Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-29

pens 10 De CraVeunR, ana MS as
oft-repeated query as to where
the whole system of roads in this
and other countries is going, are
expected to be in some measure
answered when the road experts
of more than 40 nations gather in
Washington October 6 to IL for
the sessions of the sixth Interna-
tional Road Congress and the ex-
position of road machinery and
materials offered as an adjunct to
the congress by the American
Road Builders Association.
Leading the world in roads, mo-
tor production and the production
Of the machines with which to
build highways, the United States
will have much to offer the visit
Ing highway experts in the way of
experience born of the leadership
1t holds in these fields.
Here will be gathered the fore
most minds of the motor world
to exchange ideas on the proper
planning and construction of
highways for automobiles (mostly
American made) to travel upon in
the safest, quickest and most eco
nomical manner.
These road experts, most of
them engineers, are expected to
bring forth from the congress
some highly interesting facts on
the future bodybuilding projects
of the various nations.
In the deliberations of the con-
greSs, the Super-highway of the
future, which is, by the way, the
necessity of today, is expected to
have a large place.
In fact, from advance informa-
ton in papers to be presented the
congress on the road problems Of
today, the super-highway as it is
now regarded, and in some few
instances exists today, will be a
puny project as compared with
what will be needed for motor
travel in the next few years.
Radical Departure Seen.
Practically all of the road ex-
perts of the United States are
agreed that if road program as
planned today is to be a success
full one, as viewed by the condi-
lions which will exist a few years
from now, it must be radical de-
parture from present ideas of road
building. The 20 or 80 foot high
way Of today, it is agreed, will be
wholly inadequate in the majority
of cases for the motor traffic of
tomorrow, and will be expanded
to 100 feet or more, with doubly
or trlply broad highways to take
care of the feeder roads near the
population centerS.
They envision a 100-foot high
way from the Capital to New
York, to the Middle West, to the
Southwark, for instance, as prac-
teal necessities of today and as
almost certainties of the near
future.
In their calculations, as in all
calculations connected with the
motor industry today. the first
consideration is safety. The. safe
ty factor must transcend all 9TH
ers in the planning of roads. The
mistakes of road building that
have gone along with the tremen-
duouS production of motor cars in
this country already have taken
such a toll of lives in America
that the problem of motor safety
is a major concern of the highest
officials of this Government, no.
tably President Hoover, who voiced
his concern recently at the annual
conference on street and highway
safety here. The road primarily
must be safe.
But the demands of today also
call for speed, and the problem of
combining the facilities for speed
and safety have brought many
wrinkles to the foreheads of the
highway engineers of this and
other countries, as we'll to the
foreheadS of the designers of
present-day motor cars Steadily,
however, has the combination of
safety and speed mounted in the
car itself. Provided the proper
place to do it, practically anv ma
chine of today is a safe PROPOSE
ton at a mile a minute. The
trouble is to find place to do it.
Believes in High Speed.
Capt. J. S. Irving, the man who
designed the car in which the late
Maj. Sir Harry o. D. Segrave
broke the world speed record and
established a new one at 231 miles
an hour over the sands of Day.
tona Beach, is a firm believer in
high-speed road transportation.
Shortly after Sir Harry estab-
1ished the record mile at Daytona,
Capt. Irving, in Washington, told
the writer the day would come
in the near future when buses
would make 100 to $50 miles an
hour over super-Speed highways
between the great metropolises o.
this country.
you have the space; why not
build the roads? The building of
motors for $50 miles an hour
highway transportation would be
simple thing. Tires are safe at
that speed and roads can be made
safe" he said.
1t was Capt. Irving'S hope that
Sir Harry'S machine would go $50
miles an hour, and he is confident
today that he can build a car that
will do 300 miles an hour or
better.
But where will I find a place
to stretch a car that fast2" he
asks.
The answer is the super-speed
highway, many highway experts
believe. Not that there would be
built super-speed highways just
for the testing of some jugger-
lMOTOR DON'TS1