THE EASTWARD TRAIL

Evening Star, Issue 22194, 23 November 1935, Page 3

THE EASTWARD TRAIL

LONDON TO ISTANBUL EUROPE'S PUBLIC HIGHWAY, HO. 1 It was ever the fashion of the ancient chronicler to enthral his audience with glamorous tales of roads that Jecl through bush and desert, jungle ana mangrove swamp, to the fabulous treasures of far-off lands—-to the age-old secrets of King Solomon’s mines, the hidden serais of the Hindu Kush and forbidden Tibet, the jewel caves and fairly palaces of Persia and Arabia, or still more mysterious Cathay. There is something of the romance of the ancient caravan trail, without its hazards of mysteries, in the development of that great transcontinental highway which stretches out from Calais for nearly 2,000 miles to Istanbul—a gateway to the East for the modern motorist —which is to-day being brought to consummation before our eyes (states an article in the • ‘ Austin ’ Magazine). To-day it is almost a practical accomplishment. In a few'years’ time it promises to be a perfect motoring road from one end to the other, where Customs are accelerated and touring in a variety of countries is facilitated. It is actually hoped that some day this transcontinental route will lead to Africa and, India, and plans are being made to lay one great highway from Britain’s capital to the land of 'mosques and minarets. The nucleus of this road—Europe s Route No. I—is the outcome of considerable work by the Automobile Association and the motoring clubs of the European countries through which it passes —France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, and Turkey. The project was conceived by the A.A. in 1930. liepresentations made by the clubs to their respective Governments have resulted in official support, and millions of pounds have been voted to make this ambitious project a success. In Juno last the A.A. decided to carry* out a second official survey of the route, with the object of preparing a report for consideration by the Alliance Internationale de Touvisme — largest association of tourist organisations in the world—at the international conference, Budapest, in September. After much preliminary work the six members comprising the 1935 survey party left Dover with two cars on Juno 20, their journey of nearly 2,000

miles to Istanbul was completed in eight days—which must be accounted a very creditable achievement in view of bad w'eather and other natural oh-' stacles encountered en route. There was ample evidence from the very start of material progress in the construction of this international road. This progress was manifest throughout each of the countries concerned —even in the Balkans, where lack of finance makes the completion of highway construction programmes extremely speculative. All Europe is most enthusiastic about the project, having realised its value from an economic and tourist point, of view'. ' ■ France, perhaps, is not so largely concerned with the route as the other countries through which it passes, but the road from Calais to the Belgian border, if somewhat narrow, is fast enough and permits good travelling. On arriving in Belgium, the survey party received a most cordial w’elcome, and was conducted through to Os tend, where it was entertained with characteristic hospitality. Between Bruges and Ghent the country is agricultural, and then the Flanders plain was crossed by way of Alost to Brussels. In the capital the president of the Belgian. Touring Club, who is also secretary of the A.1.T.. met the party, and there ensued a brief discussion on the objects and general utility of the road, from w'hich it was seen that Belgium fully appreciates the value and importance of this modern highway. The section from Ostend, a tine concrete structure of a. type not excelled anywhere in Europe, affords 'practical confirmation of this. Prom Brussels a straight run was made through manufacturing districts, prettily wooded iu places, by way of Louvain, Tirlemont, and Liego to the German frontier. Here tho party was met by the German club officials and conducted to Cologne, where they were entertained to lunch. The route now led over the picturesque Taunus heights of Frankfurt, through the Spessart Hills around Wurzburg., and thence through a countryside of spruce-cov-ered slopes vto Regensburg. This section of tho journey supplied evidence of the exceptionally good road surfaces provided for tourists in Germany. The party was also abler _ to see some of the new sections which form part of . Hitler’s colossal pregramme of national highways—wide, magnificent arteries, with dual carriageways designed in places for motor traffic" only. The section of the International road which traverses Germany will be entirely reconstructed, and the most modern type of highway provided. It will be available for commercial and tourist traffic alike. The journey continued along the wide, fertile valley of the River Danube, backed by views of distant hills, to tho Austrian frontier, where the party was received by the Austrian Touring Club and accompanied to Vienna. Austria is constructing a modern section of tho International road from Linz to Vienna, and many completed stretches are already in existence. From Vienna to tho Hungarian border a new road has been recently built, while from hero to Budapest—that dream city in tho Danubian plain—-is a fine, fast highway, followed by the wonderful concrete stretch on which tho famous German racing driver, Carraciola, recently attained a speed lof 200 m.p.h. Actually, reconstruction j is in progress right up to the border of I Jugoslavia. At-this point conditions change and ' tho roads were found to be poor by comparison with Western European 1 standards. Many of them are unsur-

