Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-01
YANKEES TRAVEL
THE SEVEN SEAS
0xer 10000 Americans on the
Ocean Every Day in
the Year
SUMMER RUSH TO EUROPE
Rich Uncle Sam Spends $780,
100000 Each Season in
Globe Trotting Fun

of 10000 Americans are afloat at sea
in some parts of the world every day In
the year, according to estimates COM
piled here from the statistics of ocean
transportation lines and from other
sources. At certain periods during the
height of the travel season the number
undoubtedly is considerably in excess
of this figure, but at all times, day or
night, winter or summer. the army or
Uncle Sans citizens who are travers-
ing some portion of the seven seas is
greater than the population of most of
our cities, or even of some of the small
er states.
This vast floating population is made
up roughly of three divisions. one of
these includes the bluejackets and
members of the marine corps who man
Uncle Sans fighting craft and who
number about $4,000. second divis-
ion is composed of those whose occupa-
tions keep them at sea, such as those
engaged in deep sea fisheries and other
maritime pursuits. The number OF
these is about $4,000 according to t1g-
ures collected recently by the census
bureau. The third division consists of
to all parts of the world who are CIV
ing Americans the reputation of being
the most confirmed followers of the
travel habit of all nationalities on the
face of the globe.
RACE OF GLOBETRoTTERS
This desire to explore the known and
unknown ends of the earth is of COM
paratively recent growth among the
people of the United States. Time was
within the memory of those not yet oid'
when a person who had made the
grand tour was looked up to ever
after by his neighbors as being set
anart from the common ruin of people.
while a man who made trip around
the world thereby became an object or
almost countrywide interest In con-
trast to this state of affairs 1t is inter-
esting to set down some figures given
to the writer by Emil L. Boas, general
manager of the Hamburg American
line. a company. which has been pio-
neer in operating special tours to parts
OF the world off the beaten track OF
ocean travel
ION looking over our figures for the
past winter" said Mr.. Boas, Il find
that fourteen hundred Americans went
aronud the world on one of our liners,
the Cleveland In addition one of our
large boats, the Blucher, has just re-
turned from a trip to South America,
on which she carried shipload OIL
American tourists as far as the Straits
of Magellan, part of the world Whlcn
nobody in this country ever thought OF
visiting r. few years ago. cruises TO
the West Indies have become an es-
tablished feature of winter travel and
we have sent three trips to Caribbean
ports since the first of the year.
Egypt and the Mediterranean countries
are other magnets that draw thou
sands of Americans every winter.
More than four thousand persons took
passage on our cruise steamers during
the winter months to various parts of
the world aside from the ports to which
we maintain regular sailngs."
This is the record of only a single
line at a season of the year when ocean
TRANSPORTATION formerly was considered
dead. If account is taken of the trav-
eIers by the liners sailing regularly to
foreign ports, as well as by special
cruises to points of particular interest,
the number of winter travellers would
be found to total between fifty and
sixty thousand.
VAST CROWDS SAIL IN SUMMER
This is still, of course. only a frac-
ton of the vast throng of summer voy-
ayers which now reaches the astonish-
ing total of 900 or more every sea-
son. This year, transportation author
records of the past, and 1t is confident
ly predicted that more than 100000
Americans will journey to foreign
lands during the next six months
This forecast is based on the advance
bookings not only to the main Euro
pean ports but also on the special
cruises to Norway and other points in
northern Europe. These bookings are
larger than ever before, and a recent
trip through the middle west by man
prominently connected with ocean
transportation interests revealed the
fact that between seVenty-f1Ve and
one hundred thousand persons were
planning to go to Europe from that
section alone. The economic effect of
this movement, aside from the indica-
tion 1t gives of the prosperity of the
country, may be judged by the fact
that more than $100,0OO000 of Ameri-
can money will be spent on foreign
travel during the coming summer.
One reason why Americans are be-
coming the greatest travellers in the
world unquestionably is that they have
far more money now than formerly to
spend on travel. Another influence, and
, one of equal weight, is that the COM
forts and conveniences of travel have
increased immensely in recent years.
Not only has the time of crossing the
Atlantic been cut in half in the past
half century, but every comfort and
luxury to be found on land has been
duplicated or excelled on the monster
liners of the present day. Formerly an
oHan voyage was a hardship attended
by many discomforts Now it has be-
come a pleasure, and the American who
goes to sea takes his hotel with him.
can have every table deicacy in or out
of season, reads his daily newspaper
with it's chronicle of the worlds events,
enjoys all sorts of sports and recrea-
tions, and can even attend theatrical
performances en- route if he so desires.
Every art has been called into play to
than staying at home, and the result of
this effort is shown in the rapidly in
creasing number of voyagers and of
those who make a foreign trip part
of their program every year.