The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-06-22
VACATION ARMY
ON THE MARCH.
Germans All Take a Few Days off
Each Summer and Know How to
Get tho Most
Out Of 1t.
NOT EXPENSIVE TRIPS
Whole Family Goes Along and 1t is a
Yearly Event Which Proves
to be Of Much
Benefit.
by Karl H. Won weigand, Berlin cor

respondent Of the United Press.]
BERLIN, June 21.-The annual exc
dus of the vacation army from Ger
man cities is under way. More than
fifty trains rolled out of Berlin today
filed to the last place with a happy
crowd of men, women and children, on
holiday bent in mountains, forests, or
at the seashore.
Germanyat least so far as concern
ed city dwellers-hterally goes va
cationing en- masse In summer. Prob
ably no people certainly not in Eu-
rope have 80 taken to vacat!oning,
deserving the cities and getting out in
to the country, as the Germans. And
indications are that even the high
water mark in the number of vacation
tickets sold by the railroads last sea
son, will be exceeded this summer.
AS with nearly everything else that
he does, the German takes a vacation
with purpose "a mental relaxation
and change Of surroundings, plenty
4 of exercise and lots OF fresh air and
sunshine. He considers a vacation
an investment. There is no money
grubber or millionaire who has had
the temerity to tell him that taking a
flew weeks turn in the country, in the
mountains or at the seaside, is a waste
lof time and a needless outlay OF
money.
Vacationing has reached the pro-
portion of movement in Germany
Government, city and school authori.
ties encourage it. The state railways
make very low special rates to almost
every neck of the woods The city
authorities declare it makes for health
i contentment and lessons crime when
flat jewellers can get close to nature
for a few weeks in summer. The
school authorities produce statistics
to prove that children who have had
a vacation in the country or at the
seaside, not only are healthier anc
better physically and morally, but
learn much more rapidly when they
return to school than children who
have had to remain at home DURING
the summer.
"Hans on vacation, is seeing the
German at his best. ,hatever r,ay be
said about the Germans attitude to
ward women as compared to the Am
erican point of view, the Ger
man husband and father is not selfisi
when vacation time comes. He takes
wife and children with him.
In Saxon Switzerland, in the besuti
) full Rarz mountains, IN the Blacl
/ Forest and in the wooded hills o
: IThuringia, one meets scores of fam
( ily groups trudging liesurely along
: each member carrying knapsacl
slung over the back, and stick II
II hand At the seaside also the vaca
!. tioners are largely made up of familie
e and not individual members.
: The average German of the middl
t class avoids the large resorts. H
e leaves those to the foreigners VIII
t want society while he takes his famil
: to smaller and more out of the wa
/. places. He has but comparatively Iii
i tie money to spend and he wants t
8 extend the vacation as long as pc:
+ sible. He avoids the expensive place
d doesn't want to carry any dress
Il clothes and gets more pleasure out c
II simple life'' for few weeks.
n Wandering from place to plac
|, through the mountains and woods.
e few miles day, seeing the countr
e on foot, getting the light exercise an
l. staying in the open except to sleep
e some village, has become one of til
If most favorite ways Of taking a vac;
n ton in Germany This has becom
" so popular that it has spread to th
" schools.
1t Bands of "Wandervogel' or WA
e dering Birds" an organization startt
,e two years ago in the schools, trav
e. throughout various parts of German
al from ten days to three weeks ever
W summer. The Marlborough wi
S. visits one section of the country tn
81 summer will visit another part ne,
,e year If they are fortunate enough
i, ,oo;r ~, anon, the Wanderers