Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-25

That great American lnSClCutlon OF
modern adventure, the automobile tour
ist, may climb some day into his car
in a far northeastern town of New Eng
land or Alaska, adjust his sun glasses
and travel with speed and safety upon
a magnificent highway to the southern
most tip of South America, much as he
would travel from Boston to New York
on week end jaunt. This ambitious
vision of comfortable travel for thou
sands of miles, according to highway
specialists of the two American CONT
nents, is now merely a vision, but is
assuming the attributes of reality.
Before it is realized, however, there
must be expended years of engineering
effort to bridge the rocky stretches and
plains of Mexico, the Swampy lowlandS
of Panama, and the tangled jungleS of
Argentina, Bolivia and Peru in South
America. All this, that tourists may
further their horizons and revel in sights
strange to the eyes. Nearly every fed
eral government within the boundaries
of North and South America is being
enlisted to this end.
italian Makes Trip.
In 1922 an italian, driving a touring
car, his face burned almost black by
the sun, his automobile battered, fen
derleSS, disreputable-lo looking and a net
work of patches, drove up to the en-
trance of City Hall in New York. The
man, Jose Maria Barone, had a broken
nose. an amputated finger, a bullet
wound in his elbow, badly SCARED leg
and not cent of money when he ar
rived in New York. He had Travelled
from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the au-
tomobile
On the way he wrecked his car three
times, rebuilt it himself with the help
of mechanic, who was killed in the
last crash; at one time used a crudely
refined pork fat boarded by South
American Indians in bamboo containers
for makeshift lubricant, and encoun-
tered bandits who robbed and shot him.
Once, captured by the redoubtable
SANDING in Nicaragua, his clothes were
taken from him. Through the swamps
of Central America he drove burro
before hir~. When the burro sank in
the slime ahead of his automobile, he
pulled the burro out and laboriously cut
a road around the soft spot through
the tangled underbrush so that he
might proceed.
This picture Of suffering and priva-
ton for the sake of an automobile trip
the length of the two Americas will
contrast sharply with what can be
expected when modern engineering
processes have been applied to the OBJ
Stacles which harassed Don Barone.
Many years must pass, but the automo-
bile tourist Of the future who seeks
strange lands and customs probably will
merely stop at Washington on his way
South. obtain the proper credentials and
continue, not to be wrecked, stopped by
bandits or forced to build his own road
where he finds none
Reaching Laredo, Tex, he viii enter
Mexico, travel the plains through Mon
terey, Mexico City and Ayutla, to Qua
temala, San Salvador, Granada, San
Jose and Panama in Central America,
and thence to South America. Here he
will travel along the shores OF the beau
tiful Pacific as far as Lima, Peru. If
he chooses to abandon the coast at this
point he may cut across the Cuzco,
through La Paz, or, If he chooses to
follow the coast line, continue on to
Santiago and thence to Buenos Aires.
There may come a time, it is said, |
when continuation of the road down
the Pacific Coast of South America will
carry the tourist through Chile and on
down to the historic Straits of Magel-
Ian.
Nations Push Plan.
The vision of the road began years
ago and that part of it which is now
available is the result of constant adj
vccacy before Congress and the govern
ment5 of the countries involved. The
United States Government appropriated
S50, 300 to permit the Secretary of State
to cooperate with the other concerned
governments in furthering the plans for
this 1nter-American highway. No fur
Their construction is necessary in the
United States Since SUFFICIENT highways
here lead to the South.
To date the main rood g..
motor travel into the northwestern sec
ton OF Mexico enters at Laredo and Is
IN satisfactory condition as far as
Monterey and for some distance be-
yond. 1t is possible to reach Monte
moreloS on the hard-surfaced road,
and proceed from there to Linares on
a highway which Is being graded. From
LinareS TO Zemapah the road is under
construction in sections and would be
difficult to travel. From Zemapah 1t is
fairly good travelling 10 Pachuca, and
from there to Mexico City the road is
excellent. Leaving Mexico City, one
finds good road to Puebla, but the
remainder Of the route to the Guate-
malan border Is virtually impossible
except in good weather.
This section Of the American
highway is typical OF the more adj
vanced conditions a tourist will find
today. 1t is well planned but largely
in bad shape. Mexico, desiring tourist
traffic, has more road planned than any
of the Latin American nations, includ-
ing one from the capital to Vera Cruz,
with the hope that American tourists
in Cuba will travel by boat to this city
and thence northward by automobile to
their homes.
Guatemala Lacks Approach.
Guatemala has no automobile road
approaching Mexico nearer than San
Marcos. In the dry season it Is pos
sible to travel by automobile from
Coatepeque, 20 miles east OF Ayutla,
Mexico, to Quetzalterango, thence to
Totonicapan. thence via Los Encuen-
tros and Tecpan to Guatemala TO
Guatemala City. From there, over
road passable in dry weather, one may
reach 'the border Of Salvador by way Of
Guilapa, Jutiapa and Asuncion Mita.
SalVador's highway system connects
at the boundary with Guatemala's.
Passing through Candelaria and Santa
Ana, a dirt road now being rebuilt.
leads to San Salvador, the capital, but
there are heavy grades much volcanic
ash dust in dry weather and lakes OF
mud in the rainy season, from May to
November. 1t is possible TO reach
Santa Rosa, about IL miles from the
Honduran border, from San Salvador
over a fair road leading through CO.
iutepeque, San Vincente, Zacatecoluca,
Usalutan and San Miguel.
Panama Builds Roads.
Panama has no road from the Costa
Rican boundary TO Davia, although
there is a road under construction from
Santiago to Davia. From Santiago TO