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Show J Hi TO COMPLETE COAST I MILITARY HIGHWAY I 1 Begun five years ago as the connect- ! g I ing link between "California's two I j world expositions in 1915, a coast line j i f state highway between Los Angeles 1 j and San Francisco will be completed J this fall and will constitute 5.00 miles ( of the finest military highway in tho world. j j Announcement was made today by ) j 1 Chairman "N. P. Darlington of the state , ! j highway commission that the last twenty-four miles of the long stretch : will be finished within a few months, j regardless of labor shortage. I California's great trunk highway j f system, when first projected, was gen- , j erally accepted as a lure for automo- ; bile tourists. Its completion, however, j has brought a realization that tho state I 'j was building better than tho people , knew. The smooth asphalt road for , automobiles now may be used as a j I military highway. j j Since the war has brought out that 1 I mobilization of coast defenses is ne- : cessary, the importance of the Cali- ! fornia state highway has become enor- j j mous. It will permit of the quick j 1 j movement of munitions, commissaries, ; troops, cannon and all that goes to ! 1 1 make powerful coast defense. If the j H j occasion should arise for hasty mobi- j lization to any jiolnt on the Pacific '. coast, tho newly completed travel ar- ; i j1 tory would provide a means practical- j ly Independent of the railroads. . l, There would also bo available for ; J military use the enormous number of IgJ automobiles in the state, many of II which now are used in passenger and r freight transportation up and down tho J coast. It has been estimated that Wj there are automobiles enough in Los w Angeles county to move almost the w entire population in one load. |