Show - i V? THE ' SALT LAKE CITY UTAH SUNDAY OCTOBER HERALD-REPUBLICA- N jr 2S 1917 - - - BoimnnoDDDaDDnoDnonDDODDoonDDnonniQ c ’'a V! V' ° j o'- - ' ' o - ' V- - fc y V t-- v - nn QDaDa aaa 0 1 0 o Bag 0 e is TOE BORDER lUGKWHjAND MATO TNTHRCOKNECmNG LINKS AS SUGGESTED BY THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY ASSOCIATION THE BILL NOW IN CONGRESS AUTHORIZES A SURVEY AND -- STIMATE BY THE WAR DEPARTMENT -- AdeqiiatePreparedness Demands Militaiy Border Highway With Inter-Stat- e Connecting Links i) r Government’s Interest in America’s Strategic Routes Increasing w Suggestions Proposes War Department Act to Facilitate Troop Movement ' By A self-govern- ing -- - F Bement ' IN v - to-d- ay - 1 : T r taken in a further "Tightening of the Union?" nr is a further extension of our transportation system and the rapid completion of a federal road system connecting up our railroads with our forma our farms with our cities and al- i the of materials and people which makes for a lower coat lowing that necessary increase in mobility of living a broader vision a more cohesive national sentiment and understanding —HENRY B JOY PRESIDENT The Lincoln Highway Association and at present they hinder the course of trade to the greatest degree possible without absolutely stopping it and drag at the wheels of every fanner's wagon that the price of food may be higher The President has stated that "upon the farmers of this country in a large measure rests the fate of the war and the fate of the nations May the nation not count upon them to omit no step that will bnng about the in the sale most effectual of their and distribution products?" The world faces a food shortage It faces unprecedented prices for foodstuffs The American farmer has we abroad see from received been appealed to from every source to report that only the brilliantly constructed system of roads canals railways and possible the light railways has made rapid 'moving about of the masses of artillery that are absolutely necessary for the attack In this matter our enemies are in a certain sense superior to us thanks to American support" Writing in the Saturday Evening Post in his recent letters from France Will Irwin one of the foremost war correspondents and keen observers of conditions on the western front states after describing the careful training of the drivers of the French Camions or military motor trucks “the day’s work was merely a glimpse of the organization behind the line of which the American people know so little and of which we must know so been brought to a stage of efficiency which gains even the compliments of the enemy is indicated by the remarks of Captain von Salzmann the military expert of the Berlin Vossiche Zeitong one of the most influential papers in Germany Commenting upon thq situation at the western front in a recent edition of this paper Captain von Salzmann says: '‘The English spirit of organization has been the main factor in promoting the extraordinary construction of the system of roads - counteract for the French the' German strategic railroads Along with' the valor of the men at the front it saved Verdun" Irwin does not feel it necessary to mention the obvious fact that this highly perfected system of mechanical transport by automobile trucks is possible only because of the wonderful French system of military highways whieh under Government control stand up and give ' maximuip service under the gruelling traffic which every hour ef every day and every night pours back and forth over them -But roads are not merely a matter of vital necessity in a country wherein battles are actually taking place They are of equal importance m America if as the President has said "the course of trade shall be as unhampered as it is possible to make it" Roads Form Primary Link ‘ In Course of Trade Roads are an indispensable link in the ' course of trade They are the primary link in the course of trade ' L : V Permanent Border Lincoln Dixie Jeffer- sob and Other Main Highways Seen as Military Economic and Social Need Unity of Public Sentiment and Action Follows Ease of National Inter-Communicati- of the states of the In nine-tentrichest nation the world has ever known transportation over our highways is dependent not merely upon the season of the year but even upon the weather of any one particular day Over vast areas of the richest farming sections of the world in our is extent and purposes at a standstill when it rains Qnly the hardiest of our men those accustomed or willing to put up with hardship can in this day and age take an automobile and drift about this country seeing America meeting the people of every section and gaining that national viewpiont which comes only from actual contact with the inhabitants of every section Our markets are now flooded and now glutted depend-- n upon roads which in bad weather 5 ate our farms and in dear weather all products to our markets at bring once Vast sections of our native land are cut off from all exploration or travel except by rail by barriers of mud and alkali and sand more formidable than the 3000 miles ofwater which separate us from the unfortunately more familiar beauty spots and ilstoric points of the old world If all hese things are still true and I know hey are regardless of the millions which are being spent by states and counties regardless of the utmost efforts which are being put forth on our roads by local officials what is the answer? The answer is that the system is wrong that we must consolidate our roadfunds that we must consolidate our road authority that we must do influence with peanut away with load xliucswith ineffectual muddling local effort and construct an American road system on a mighty scale from a bird’s eye view of the recuirements of every locality and of the nation hs middle-transportati- wn nt ' and waste He called for a tightening of the Union 7 What a as unit linked What is it that keeps this nation any nation of modern times together ‘ ““ ‘‘ is it that makes possible our modem conformations acting as barriers and i into local groups of individual sovereignty Greece? - Any school boy can give the answer in one word transportation! to In the ultimate it is the ease of the degree of comprehensive organization of eaten? which the transportation of a region transportation can be brought which determines the possible scope ' sion of individual states Roma knew this and bullded her world Empire upon the radiating tentacles of a national road system extending oven to the British' Isles