faced and broken, and, in fact, little better than bullock tracks. There is evidence, however, of reconstruction ■work along the entire Yugoslavian .section of the route. Extensive plans for road development in that country have been passed and arterial roads .cut, although, as surfacing has not yet been attempted, the traveller encounters sand and dust in fine weather, and heavy mud after a fall of rain. The road to Belgrade improves greatly after Novi-Sad, but beyond the capital and further into Yugoslavia it deteriorates once more. On reaching the Bulgarian frontier the transcontinental route traverses wild mountain country of magnificent views, ascending totho notorious Dragoman Pass. On this stretch many of the bridges wore found to be broken down or else of a primitive type, while- the surfaces of the track were uiimetallcd. Conditions became .worse on approaching Turkey, and after Sofia the road snakes downwards 3,000 ft and is strewn all the way with boulders and trenched witli_ treacherous sluices 2ft or 3ft deep, cut in places almost across its width. From the Turkish border to Istanbul roads, as understood by Western motorists, simply do not exist. Nevertheless, there are signs throughout the Balkans that the present poor conditions will be remedied ere long, and it must be emphasised that, even where the road surfaces fire poor, motor touring is possible under reasonable weather conditions. Special tribute must bo paid to the courtesy and hospitality of the various officials and touring organisations by whom the Survey party was met in the eight countries traversed by the transcontinental highway, and to the spirit on enthusiasm which everywhere presages the rapid completion of Europe’s model “ vertebral ” route. So far as Customs formalities were concerned, the'travellers’ luggage was not examined at any point and their money had only to be declared on entering and leaving territories other than France or Belgium. Throughout the journey the party found hotel accommodation good on the whole, and only one unpleasant incident—in the Balkans—was experienced. Difficulties due to local signposting peculiarities were met with only in those regions of the Balkans where the cyrillic script is used. Space forbids a detailed description of the magnificent scenic kaleidoscope through which the road passes—from the quiet pastoral views of the Belgian plain, through the many old-world towns and picturesque valleys of Central Europe to the savage and awesome mountain heights beyond Garisbrod and the Bulgarian frontier, culminating in the Arabian Nights atmosphere of the beautiful city of Istanbul.

With the uniformity of touring conditions at which the A.I.T. aims in connection with this ' international route—such as tho provision of ideally surfaced carriageways, the elimination of dangerous bends, properly constructed banking, and a 24-hour Customs service, together with information bureaux controlled by the various motoring organisations at the frontiers en route (Austria has already provided this)—it should be possible in a year or two for the motorist to travel direct from London to Istanbul without any sort of difficulty, on ,a modern highway permitting'high speeds with safety 'and with a minimum of inconvenience due to Customs formalities, Inadequate hotel accommodation, or other drawbacks. That this is no Utopian dream is proved by the remarkable progress alalreacly achieved in the five years which have elapsed since the road .was first proposed. Even now the-motorist requires bul; one set of Customs documents for, the entire journey. This transcontinental highway is indeed a modern gateway to the East! The International Conference referred to in the above article took place just before wo went to press with this issue. A party of British and Empire delegates left London in a licet of motor cars early in September for Budapest. The conference was convened by the Hungarian Government and aimed at rationalising the organisation existing in each country for the completion of this model _ highway traversing the whole Continent of Europe. The meeting was unique, for it marked tho first occasion that a number of nations have collaborated in the construction of a truly international road. The Governments of Britain.' Belgium, Austria, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, and Turkey accepted the invitation, and the British Government nominated. Major F. O. Cook, D. 5.0., M.C., Chief Engineer of the Roads Department, Ministry of Transport, ns a delegate. The Empire countries also took part, and the secretary of the American Automobile Tonring Alliance, representing touring interests in the United States, accompanied the British contingent. Sir Stenson Cooke, general secretary of the Automobile Association of Great Britain, represented the Alliance Internationale do Tonrisme, of which ho is vice-president. The A.I.T. is a union of democratic touring associations with an aggregate membership of more than 8,000,000. Tho Automobile Association believes that tho transcontinental route may well'prove to be the pattern for other international highways linking up the countriesrof tho world with a network of splendid roads which will encourage and facilitate the free movement of international, commercial, and tourist traffic aci’oss the five continents.