Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-05

This war has done more to promote the
popularity Of the slogan "see America
First" than all Of the press agents. rail-
| road folders and hotel advertisements
could hope to do In q century.
The people who went abroad" this
summer have whole lot to tell the folks
at home. but their experience will not
tend to encourage European travel for
some time to come.
Last year-that Is. during the fiscal
year that ended June SO-no less than
$4,000 citizens Of the United States ar
rived In home ports from abroad. A
great many Of these, OF course, were not
tourists. Many were naturalized citizens
who were coming back from visits to
their native countries; many more were
American business men and women who
were travelling in the course Of trade.
But it is conservative to estimate that at
least half of the whole number, say about
10000 were Americans who had been
travelling in foreign countries for pleas
ure. If we take the extremely modest
sum OF $500 as an average expense Of q
foreign trip, this represents an expendi-
| ture Of S75,O0O.0O0.
90 there is seventy-fve millions. actu-
ally 1t is much more, that will stay at
home next summer.
x
When the war first broke out the news
papers were filed with rumors that the
San Francisco
Exposition to Be Panama expo
~, n. sition won d
AAeiu % o0AAeuuAeo' have to be post
poned. A little later 1t was announced
by Secretary of State Bryan that the
exposition would be held on schedule
time. The wisdom Of this announcement
Is apparent. for next winter. spring and
summer thousands of Americans who
under normal circumstances would 60 to
Europe undoubtedly will turn their faces
toward California.
many things about their own country
that they never dreamed of. 1t will
do some people a whole lot OF good.
and 1t won't do anybody any
American tourist travel-tha the
travel done at home-is most r.venly
developed. With respect to resorts
health and pleasure resorts. noun
tain and seashore resorts, fishing and
resorts-there Is nothing to complain
Of The advertisers have done their
| work well. and the millions of Ameri-
| cans who annually go to some re
SORT prove IL.
But in Sightseeing travel Ameri-
cans are not trained at all. They go
| to Europe and Africa and Asia to ''see
sights" to visit odd cities and curious
hooks. but they don't do that sort Of
thing here at home.
The best we can do in that line is
| shown by the somewhat tagging ap-
probation of our great natural scenic
splendors. Niagara Falls stands at the
head Of the list. and it is on the
round-trip ticket Of many resort
err" Mammoth Cave. that fifty years
ago was worldwide place Of inter-
est. has almost forgotten what a tour-
list looks like.
The Grand Canyon attracts hundreds
OF ..mericans to Arizona. where IL
would draw tens of thousands were It
| only in Europe. The Yellowstone and
the Yosemite are popular, of course.
but even the thousands of visitors who
go there each summer make but a
small showing against the aggrega te
OF those who go abroad.
| The great tide OF westward travel
that Will be set in motion by the at
| traction of
Parks Popularity May the San Fran
Be Increased. CISCO la,l un n.
will add to the popularity Of these
greatest Of all parks. The government
is already making preparations to care
for a greatly increased number Of
| visitors