and of a degree of permanency which leaves many of them in uao ' May 1918 President Henry B' Joy of the Lincoln Highway Association after years of serious consideration and study of the road situation in this country outlined to the American public through the press a plan for a military border highway running along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts the Mexican Border the Pacific Coast and the Canadian border and strategically connected with Inland points with a spider web system of federally planned and constructed highways like the Lincoln Highway the Dixie Highway the Jefferson Highway and other important interstate thoroughfares The plan received wide recognition and favorable comment from every quarter This was long before It had become apparent to any portion of the American public that the United States would enter the world war The suggestions made by the Lincoln Highway Association and given wide publicity by the American Press have taken seed and lately public sentiment in every part ef the Union has been reflected in Congress and bills have been Introduced looking towards some plan of federal assistance on mala strategic routes ef the country Important In peace as well as war and from a social and economic as well as n military standpoint Bill most definite of these congressional proposals The Chamberlain-DeInto Introduced by Chairman Dent of the House Military Congress recently Committee and in the United States Senate by Chairman George E Chamber-- ! nftti rnmwifttee m Military Affairs takes Hie first definite step towards the actual woriung out of the plan suggested by the Lincoln Highway Association The bill will have to wait consideration until the regular session of Congress Briefly ft authorizes the Secretary of War to direct the Chief of Engineers of the War Department to prepare a “comprehensive plan of improved highways throughout the United States designed primarily with a view to facilitating the movement of mifltaiy troops equipment munitions and supplies In time of need and in of war The plan provides for the laying out of “a continuous main national highway to be constructed and maintained at the national expense along or near the Atlantic seaboard thence along or near the southernmost boundaries ef the United States and thence along or near the Pacific Coast to a point at or near the Canadian line with a further view to such marginal highway being extended along the Canadlan bonndary of the United States" This Bill shows the trend of the times It should receive the rapport of every Biased local opinion politics or selfish Interests of action of the Union any character will receive no consideration The whole project will be as originally suggested by the Lincoln Highway Association entirely In the hands of the War Department —the project to be handled as was the Panama The blU provides for J25000000 for the work of determining the location of the various roads and the preparation of plana and estimates which the Secres tary of War la Instructed by the bill to present to Congress readied in transportation or in any Less Than 10 of other truly national consideration Onr Roads "Improved1 a plan which makes the ultiOut of some two million miles of under mate of the whole dependcompletion loads or rights-o- f way in this countnr ent - each minor local unit upon doing most we have today at the optimistic share in its own way with its own estimate some 200000 miles of road its ability and funds and from its which have received any attention or limited own standpoint improvement of any character and We will never get an efficient to the best of my knowledge not over American system of roads until the 40000 miles of road actually con entire road question can be taken out structed with some degree of perman- of the domain of polities and Ineffia such fashion in maintained and ency cient wasteful local controland placed that they could be used aa an auxiliary where it should be— under a properly transportation system And even this broad comprehensive national plan available road mileage is limited in its Private organizations like The usefulness by the fact that it has been Lincoln constructed under no central directing has beenHighway Association which to in some intelligence that it is the result of local measure endeavoring bring about a unity of endeavors at widely separated points purpose in certain sections and a and does not in any degree link yp to concentration of funds upon the first form what can be referred to as a most and artenes of traffic necessary — "Road System" roads which lead cannot take the of the federal plaoe some soma from place to place' The President in his war message to machinery which should be provided bring about a real if need be a the American people said: "This is to forced national although our opportunity to demonstrate the have done much in the they moulding of we a and efficiency great democracy of American public opinion upon this shall not fall short of it!" The efficiency of this democracy most important question the efficiency of any political upit Roads of Primary depends largely upon the degree oi Importance in War national unity of purpose' and the The importance of roads in war degree of centralized directing author- time has seen impressed again and ity exercised over those great national again upon the consciousness of the enterprises which tend to bring about American public and American offica greater national unity The high- ials both and civilian by the est efficiency in a factory cannotbe lessons ofmilitary the European conflict reached under a plan which contem- Roads abroad are now and in fact plates each man going ahead upon his have always been considered as a own initiative undertaking that great national utility as second only which pleases him best and doing it in to the railroads in importance That a wav which suits his individual taste the highly organized system of roads Neither can the greatest efiidencybe originally started by Napoleon have well-kno- m ' - co-opera-tion increase his crops that the world may be supplied with food and that its be kept down Yet not a Erice may of grain nor a pound of meat is grown in this country which does not at some time in its long journey from the point of production to the point of ultimate consumption pass over some of our American roads Motor Freighting Waits on Highways The Lincoln Highway has been extensively used du ring the past year for the transportation of freight as have other of our main