Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-15
AMERICANS SPENT
S40,0OO,OOO ABROAD
Money Value of the Rush to Eu-
rope Each Year.
STATISTICS OF FOOD PRICES
Necessities Are Up While Luxuries
Are Down.
LINER CAPTAINS PERQUISITES
Steamships Were So Full That Many
Wealthy People Had to Travel
in the Storage.


Spacisl CnhlegTIm to The Star
LONDON. September 1.-THE rapid de
cline in the purchasing power of pound
sterling within Il few years is strihnsE
illustrated in Il comparative table just pub
!ished. Sixteen articles of everyday use.
including bread. milk. tea. sugar, bacon,
-four and meats selected from the price list
Of a leading London store show increases OF
fully - per cent since 1885. There Is some
slight offset to this in the decline of the
prices Of many Injuries. due. it is be-
lieved chiefly to the increased demand
therefore and a reduction in the cost of
manufacture When one examines the
causes which economists and others ad-
vance in explanation of the increased cost
OF food one punges into a sea of con-
troversy. The depreciation OF gold. is the
explanation most often encountered. but as
this leaves the average citizen much in
the dark as ever the controversy remains
without result.
Although the tourist season is nearing Its
end. American visitors are still arriving at
the hotels. mostly from the continent on
their way home. The demand for steamer
passages is such that while ii is possible to
secure a few frst-class berths for the end
OF September. no secOnd-Class accommoda-
tons are obtainable until mid October The
officers of the steamship companies con-
tinue to be besiegeI by applicants for
berths. In several cases some of the wealth.
lest people have Travelled in the steerage be-
nuahlp unwilling
wait several weeks for better accomuoda
tons The steamers Oceanic, Republic,
Arabic and Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse
sailed during the week with full compile
meuts of passengers.
Perquisites of the Captain.
This rush has benefited one class of OFF,
Gals in a manner not generally known.
IL has given the commanders Of steamers
an opportunity of turning their perqusites
to proflt-in other words of letting their
suites to passengers who are prepared
to pay for the accommodation. An Off
c.al of the Hamburg American line. in
speaking this subject, said the prac-
tIce had become 50 general that the in
come receiv, from il might be regarded
as a fixed part of captain salary. There
Is no doubt that the present season has
put large amounts in the pockets of thu
captains, one of these suites being worth
something axe Sl,JD OF winch the us
DO sseSsed officer receives one-na.f.
There have he many estimates made
Of the number of American visitors to Eu-
rope this year. but ali have been exceeded
by that OF the London manag of the
American Express Company. According to
his estimate seventy y SSelS a month bring
Americans to Europe during the season.
The, vessels average 40 passengers each.
For at least thrse noEths they arrived full
to their utmost capacity. giving total of
~, ~, but ne thinks that 10000 wou q be
well within the mark for the season. Re-
garding the Sums expended by these tourists
he considers an estimate OF S4Co each mod
crate. giving tota1 of the money taken
out OF AmSriea and spent in Europe i'll
three months of 100000.
London Not Satisfied.
While the hotels. restaurants and trades
men. have been benefited this year by the in
fux of Americans to great extent it Is
held pessimistically that the benefit has
not increased proportionately with the in
crease of Americans coming abroad. A
west end hotel manager contends that
strict ANALYSIS would show that London
this year gained less from Americans than
The continent. Said he:
The London season has been peculiar
One day the hotels were TANNED and the
following day almost empty. In former
years could count on being fun from
early in May till the latter part OF Septem-
Der. This the American rush was
Intermittent. but We did not suffer, as the
increase of contnentals who visited Lon
don mas been tremendous. the entente
with France and Spain is nquestionably
largely responsible for this influx.
Americans. save those who are visiting
Europe for the first time. do not seem TO
care To remain in London for any lengthy
period. and the more prominent Americans
pay their visits here when the crowd Of
visitors has dcparted.
Hope From Cunarders.
"One thing that has hurt London per
Ceptibly has been the transfer of the White
Star boat to Southampton. touching at
CherbOurg. When Liverpool was Lneir
home port passengers were Obliged to come
to London on their way to the continent
and return through London TO the steamer.
Now after visiting London once they do
not return being able to catch the steamers
at CherbourE. Thus we lose a double visit
Next year this i'll effect may be somewhat
neutTalzed bv the fast Cuuarder5
bringing their passengers to Liverpool. 50.
aside from national pride IN seeing Eng
land regain the blue ribbon. We have a
somewhat selfish interest in the perform
auces OF the Lusitania and Mauritania"