River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1911-10-05

the people of the whole country. The charac-
Fer of this crusade is pretty well explained by
It's title To put the matter in a nutshell the
object is to induce all Americans to see their
own country before crossing the ocean to look
at scenery that in instance surpasses and
In few instances equals what we have here at
home. The people who behind the move
ment want to not only impress theis fellow
citizens with the fact that we have The most
wonderful scenery in the world here under the
Stars and Stripes, but they want to also con-
duct Campaign of education" that will In
form every tourist and vacationist and pleas
ure seeker where he may the particular
class of scenery that most appeals to him.
To this end it is proposed to hold in con-
nection with the Baltimore convention pic
torial exposition wherein will be shown paint
1ngs and photographs, ETC., of the most at
tractive scenery on this continent. If a man
likes grand and majestic mountain scenery ne
will be informed just where he may find this
to the best advantage. Or if on the other hand
his preference is for the boiling tunlbling surf
OF rocky sea coast he will be giveA pictorial
pointers as to where to seek it. In short the
exhibition and convention are desisued to do
away with all cause for the complaint so often
made that We Americans do not Gavote. the
proper time and effort to seeing the scenic
wonders of our country because wy have not
been sufficiently informed as to how much
there is worth seeing
Patriotic loyalty has sihspired many of the
prominent men who are taking up this See
America First" propaganda feeling that 1t
is shame to see Uncle Sans citizens wander
ing off to the uttermost parts OF the world to
view scenery the equal of which they could
find on tRis side of the Atlantic and which
they might enjoy with none of the incidental
discomforts that to a stranger in a
strange land struggling with language and
he mo-
ever, there is a yet more potent or at least
more practical reason for the activity in the
awakening OF our brainy men to the menace to
be found in the yearly drain of American gold
into foreign Golfers. Each succeeding season
sees new and larger steamers added to the
transatlantic passenger-carrying fleet and mil
lions upon millions of dollars of American
money is taken to Europe by the tourists who
rush eastward by the thousand. Were 1t not
for the untold wealth that is thus handed over
to European railroads and hotel proprietors
shopkeepers and all the other purveyors TO
the globe-trotters, the balance of trade would
always be heavily in our favor. Great Britain
and the various continental countries are com.
PEELED to buy heavily every year of our food
stuffs and cotton and other commodities, but
the set down. in consequence on the
credit side of our ledger usually counter
balanced by the total of the money spent
abroad by Americans on pleasure bent.
The pubnc-spirited citizens who have en-
rolled in the See America First" crusade hope
to influence some people by moral suasion to
stay at home and enjoy our own scenic feast
instead of seeking a foreign substitute They
realize, however, that for the most part they
must use some other argument than patriot.
ism. The man or woman with money saved
up for a trip or a vacation is likely to go
wherever he or she believes that they can get
the most for their money without regard to the
nationality of the people who rake in the
shekels. To convert such a person to the
See America First" doctrine 1T is necessary
to prove to him that he actually receive
as much for his money in the way of travel
education, diversion and enjoyment here in the
land of the free as he can across the big pond.
where so large portion of the people make
their living out of the expenditures of Ameri.
tourists.
This. then, is the aim of the crusaders who