The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-05-08
Disquieting Reports
Of Conditions In All
European Countries
Bx DAVID bAw1ENC1.
.copyrirat BY The IatsliIsnesr.,

WASHINGTON. D. c.. May Dis
uu,eting reports have reached '"e
l-nt,ed States government concernihS
.nnditions In Europe that should dis
..ourare citizens from gong 10 the con
,tnent The reports have not been ma uc
rublic because the government here Ia Ia
% mi the restrictions on passports
md there is no reason why the Amer :
an government should court the us us
pleasure Of those European countries
S.Sich arc ra"rr TO have American tour
,sts come ~ z d 10 spend their tnoneS :
The writer .,LS obtained survey o.
,onditions in Europe as revealed IN o!
hclal reports and while France ana Ene
ard are mach better off than otner
..nuntricS, nevertheless transport rla'ioh
facilities everywhere are crowded 20 ths @
limit and American tourists are ""u'"e
O.. uncomfortable 10 move arounu.
Fortunately France and Eng Lahu az
not in as bad shape as eastern anu
,outhcrn Poland and parts OF Ger EI? -,
typhoid fever and spotted tcfCr nay
..onc over the borders or SOVIET huSS." Ia
.nto Poland and while the foteS "'
striving hard 10 care for the PATIENTS
mere arc difficulties galore IN hanallhs
nc situation. Food in Germany Is haro-
y Of the best and any one VINO heeus
are and nourishlnent ought not TO rlsN
AIS or her health In the central eHpniGS.
rho Department of state is not issulnS
rassports 10 any Of the Central Europ-
AN countries but AT the same tnnt
mere is no restriction upon Americans
.oinS into Germany when once theE are
m France or England or Belgium.
Embarrassing Phase
Psrhaps the most embarrassing phase
nf inc whole situation Is the way the
Europeans are increasing their prices
md discriminatin against Amerlcans.
This is most noticeable in Ger nanS
- RkaNNl
ans are wealthy is the basis for higher
prices for meals or rooms or Soous
wanted by the American traFelIer thHti
ihe Englishman or Frenchman. IL Is
american paying ffty marks Tor some ,
hing which the Englishman Is asked
forty marks and the Frenchman toIty
md possibly everybody else only thirS'
non prevails in England and France
'hough IN both countries the govern
lncnt arc doing their utmost 20 Keep ~
under control. They realize that Amer
Ian tourists will not long submit 10
such determinations and Europe IS too
anxious to have Americans come ABROAD
% spend their money 10 carry the gam
100 far. On the other hand accomoda-
ions are diricult to get ana son,n tns law sx.
tent responsible for the high rates De
ing charged. Then too. there Is COM
mon impression that every American
who comes abroad gets lot OF nlohSy
when nc changes his dollars into marks
or francs or English pounds. For many
months Europe has suffered from tne
fleets of the unfaYorablc rate OF ior-
ign exchange in endeav9rI&nS & 20 9uS ouS
The American tourist Is now paying
Some Of that deficit. ..-
Dangers Of 1ioW-c1 ..-.....
Aside however, from phystcal eonol-
lions OF travcI with hotels crowded;
rains taxed to the very doors ana
aisies, and good food scarce In many
parts of Europe. there are certain dan
gers of blow-up that may cause Am
~rican tourists Inconvenience. NOBODY
AN forrtcll the future but the numoer
"c strikes and Industrial disturbances
- interesting. In one case Americans
Who went from Paris to a seaport town
20 get their ship for America round .
dock strike and inasmuch as the sail
rng OF tho vessel was postponed they
pIeaded with the steamship officials to
,c, them board the ship There were
absolutely no Accommodations in the hot
lis OF the little town. Many Americans
ore said 10 have walked the streets al
Night in a vain effort 10 find lodging:
The usual red tape prevented reilet
from Paris. Somebody with discretion
rnough to permit the Americans TO I'VE
on board the ship while X waited 1or
'hc strike TO end. would hayessSrea the
prospective passengers - who had al.
ready paid for their passage-no end OF
trouble.
Industrial conditions in England are
The most battling Of all. Some reports
indicate that England is apparently sit
ling on a powder keg and that almost
any day It would not be surprising TO
ind that radical labor had gotten out
~ hand and decided to run the country.
On the other hand. England's success
thus far in handling the railway strike
is the basis Of widespread optimism and
ronfide nee on the part OF another set
OF observers. European countries prob
ably do not like to have the America n
public told that travel over there Is
difficult and at times distressing but
the truth Is conditions are far from
normal and that Americans who go a
broad can hardly expect to sec much
change from wartime inconvenieuces.