Evening Star Newspaper, January 27, 1929, Page 121

“THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D.. ¢, 'JANUARY 27,1 CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA ALERT TO HIGHWAY BENEFITS Connection of Two posed Pan-American Route Nearing - Steadily Through Work of Nations. The touring horizon of the American motorist bids fair to be immeasurably widened in the reasonably near future, according to reports of highway prog- ress in Lati. America and recent ac- “en lsoking toward the realization of an inter-American highway linking the Deoples of the Western Hemisphere. Already, according w authoritative re- ‘:‘Tz the countries of Central and th America are alert to the ad- ¥antages of highway improvement, and after decades of planning and specula- iith the first practical steps toward the construction of the age-old dream of a pan-American highway stretching from the cold reaches of the North to the tropical lands of South America and beyond again to the temperate zones, are about to be undertaken by relspomme governments and organiza- tions. ‘The physical difficulties, long held insurmountable, are now by competent engineers said to be no greater than those encountered in certain stretches of highway construction in the United States, nor more forbidding than those overcome by engineers in building the recently completed highway from Rio de Janelro, Brazil, south to Sao Paulo and north to Petropolis. The économic and political considerations are other matters, but they too are expected to yield to the influences at work and to the growing sentiment of mutuality and friendship among the countries em- braced in the Pan-American Union. In behalf of the Pan-American Con- federation for Highway Education, Dr. L. S. Rowe, chairman of the executive committee of that organization and director general of the Pan-American Union, recently made inquiries of the ministers of the Central American States to know if their respective gov- ernments have made surveys of pros- pective routes and other studies which would represent practical effort toward the ouilding of a longitudinal highway connecting their several republics. If these surveys have been made, he asks if the confederation may not have the benefit of their experience, and if they have not been undertaken, he expresses the willingness of the confederation to co-operate if desired in a field recon- naissance by competent engineers studying the topographic conditions and proposed route of such a highway. Studies to Be Basis of Report. These studies, when made, will.form the basis of a report by the confedera- tion to the governing board of the Pan- American Unlon, which in turn will submit its conclusions to the Sécond Pan-American. Congress of Highways at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, next June. Out of this congress, which debated the problem at its earlier session at Buenos Aires in 1925, are expected to come specific recommendations for the con- tinuance of activity in behalf of the highway. ‘The project is not new to the gov- ernments of Latin America and of North America, having been considered at the Sixth-International Conference of American /States at its sessions at Havana in May, 1928. There a resolu- tion was ad directing the union to make such & study for the informatioa of the forthcoming Rio congress,.and the union, by recent action of the governing board, transferred the proj- ect to the hands of the confederation. The governing board of the union con- sists of the Ambassadors and Ministers of the several Latin American nations, with the Secretary of State of _the United States, while the Pan-American Confederation is a Latin American or- ganization with branches in most of the countries of North, Central and South America. The field féconnaissance, it is said by eonfederation officials, will confine itself Ior lne present to the countries of Guatemala, Honduras, San Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, be- cause of the limited time available, go- ing no farther than the Colombian bor- der. The engineers will not concern themselves at this time with the United States, since ample highways already exist to many points on the Mexican border; nor with Mexico, since the gov- ernment of Mexico already has formu- lated an_extensive road program. Dr. Octavio Dubels, chairman of the na- tional highway commission of Mexico, has promised that much of the Mexican sector of the Pan-American Highway {rom Laredo, Tex. or Nuevo Laredo,|the state of Nuevo Leon, Mexico, througn Mexico City to the Guatemalen border, w:ll be completed within the next two yéars. Following the Rio congress it is con- fidently hoped that similar surveys will be made in the countries of South Ame: ca, and the work of actual con- struction proceed thereafter as rapidly as practical. Actual Details Problematical. ‘Whether actual construction of the highway will be undertaken as one task, or whether the Pan-American Highway will become a reality through the building of national networks of highways, ¢onnected and interrelated, as in the case of the United States and of other countries, it is yet too early to say. Many factors are {o be overcome, but the fact remains that this stupen- dous problem of communication by the most_effective means yet available to the public at large has been wrested from the realm of impracticable ideéal- l THE ROAD TO THE SOUTHLAND BECKONS THE TRAVELER TIE AN A Monterey Montemarelos®, *® Tentative route of the Continents by Pro- ism to the humdrum workaday blue- prints of the engineer by the recent ac- | tivities of the confederation and other organizations, demonstrating the