Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-12
LINKING THE AMERICAS.

American republics gathered
last week in Washington I.
~ sign a protocol for uniform
traffic regulations in the West
ern Hemisphere, and expressed thei
hope to see realized some day the grea'
dream of pan-Americanists: A broas
1nter-American Highway down through
the continent. Later on, as delegate.
to the International Road Congress
which closed yesterday. they discussed
the technical matters with representa-.
tives of go nations and dominions OF
the world and helped establish the basis
for q new era of ever-shorteninR geo.
graphic distances.
Roads draw peoples closer. They are
the means for forming practical, eco
nornic bonds, and at the same time
higher ties, for they shorten the ma
tertal as well as the spiritual distances
between nations. Closer bonds, mutual
knowledge and mutual understanding
are the three necessary stages OF
friendship between peoples. The three
are intimately related, for 1t is impos-
sible to attain the last-ideal goal oil
international policies without having
passed through the first two High.
ways and railroads offer facilities fol-
these first stages; hence the high i'm
portance we giva TO the solution of road
problems as means for closer ipterna-
tional relations.
II the pan-American movement
which is the most interesting politica.
tendency OF our day, has not yet at
tanned O more complete success, 1t Il
because international communication
between the peoples of the North and
Of the South have been neglected
There have been held many congresses
and many plans have been made tc
solve American problems by en-.
deavoring to remove, step by step
grounds for dispute or Emergencies OF
opinion between Latins and Saxons
but little has been done to draw closer
the material ties between North Amer
lea and Central and South America by
means Of railways and highways, which
would facilitate both the commercial
interchange and the better mutuai
knowledge of their peoples. have
often said that to this lack of knowl-
edge may be almost entirely attributed
the misunderstanding still existing be-
tween the Americans Of the North anc
those Of the South, these being more
spiritual and Intellectual than political
WINGS OF GOOD WILL.
It may be that aviation is bringing
the solution OF this problem. Air serv.
ices have already been established, al
though not yet with entire regularity
between the United States and Latir
America and since their establishment
the cause Of pan-Americanism hai
made more progress, in months, thar
during years of the past decade. Il
Is easy to understand the great benefits
which will be felt when Commercial
aviation Is fully established through
out this hemisphere and the air serv-
ices have reached a stage when they
can compete with maritime transport
Being able to carry out business nego.
tiations in "a or AZ hours will be ir
truth great progress over present serv'
ices, which require two or three weeks
between New York and the more i'm
portant commercial centers Of South
America. However, the problem Of all
transportation Is not yet solved, anc
perhaps the services we have at tho
present time can hardly be called more
than trials.
Meanwhile there is now before the
leaders of the North and of the South
the pressing necessity of solving thu
problems of land and water communi-
cations, If they want to encourage the
progress Of pan-American ideals. The
bdtlI1 faIIlcIlCdu IGpuDLlCS dAC wv OAo
tant from the United States for true
understanding to be possible with the
Saxon nation. In fact, the United
States Is nearer to Europe than to the
rest Of this hemisphere, since but foul
or FIVE days separate 1t from the Ole
World, while to go from New York tc
the principal cities of South America
-Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Santi.
ago, Lima, Montevideo, La Paz-is
journey Of from Is to 20 days, or more
and not very comfortable one at that
MUTUAL KNOWLEDGE.
To these great distances, and to the
lack Of better means of communication
Is due the small interest In this coun-
try In getting up tours to the Latin
American republics and the reason why
so few visitors from the South reach
the shores of Uncle Sam.
At the present there does not exist
in reality, any interchange between
North and South America; that
Is TO say, any permanent current
of interchange sufdcient to bear to
those of one race a knowledge of the
conditions and modes of thought OF
the other. There are, of course, scat
tering travellers, tourists, adventures
traders, business men and few
scholars, going back and forth, but
they form such a small portion that
they are more the exception than the
rule And this is precisely what Is
really needed; a great many people
from the North going to the South, In
order TO learn at first hand and study
the life of the Latin nations, to learn
Spanish and really know the Spanish.
Americana their needs and their prob