Evening star., 1939-12-31
NEWS OF THE MOTORING WORLD
Two Interesting Conventions Scheduled anuary National
Dealers to Meet Here; Road Builders in Chicago

and Free Roads," were transmitted
by the President of the United
States to Congress In 1889.
Commissioner Thomas H. Mac.
Donald of the Public Roads Admin.
sitration, familiar figure to viY-
tually every American road builder
and an esteemed highway authority,
will attend the Chicago conclave.
Mr.. Macdonald has recently COM
pleted his report for 1899 on the
national highway planning survey.
He will discuss the latest findings
and developments of the survey with
the Nations road builders.
John Carmody, well-known good
roads exponent and administrator of
the Federal Works Agency, will go
to Chicago from his Offices in WASH
ington. He plans to talk with road
builders about the highway needs
and problems of America as related
to Federal activities. From the
Capital will also come Arizona Sem
ator Carl Hayden and Oklahoma
Representative Wilburn Cart
wright, formulators of the now
famous Federal Aid Act that opened
new highway vistas to America.
These two legislative authorities will
paint the congressional picture of
road building for conventioners.
National Defense Need.
Roads for national defense are
seen as imperatively necessary in
this critical era of chaotic world
conditions. The United States Army
is small when compared with the
armies of relative world powers. It
is an army of defense and not Of
fense. But it is becoming increas-
ingly mechanized. In the event Of
attack on the United States the
greatest single factor of defense
would be mobility of troops, sup
plies and artillery. Highway con-
gestion during wartime in the
United States would be an intol-
cradle hindrance to military move
ments and maneuvers.
High-ranking officials Of the War
Department, interested in roads for
national defense, will be on hand in
the Midwestern metropolis to ex-
change viewpoints with American
road men. Plans for roads of mill
tary nature closely parallel the plans
for system of inter regional high
ways as recommended by the Pub
lie Roads Administration. The War
Department, according to authori-
tative observers, will promulgate a.
network of military highways that
will also adequately serve peace
time pursuits.
The A. r. B. A. road show and y
convention will attract South and
Central American delegates in un-
precedented numbers. Great Brit
ain and Germany, in peacetime,
were the greatest competitors of the
United States in the export of road
building equipment to the countries
OF South America Occupied with
destruction rather than construc-
ton, the larger manufacturing CEN
tiers OF Europe have been eliminated
as competitors of the United States.
South American nations are ever
becoming more highway conscious.
Commercial and social penetration
OF their rich but undeveloped hin
terlands is dependent upon roads.
Areas adjacent to metropolitan CEN
tiers, even as in the United States.
are tortured with a traf6c-conges-
ton problem. South America needs
and desires to build modern high.
ways. So delegates from the good
nations will attend the
road show convention, in numbers
never before recorded, to preview
the latest American bodybuilding
equipment and to gather up-to-date
data on the science of American
highway construction.