prac- ticability of highway transportation as a means for the economic and social development of a nation and of peoples. Recent investigations by the con- federation disclose the interesting in-! formation that many links in the high- way already are in passable condition, which reference to the map will con- firm. Many of the roads listed as “pro- jected” are in fact traversible in dry seasons of the year, while other stretches are under construction. With the ultimate completion of the highway, or even with the building of certain sections, the lure of the road to the American car owner will be more compelling than ever before. Many of the regions to be penetrated are rich in legend and historic lore, verdant with tropical vegetation, teem with muiti- colored birds, and offer the tourist a di- versity of picturesque scenes and e: periences which the more thickly pop ulated regions of the North no longer afford. 7 These are the lands of the Spanish conquerors, who explored for gold and silver and stayed to found kingdoms for ancient Spain. Columbus first saw them and Cabot explored the inland shores of the native rivers. Here centuries ago flourished forgot- ten civilizations, Mayan, Toltec, Aztec and Inca. Here nods an Aztec idol, his votaries long since fled, while giant Mayan sun-dials of accurate geometric design cast the same shadows by which ancient astronomers reckoned time. Over there the snow-capped Andes frown down on the placid Pacific, while the marsh lands and the deserts are challénges rather than obstacles to the enterprise of the modern engineer. Henry Clay Held Backer. ‘The notion of intercommunication between the several countries was broached as far back as the early 40s, probably by Henry Clay, and was the subject of & conference and an eloquent. address by James G. Blaine, then Sec- retary of State in President Harrison's cabinet in 1888. Generally, the idea has revolved around an inter-American raiiroad and this plan has by no means been aban- doned, but with the advance of motor transportation, the possibility of a longi- tudinal highway also has given rein to the imegination of the leading states men and politicians in all the nations. That the project is uppermost in the minds of officials of the several coun< tries is apparent from their recent ut- terances. President Coolidge in his message to the second session of the Seventieth Congress said: “In my message last year I expressed the view that we should lend our en- couragement for more good roads to all the principal points on this hemisphere south of the Rio Grande. . My view has not changed. The Pan-American Union has recently indorsed it. In some of the countries to the South a great deal of progress is being made in road building. In others engineering features are often exacting and financing difficult. As those count enter upon programs for read bui g we Should be réady to contribute from our abundant experi- eénce ta make their task easier of accom- plishment. ¥ ( 2] “We. should provide ou(; ‘Southern neighbors, if they request if, with such engineer advisers for the construction of roads and bridges. Private interests should look with favor upon all reason- able loans sought by these countries to open main lines of travel. Such assist- ance should be given especially to any project for & highway designed to con- nect all the countries on this hemi- sphere and thus facilitate intercourse and closer relations among them.” Former President Calles of Mexico, wel eom'tn{ the ‘idea, said recently: “I want to see 100,000 American mio- tor cars .erossing the line inta Mexico, to enable the American people to see and meet my. that & better and friendlier ul may obtain between the two nations.’ President-elect Hoover had with him on his good-will journey to the Latin American nations & map showing 8 pos- sible route of the proposed highway. Certainly his visits will quicken interest in these countries in their neighbor to North and 1t will familiarize the President-elect with the peoples and problems of’ the nattons of the only continent which he had not visited in ffl ate life before entering public serv- ice as Secretary of Commerce. Highway Principal Tenet, Each member of the executive com- mittee of the confederation and the constituent federations for highway education are giving. much personal attention to the 'groneu of road de- velopment in all the countries tn which the organization operates, While the pan-American highway is only one Pphase of the activities of the confedera- tion, its ultimate achievement is one of the aims toward which most intensive effort will be directed. The highway, as & matter of fact, was one of the principal tenets in the tentative articles of organization of the confederation, first drafted at the close of the historic tour of the Latin American engincers in the United States of America in gudlmented in the constitution of the y. . The. executive committee of the con- | federation is in itself a distinguished group of men, and includes, in addi- tion to Dr. Rowe as chairman, the fol-* iowing members: Wilbur J. Carr,, As-| sistant Secretary of State;. Roy D,! Chapin, 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. O.! Rutherford, Rubber Association of| America, and Pyke Johnson, executive director. Federations 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 Mizico an extensive program in- augurat>d by the Federal government has given great impetus to the com- glellon of the international highway. eginning at Nuevo Laredo, a Mexican town across the river from Laredo, Tex., a newly completed road stretches 197 miles south to Montemorelos. Though lacking a 