Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-27

enumerated in the constitution of the
body. : a-
The executive committee Of the con-
federation is in itself a distinguished
group Of men, and includes, in addi-
ton to DR.. Rowe as chairman. the fol-
lowing members: Wilbur j. Carr, AS
sistant Secretary of State;. Roy ..
Chaplin. National Automobile Chamber
Of Commerce; j. Walter Drake, former
Assistant Secretary Of Commerce; Fred
I. Kent, American Bankers Association:
Thomas H. Macdonald, chief United
States Bureau of Public Roads; w. ..
Rutherford, Rubber Association of
America, and Pyke Johnson, executive
director.
declarations for highway education
are active in 10 of the Latin American
countries. In others the confederation
for the present is working with already
established organizations.
An analysis of authoritative govern
ment reports diScloSes how far the high
way has progressed by natural process
OF hi way development.
In Mexico an extensive program in
augurated by the Federal government
has given great impetus to the COM
pletion of the international highway.
Beginning at Nuevo Laredo, a Mexican
town across the river from Laredo, Tex,
a newly completed road stretches 1877
miles south to Montemorelos. Though
lacking finished surface the road has
been in fairly good condition Recent
rains have made certain detours neces-
sary. This section of the road already
is reported as carrying a heavy tourist
traffic from the States.
Filling Stations Now Lacking.
From MontemoreIos south to Pachuca.
the road. while passable, cannot be
classed as a motor highway. Over this
distance of some 500 miles the country
is sparsely populated, with few gas or
service stations along the route. With
construction gradually continuing south
OF MontemoreloS, the demands of the
motoriSt will soon obliterate the latter
difficulties. First-class highways now
exist on the north of Mexico City to
Pachuca and east to Puebla, a distance
OF 100 miles in each case. Construc-
ton OF motor road recently was begun
from Puebla to Oaxoca.
From the Oaxoca to the Guatemalan
border there is choice of two pros
pectlve routes. One would cut directly
east through the mountain region to
CONTAIN, while the other would take
After leaving Mexico, economic, cli-
matte and typographical considerations
suggest that the international highway
should follow the Pacific slope of the
volcanic range which traverses Central
America from the Mexican frontier to
the border of Panama With the ex-
cept1on Of Honduras, the road would
pass through the principal centers of
population of all the Central American
countries. The milder climate of the
Pacific coast is consideration in favor
OF this route that cannot be over
estimated. especially since the major
part Of the road will cross mountain
territory.
With but single gap, highway now
exists across the entire state of Guate.
maIa' put only a small portion of it can
DC c!aSsed as good motor road. Much
OF the highway was laid out by the
conquistadores when engineering fprac-
tices demanded ais few river CROSSINGS
as possible and heavy grades were a
lesser objection. The objectional grades.
the pad curves and the narrow passages
d TODAY. however. can be improved with
very little difficulty. Road material in
the form OF crushed rock is always near
at hand 44'"A
The only gap in. the cross Guatemala
highway lies between the border towns
, OF Ayutla and Coatepeuue. From
Coatepeque to Quezaltenango, a dirt
roao. passable only in dry weather
graoua!ly ascends to an altitude of
about 1000 feet "a
From Quezaltenango a level wear.
5ouio graVel road stretches to. Totoni-
Capala. FROM Totonicapan to- Tecpar,1.
Wy way OF Los Encuentros, fair dry
Meatrer roadSexists. With little trouble
this road could be converted into an
all-year highway. 81
From Tecpam to the capital. Guate-
mala City, there is a passable dirt road
IWenty-four miles from Guatemala
CITY to Guilapa is traversed by a fairly
good macadamized road constantly
under Improvement. Once OFF the
macadam road a steady down-grade
dirt road leads to the Exclavos River
ascending here to the Jutiapa Main
BAD grades, narrow passages and Door
drainage mark this road at present
but it is passable.
Work Would Smooth Routes
), From Jutiapa to, Asuncion Mita.
tnence 10 the Mongoy River,
mere Is q dirt road, rocky in places
ana often IN need of proper drainage.
SNH eAAS HAOAiBOy ItlNeT 10 the SAL
Vaoof frontier, a distance of about is
miles, the road is located on a rocky
terrain! It Is without heavy grades. but
needs a large amount of work. How
ever, 1t Is being used daily nearly nine
months IN the year by motor vehicles.
Under contract signed in 1925. the
government of Salvador has provided
for its share of the Pan-American
Highway. While under the present pro-
visions the completion of the route
would not be finished for less than 18
years, it Is anticipated that public in
terest viii lead to expedition of this
work.
Commencing with connection with
the Guatemalan Highway, the general
route leads through Candelaria to Santa
Ana. Under. construction at the pres
ent time this road from the Guate-
rnalan border to Santa Ana will be A
flrst-class paved road within another
year.
Leaving Santa Ana a dry-season road
goes to San Salvador, the capital.
Going east there is fair dirt road
as far as Cojutepeque. Until the coastal
plain is reached, near Zacatecoluca, the
terrain is quite broken, but the diff
culties are far from being serious in
character.
From ZacatecoIuca acct IN CO.,