Show brazil builds defense railways to link ports with inland C cities ties RIO DE JANEIRO BRAZIL Is south america defenseless against an in invasion threat military experts of the U S are operating cooperating co with all latin countries in a speedy survey of just what defenses this great continent could muster against belligerent attack nearly the whole of south america is east of new york bringing it well within the danger zone of the european conflict defense surveys indicate that the combined armies of south america would be under men to defend the scattered citizens of this whole continent together these nations have about 1200 planes planes and a joint navy of about ships to defend a coastline on two oceans that is thousands of miles long brazil is said to be by far the best equipped in defenses but brazil is mammoth in size 47 per cent of south america and most vulnerable to attack if En glands fleet were destroyed and gibraltar taken the U S fleet would be stretched along the entire atlantic and pacific seacoasts of two continents in de tense of the western hemisphere A strong block of well defended american nations would be needed chief problem for the defense of south america is its tremendous size and the great distances over 0 ver which supplies and troops must be moved it I 1 is s admitted that whole sections of this continent might crumble defenseless before any strong concentration of enemy forces there is a very real possibility of splitting up south americas nations which are in general isolated from each other by lack of roads and railroads as well as danger of isolating whole areas within the larger countries by enemy forces working from within improve transportation brazils president getulio vargas who has already accomplished much in his program for modernizing and industrializing brazil has now turned his att attention antion to the problem of transportation and the necessity for spanning brazil with railways and roads for defense more than airports have been built for brazils air defense travel and communication to meet this emergency I 1 president vargas last year natio nationalized railroads in brazil bringing 15 different systems under union control he just recently created the national department of railways which will launch an extensive rail expansion program with U S financial aid more than kilometers of tracks have already been laid modern bridges span mountains and rivers and many tunnels open ways through mountains A nation nationwide wide highway building program now under tinder way is planned to link brazil with all nations touching her borders many of these new developments will link brazil by land air and water with her neighbor nations greatly strengthening pan american defense the brazil bolivia railway now being built will bring in much needed bolivian oil supplies while giving to bolivia an outlet to atlantic seaports crossing the heart of south america a transcontinental railway from santos brazil to arica chile chil e w will ill 0 open pe n vast productive areas for exploitation principal problem in connecting south american railways is presented by the rocky coastal ranges which follow each seacoast cutting off port cities from rich interior resources this brought about building of isolated short railways to port cities only and now today latin coun tries ries face the huge expense of building g many in interconnecting inter er connecting lines es to connect port cities as well as to connect isolated inland cities to each other purchase new equipment impressive purchases of new railway I 1 equipment from the ui S include 25 26 locomotives and nearly cars now being delivered highways and good roads are part of brazils defense program the highway bringing brazil in touch with paraguay and the network of roads from 7 to miles long in rio grande of the south will link brazil to argentina and uruguay auto excursions now may only travel in goodweather good weather but increasing auto tourist tra travel veland and the mile auto races from B A to peru and back again last year has encouraged building of better roads U S defense units are rushing completion of roads in panama around the canal region and latin nations along the west coast are building roads too although jungles swamps and mountains bar the way some day the great pan american highway will complete its mile route a new all american lifeline it will cost to build but it will open a vital route for military supplies and one that will attract thousands of tourists in time of peace in air travel most significant new development is the extension of pan air lines into interior cities of brazil z ii in c competition om petition with the german condor lines seven air routes across brazil more afore than airports more than the U S has are a vital factor in brazils defense two big condor planes are stranded in rio hio since since brazil declined to permit german transoceanic trans oceanic lines at this inopportune time but LATI italian lines continue to make their regular weekly trips to rome and recently ex banded their lines into argentina |