from Old World.
The association had previously voted
70 accent the invitation If extended,
The willingness CT the association Of
fcisls to bring the sixth conference 70
the United States is held - be slgnlii-
cant. 1t is recognition on the part OF
the Old World, with its background OF
centuries of highway building and high
way transport, OF the new order OF
achievement Of the New World In the
mass production and methods OF ao-
ninistration Of highway construction
and maintenance. While highway en-
rineering on the continent antedateS
the highway programs OF The United
States BY thousands of years. the uulity,
science and economic benefits or nigh
way tranSporta asion nave reached their
highest fruition in this country. and II
Is the desire 70 observe these results II
Is believed. that prompted the engineers
Of continental Europe and Asia to ac-
cept the invitation Of the United States.
Only Official World Meet.
At the Fifth International Conference
as Milan in 1926 the delegates from the
United States tentatively advanced the
v-olect Of bringing the next conference
q the United States. Their overtureS
we're met with the most cordial 1ecep-
ton. Secretary Of Agriculture Jaroine.
A whose department is the Bureau CT
Public Roads, addressed the conferences
hv letter. expressing the hope that j
would prove possible for me United
states to extend and the conference TO
srcspt an invitation for the next meet
ing TO be held in washington The
DELEGATES from the United States At the
Milan conference were Thomas H Mac
Donald, chief OF the Bureau CT Public
Roads and chairman Of The Highway
Education Board: Pyke johnson. execu-
live director Of the Pan-American Con-
federation for Highway Education. II.
II. Rice, treasurer Of the National Au-
tpnobIle Chamber Of Commerce; j. n.
1EackaII, chairman of the State Roads
Commission for Maryland; Paul D. Sar-
geuf. State highway engineer for Maine,
and II. II. Kelly. European commercial
attache from the Department. Of Com
merce.
The international Association OF Road
CONGRESSES is the only worldwide ON
eial organization Of highway authorl-
ties. Is was organized In Paris IN 1908,
and congresses have since been neld IN
Brussels IN 1910, IN Lon5on IN 1913. in
Seville Ii 1928 and IN Milan IN 1926.
The sessions projected for The wears
during the World War were postponed.
The conference membership Is COM
rrised Of IS countries, including the
United States Of America; 455 collective
bodies and nearly ! 500 priva-e MEM
bers, OF whom more than one-Ihird are
NE members. The last conference, az
Milan. the first 10 which the United
states sent an ofncial delegation. was
attended bv representatives from 80 ra-
fscrs. and ttG oGficial and .iUa official
delegates numbered IN excess CT 1000.
The actual number Of oflclal dele
Rztes Is limited 70 IS from each nation.