through connecting route yet had these roads been utilized to the fullest possible extent as avenues for the transportation of freight it is certain that their rapid disintegration and destruction would have been accomplished The Lincoln Highway is today open from New York to San Francisco and the trip from coast to coast can be made in dry weather with comfort in less than thirty days' time If however national emergency or a national effort towards efficiency should bring the route into constant use for the transportation of freight troops supplies artillery and ammunition it is certain that many stretches would be impassable bogs at the end of three weeks Why? Not because the local communities are not doing their utmost to place the road in the best possible condition not because every available ounce of energy and effort have not been put forth by the local people in an endeavor to bring the Lincoln Highway up to the highest possible state of improvement permitted by local resources It is because focal resources are inadequate to properly undertake a work which should be a question for the combined resources of the nation - - i PRESIDENT WILSON in hla Immortal ringing war message to the American people said: "The supreme test of the nation has come We must all spsak act and serve together ox tne Ha called for unity unity of purpose unity of thought of desire a concentration unity mem-cien- cy or nation's efforts and resources for the elimination of sectionalism of provincialism Bill Embodying Uiicolh Highway Association’s won Qf ££ on on construction was the first step in the right direction It Is a "drop in the backet" Under this Act for example the State of Nevada will this year receive some 585000 The te must meet this appropriation th one of like size This will mean a fund of possibly 5130000 for road construction in a stats which at present presents barriers in the path of traffic in extent equal to an impassable wall reaching from the latitude of southern New Yorktothat of northern a stqte half as large as France a state with 71000000 acres of land of which but 5000000 acres is under cultivation a state with a scattered population ess than that of Des Moines Iowa and with an income naturally abao- -' jly inadequate to anywhere near to take care of the road conjin struction which the extingendes of transportation from east to vest detrans-continen- tal Tmii( - -- mand Bui as I have arid The Bankhead-ShacklefoAct is a step in the right direction and from time to time csr-ai- n Congressmen suggest lentative steps looking towards a urther federalization' of our road Bill-system The Chamberlain-De- nt the most comprehensive of these rd far-seei- ! ng National Ubderstaundlng Cleans National Unity - With a true national road system every section of the country the East the far West the South the North would disappear aa connecting sectional namea ' Distance And inaccessibility are the greatest breeders of dissension and misunderstanding and lack of sym-patbetween sections and as long as it is a matter of great expense and eat difficulty for Americans to see nerica tp travel about over her eat distances rubbing shoulders with her cosmopolitan population gaining that sympathy and breadth’ of viewpoint that national unity of purpose and understanding whieh should be ours and the lack of which s so frequently deplored by our public men we cannot expect the American mblie of every region to act think and feel aa a unit -- hy Federal Road System is Solution What we need is a federal spiderweb system of hard surfaced permanent 365 days-a-yehighways connecting cur great interior centres of manufacture and mobilization with our Atlantic Pacific and lake ports encircling our borders and our coasts ike a protecting bulwark connecting E Pluribns Unura every state in the Union in the links of a tighter and more indissoluble We speak of "the freedom of the and understanding seas" the seas as bring the vast open of the world Let us free Give us a Goethals for our road highways own our internal highways where obleml- It is one which warrants the insidious mud-holthe now lurk executive zh calibre brains and Our Road Constructing wash-out- s broken the dangerous Concentrate responsibility ability Sjitem Wrong tower and money in his hands give culverts the endless miles of ruts and "Tightening the Union" — Tighten- uim a competent subordinate board sand and alkali and dust to hinder the ing our ties of transportation How of advisors and we will get ouf main free intercourse of our people and the can we go about it? How can we effect routes of travel constructed free passage of trade It is indeed ’ a saving of the hundreds bf millions through and not before time that the nation combined to ' of dollars which are being poured towards fight these evils these ancient evils We'are 'gradually working down the rat holes of disconnected roads in this country which are being this sensible systematic national way which hindered the advance of our Pub- forefathers before us and through inefficiently frittered away upon ill- - of looking at the road question is impressnational effort bring about a freedom lic being gradually considered opinion road improveis from time to time bring of American highways which will one ment programs designed with an eye ed on the political weather-van- e and reflected in Congress day link this Union of States even with their main purpose one of concilimore tightly and indissoluably in ation to all sections of a political unit Steps in the Right Direction thought and purpose and underrather than the completion of the Act standing into a real America of first and most necessary through The Bankhead -- Shackleford aid common ideals and of arteries of traffic without regard to providing 375000000 of federsl local influence? to the states in their problem of road out of many ar - 9 - es the War Department Secretary Baker "this prelect has its vShMbrtt in timegreat of war and peace tfii its consideration should not be unduly postponed" GovernorVW- - E Edge of New who appointed Jersey the Governor General Goethals to the position of State Highway Engineer for his State said: "1 am greatly interested in this proposition snd no doubt General Goethals will be also" In a'letter to President Joy of the Highway Association Roosevelt in commenting on a recent Monograph issued by the Association in which this Border Highway plan was discussed stated: "I am greatly Interested in It" Lineolu - h Ex-Preald- ent s - - ill-advi- ' sed - ‘ -- -4- - |