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 Montemorelos 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- tion of a motor road recently was begun from Puebla to Oaxoca. From the Oaxoca to the Guatemalan border there is a choice of two pros- pective routes. One would cut directly east through the mountain region to Comitan, while the other would take a more southerly course to Ayutla. After leaving Mexico, economic, cli- matic and topographical considerations suggest that the international highway should follow the Pacific slope of the voleanic range which traverses Central America from the Mexican frontier to the border of Panama. With the ex- ception 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 a 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 a single gap, a highway now exists across the entire state of Guate- mala, but only a small portion of it can be classed as good motor road. Much of the highway was Inid out by the conquistadores when engineering ‘prac- #ces (demanded as few rjver crossings ‘as possible and heavy grades were a lesser objection. The objectional grades, the bad curves and the narrow passages of today, however, can be improved with :firyr little ldlmcifltm Road material in e form of crushed rock is alway: “T‘l‘:nd~ : always near e only gap in the cross Guatemal highway lies between the border tnm\us of - Avutla and Coatepeque. From Coatepeque to Quezaltenango, a dirt ;L::gu .fi;sslble ggfly‘ in dry weather, ascends to a Abop\:z _’Io%raw n altitude of om ezaltenango a level - round gravel road stretches to, Tom_ Capan. * From Toténicapan to Tecpam, by way of Los Encuentros, a fair dry= :\:élt;zuoad ?:ls'bi‘ With little trouble coul conver lllgelr %lgm\;ly. - o ioian om Tegpam to the capital, Guate- mala City, ghere is* &' passagle dirt road. Twenty-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, nscending here to the Jutiapa plain, Bad grades, narrow passages and poor drainage mark this road at present, Miguel, the country is level, and the only major problem is crossing of the Ilampa River. The proposed route from San Miguel gradually ascends into rough country, crossing the Honduran frontier about due west of Nacaome. The proposed route through Hon- duras enters at a point directly west | of Nacaome, through Nacaome, crossing the San Lorenzo-Tegucigalpa Road 9, thus providing access to the capital, [ through Cholutoca to the Nicaraguan frontier, a distance of approximately 95 miles. ‘There are two possible routes from the Honduran frontier to Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. The first con- tinues from the Honduras frontier southwest through the mountain coun- try north of Lake Managua to Mata- galpa and thence via the road recently completed to the capital. The other is located by way of Leo and south of | Lake Managua to the capital. Costa Rican Part Natural. From Managua it is now possible to go as far as Rivas during the dry sea- | son. The land is level and no large | rivers are encountered. From Rivas the | route would lead to the Costa Rican | frontier, coming in near La Cruz and the Rio Sapoa. Entering Costa Rica along the valley of the Rio Sapoa, a tentative highway line runs in the direction of the head- waters. Striking a low divide, it then drops into the drainage basis of the practically level stretch of country to Bagaces. Following a general eastern direction from Bagaces, the line mounts the Guanacaste range at a point just above the western end of Lake Arenal. the famous Burning Lake, and continues along the top of the ridge into the city of San Ramon. From San Ramon a dry-weather dirt | road now runs through the cities of Palmares and Grecia to Alajuela. From Alajuela to San Jose an inferior qual- ity macadam road exists. A wide dirt road, passable only in dry season, extends between San Jose and Cartago. From Cartago the road | bends southwesterly to El Pito. thence south to the Panamanian border. From the Costa Rican border into Panama, there is an open gap to the city of David. The country is level, however, and nothing appears in the way of obstacles to building a road over this territory. From David to Santiago 95 miles of paved highway is now under construction. From Santiago to Panama City, a distance of 100 miles, an im- proved highway was recently com- pleted. On the other side of the canal a road is now under construction to Pacora, which is gradually planned to extend as far as Chepo. From here the highway would cut to the Caribbean coast of Colombia. . Practically every commodity makes some part of its journey between pro- THO STATES A CASOLINETAX FE Louisiana and New Hamp- shire Increase Levy to 4 Cents a Gallon. With two upward revisions of the automobile gas tax during 1928, as com- pared with 22 <Banges made during 1927, State practice regarding this means of building better highways has been quite definitely established. Louis- iana raised the gas tax during 1928 from 2 to 4 cents a gallon, while New Hampshire increased the rate from 3 to 4 cents. All but three States, Illinois, Massa- chusetts and New York, have a gas tax, varying with each individual State from 2 to 5 cents a gallon. Ten states, Con- necticut, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jer North Dakota, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin A gallon. Wyoming has a tax rate of 25 cents. Fourteen States have fixed the gas tax rate at 3 cents a sllon. ‘They are: California, Colorado, Delaware, Indiana, Towa, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, Okla- homa, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Vermont. Utah's tax is 33 cents a gallon. A 4-cent tax has found favor in 13 States, nameiy Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South Dakota and West Virginia, while a rate of 4!2 cents is charged in Virginia. Get 5 Cents. Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, New Mexico and South Carolina tax at the rate of 5 cents a gallon. The average tax in the 45 States and District of Columbia that have adopted this means of increasing their reve- nues amounts to 3.2 cents a gallon ‘The average rate for 1927 was 38.13 | cents. In 1926 it was 2.56 cents per | gallon. | _More than $258,800,000 was raised by gas taxes for good roads during 1927. Of this fund $182,000,000 was spent on State highways: $55.400,000 went to local roads; $10,000,000 was apportioned to State and county bond pavements and the remainder went for collection costs of taxes, and for miscellaneous projects allied to road building. Each motorist durtng 1927 used an average of 550.9 gallons of gasoline and traveled an average of 7,437 miles, according to the American Motorists o1 on a total gasoline consumpy.ion in the United States of 11,563.490,000 gallons, an increase of 12.4 per cent over 1926. Mileage traveled is based on an average of 135 miles per gallon. So during 1927 cars and trucks traveled 1.361.- 071.132.000 miles or 42,741,675 miles v. Since the adoption cf the gas tax it 1919 by Oregon it has had widespsead application and vopularity. From tota: receipts of 8553987 in 1919 the revenue 1 has increased to more than 250 million dollars a year. It is interesting to note that the States adopting the system carly levied comparative'; small taxes as_compared with the pressnt practice In the -early days of the tax it was thougia such a system would curtal | the use ¢¢ the automobile. Such has {not ®een the case, for with the tas | making ®stter road building possior travel has increased tremendously. e ke BOSTON FATALITIES GAIN But Rate Is Lowest of Twelv. Largest Cities. Though Boston fatalities increased by two in 1928, a total of 133 for this city's record compares very favorably with all of the other large cities of the country. Boston has the lowest fatality total of the 12 largest cities, although it ranks but it is passable. Work Would Smooth Routes. From : Jutiapa - to- Asuncion Mita, thence to the Mongoy Rbl’ver: there is a dirt road, rocky in places and often in need of proper drainage. From the Mongoy River to the Sai- vador frontier, a distance of about 15 miles, the road is located on a rocky terrain; It Is without heavy grades, but needs a large amount of work, How- ever, it is being used daily nearly nine months in the year by motor vehicles, Under a contract signed in 1925, the overnment of Salvador has provided or’ 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 will lead to expedition of this work. Commencing with a comection 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- malan border-to Santa Ana will be a first-class paved road within another year. 5 Ledving Santa ’Ana a dry-season road goes to San Salvador, the capital. Going east there is a fair dirt road as far as Cojutepeque. Until the coastal plain is reached, near Zacatecoluca, the terrain is quite broken, but the diffi- culties are. far- from being- serious- in character, 1924, and remains one of the goals S From Zacatecoluca east to San LEGEND e GOOD MOTOR ROA DS ==eee ROADS, PASSABLE ALL YEAR . ==== ROADS, PASSABLE IN DRY WEATHER wssensce ROADS, RROJECT but the actual ED . dream of statesmen for half a century. The map above determina of the route swaits A A AR o W g Tempisque River, thence following the ducer and consumer by automobile. and District of Columbia collect 2 cents These averages are based 'seventh in voint of size. Chandler Cars at the Show offer a car for every Bank Roll= the widest price range shown; Sixes from *875 to *2025; Eights from *1295 to $2295 OU’LL never have a better opportuni- ty for comparison than right now at the automobile show. Remember, whatever car you have in mind, at whatever price, there’s a Chandler at or near that figure. Value for value, feature for feature, com- pare the Chandler Six-65 with all other light sixes shown, priced up to $1200. Yet the price of this Chandler is $895 for the Four- Door Sedan. And here too, chal- lenging your judgment of values is the famous Chandler Big Six with its powerful Pikes Peak Motor and such specific advantages as “‘One Shot” Chassis Lubrication and Westinghouse Vacuum Brakes. $1525 for the Metropolitan Sedan. Search the show from end to end for a light eight that compares with the Chandler Royal Eight-75 at $1295— Four-Door Sedan ‘395 “The New Royal Eight 75 Two-Door Sedan ‘1295 FOUR-DOOR SEDAN - $1395 AU Prices f.o.b. Factory Equipment not standard, extra CHANDLER-CLEVELAND MOTORS CORPORATION CHANDLER DISTRIBUTORS equipped with both “One Shot”Lubrication and Westinghouse Brakes—exclusive in this price class. And now the Royal Eight-85 at $1795— outrivaling in beauty and performance most cars in the $2500-$3000 field. “One Shot” Chassis Lubrication, of course, and 7ée New Six 65 Westinghouse Vacuum Brakes are standard equipment. Even the big, handsome Seven Passenger Sedan is priced at only $2195. Any Chandler dealer will give you a full and complete demonstra- tion. Make itdoits own selling. Put it through its repertoire of power, pickup, speed, braking, flexibility, riding com- fort, facile handling, easy parking. See these Chandlers at the Show—then drive a Chandler—the one in whichever price class you are interested. CLEVELAND, OHIO MOTT MOTORS, Incorporated 1518-20 14th St. N.W. ‘Associate Dealers Decatur 4341-42-43 Northeast Hupmobile Sales, 50 H St. N.E. Franklin 3306 i 11 e andbeaiasdde Fo3asal -