The Greatest Travel-Way Of The Nation
OLD SPANISH TRAIL NOW RECOGNIZED AS A NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL HIGHWAY OF PRIMARY IMPORTANCE
The War Department, Senators, Congressmen, National Officials and Organizations at Washington Join in Defining Its Values and Urging Its Completion in the Public Interest.
In 1922 the Managing Director completed seven months’ work in eastern sections and at Washington. National and state problems of far-reaching importance were worked out. Returning to San Antonio he brought about the formation of an Executive Board of San Antonio business men, that the expanding work might have the strength and counsel such a Board could give. The Directors are too scattered to meet frequently enough.
For four months in 1923 the Managing Director was again in the East, and developed the national convention of the Old Spanish Trail at New Orleans March 26-28th, where many constructive policies were laid down for the conduct of the work.
The period of promotion is now past; the Old Spanish Trail as a national highway is established. The period of construction is here, and also the period of service by the national administration to member-communities and to travelers. The Old Spanish Trail states are now agreed upon the transcontinental course of this highway and its interstate connections. The War Department rates it as necessary to national defense. State and national highway officials are in close co-operation seeking solutions to its many problems. A clearly defined program of national character takes the place of old uncertainties. The civic and commercial organizations and the people are today throwing the weight of their support behind this work and great forward steps are resulting. But the work is so big, headway in any direction appears but slow. The people must yet learn to give their co-operation more freely.
CONGRESSIONAL DECLARATION
The following declaration by Senators and Congressmen of states and districts embraced by the southern national and international highway connecting Florida, California and Mexico, and known as the Old Spanish Trail, was adopted June, 1922, at Washington:
“1. This highway is one of the basic trunklines of the United States system and anything that can be done to hasten its completion will be a service of national importance. It has been adopted by the states as a transcontinental highway in the federal system for all its mileage. Tens of millions in federal, state and local moneys are available and construction
according to federal standards is progressing rapidly, and this despite many areas of unusual difficulty. Justice to the important construction in progress, or financed and soon to be started, calls for immediate effort in sections still inactive that the service of an opened national trunkline may not bo denied because of barrier sections still unimproved.
“2. The Old Spanish Trail system is a national and international tourist-way of nearly ’*4000 miles. It connects the winter playground sections popular with the American people from St. Augustine through Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Pensacola, Mobile, the Mississippi Gulf Coast, New Orleans, New Iberia, Lake Charles, Houston, Galveston, San Antonio, El Paso, Tucson, Phoenix and Yuma to San Diego, and through Texas it reaches Old Mexico. Because of its winter sunshine, its gulf pleasures in summer and its background of ancient and romantic history, its development will make it the natural resort of the North American people. When the numerous highways from the North, now building, are completed this southern trunkline must absorb and care for the mass of travel that will seek these southern borderlands.
“3. The primary military importance of this highway is evidenced by the fact that it embraces all the extensive military, naval and air defenses and depots of the Gulf Coast and of the Mexican border, and that it connects these with the defenses of the South Atlantic and the South Pacific seaboards. There is a larger concentration of national defenses and supplies on this highway than any other in the land. The War Department asks for the construction of this highway and its border connections.
“4. Therefore, in the public interest and for the sake of the all-the-year service this highway will render to the travelers of the nation, and for its value to the military arms of the government, general co-operation and effort are urg-ed to complete it from sea to sea in type and character equal to the service it will be called upon to render.”
The above declaration is signed as follows:
Senators of OST States—Duncan U. Fletcher, Park Trammell, Oscar W. Underwood, J. Thomas Heflin, John Sharp
*Rlain Line, St. Aunustinc to San Dicso, 2S30 miles. Other OST trunklines, 1000 miles. All milenco Iocs are still subject to variations. North ot San Dieco, by paved road, is Los Anftclos and all that Southern Cali-fornia playground.