Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-10
How the War Affects Us.
xVlII.-As to Seeing
America"
BY Frederic J. Haskin.

when y good American dies he goes
- Paris"
This is according To the French.
though it may not agree with scientific
TACT. However. most Americans VINO
are able to travel at all do not walt
for death. They visit Paris by the
thousands every year, and spend I'M
naense sums in living up to the French
mans expectations.
Travelling America is more familiar
with London. Paris, Berlin, Monte
Carlo and the Riviera than 1t is with
the varied scenes in the home country.
While the ports of Europe remain
closed to US there will be opportunity
for the personal investigation Oh
America by Americans. 1t may be sew
erai seasons before Europe again is
readv TO welcome our wanderers.
The old world has done tremendous
commerce in American tourists 10y
many years. They nave orEaIi%.u
business with every attention 70 ue
tail. and the American finds in SWftZer-
hand one of the most exact mountain
scenery tariffs in the world IL we
y;ere one-nalf as adept in commercial,
;zinc our Rockies as the Swiss are Win
their Alps this western range Souio
made
Hitherto the balance OF the tourist
fr.de has been overwhelmingly in favor
of Europe. 1t is
polonoo Shoyvr estimated h a t
American tray
to Favor Europe. -elers have been
spending from s2oo.o0o.ooo to s250,G00,-
900 every year with the shopkeepefs,
the scenery, sport and society purVeE-
crs, the teachers and the hotel keepers
abroad. Then, ip every town OF any
consequence in Germany, France.
Switzerland and Italy there is an
American colony, which brings the
total up.
This army of corresponding tourists
has been rudely disbanded. Even our
10, eien coioniSis are fleeing Romeward-
Europe has become uncertain and ,
linrestful that it will probably be years
before its normal tourist trade can be
restored. Meanwhile. those who ad-
voeate seeing America first will cap
tur,s the business for the home market.
J.! Americans take to rambling about
their own country i'll search of traT- \
eIe-'s distractions the foreigner may
con Jude there is reason and flock
mere to ramble likewise. The Euro
States, but he seldom tries to see ii.
This is because he has lacked proper
encouragement. He finds that not even
tie Americans themselves are conSci-
Sntious explorers of the land. Where
the American goes to Europe with an
earnest purpose for doing it, accord
ing to some thorough system, the Eu-
ropean contents himself with a brief
visit to New York. whence he returns
home TO write q book exposing Us.
The European has invented countless
little traps for catching the tourists
fancy. This we have
Countless TRAPS almost entirely re-
fused to initiate. For
CHANGED one day to pass some minera!
springs around which there sloughed
of great quantities of the blacklist,
slimiest, most diabolical-looking mud
which he had eyed seen. He straight
way established health resort-one
hotel one bandstand, one boardwalk
and one bath-and tourists have been
wallowing in this hideous black filth
ever since. in simple satisfaction with
the novelty of it all. The mud cures
all manner of bon ton complaints; it
is harmless and costly. and Sc the re-
sort is prosperous. The. Is likely just
as distasteful mud to be had in Ameri-
ca, which now is being allowed to go
TO waste.
Then there is certain Bohemian
mine al spring. The waters of this
spring are an abomination to all honest
and 70 ward-thinking people when not
unde. the influence of the necessity Of
summering in proper fashion. The Sc
we're powers of this water to punish
the sense of taste have caused thou
sands of American and other tourists
10 spend all their savings for repeated
ne -p.ngs. Even this miserable stuff
mi HI lie initiated here at home
The tourist demands more than mere
climate and scenery. either of which
the United States has on hand in every
Eceivable variety. The true tourist
must be brow-beaten with something
in order to be made happy. He must
b. PUT through the stirring ordeals
oey sed by the European health re-
so L, anu made to feel uncomfortable.
eXpec;ant and not at home. Above all.
tn d.scollio- must be administered
i'll d superior way and cost something.
Europe has the advantage as a tour
ista preserve in wealth Of art, an
tiaues and relics.
Wealth of Relics The stores of all
and Antiques. eessoriss Of senu-
inc touring are increasing all the time.
How easily America might supply
these needs might be shown at one or
two Paris factories. \ table and chair
are fashioned according to some an
cfent style. New and shiny. they are
taken to the factory yard, where a
crew OF husky ruffiaHs attack with