The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-05-22
F 0U RIST
DISCONIFORTS
American Tourists Who Con-
template Visiting Europe
Are Warned

The Hague, May 1.-THE thous-
ands of American tourists, who are ex-
pected to visit Europe this sumner,
will be disappointed If they look for
ward TO ali the comforts OF the days;
before the war
e.'Tshiss'verdiet has been expressed to
the Associated Press correspondent
by many much-harrassed Americans
who. liz sovercrowded trains between
stops at overcrowded hotels, have
run the gauntlet of passport bureaus.
frontier controls and police registra>
ton offices. Institutions which still pres
vail in many countries, only ins a
slightly less degree than during the
war
Passports. and passport visas. are
necessary everywhere Even to make
the five hour trip from The Hague,
Holland. to Brussels, Belgium, .re-
3qufres days of preparation, and. the
days generally lengthen into weeks if
one expresses the most extraordinary
whim to make a round trip, or several
round trips.
An American. for instance, having
obtained in the United States, a Dutch
visa which permits him to land in
Holland for a brief stay, desires to go
to Rrussels---just FIVE hours away. On
arrival inHoliand he has had to regis
ter with the police, securing an iden-
tity card, permitting him to have "a
bread card, ETC., ffor bread is still ra-
toned IN many countries).
+ Desiring to go to Belgium. he must
first go to his own legation or cons
su1afe. to have his American passport
amended so as TO be valid in Belgium,
This done. after a solemn oath, that It
lis necessary to- go to Belgium the
would-be>traveler visits the Belgian
consulate or legation, finds a long.
waiting line of persons with a similar
desire. finally is attended to, and
speeds off torthe police bureau to have
his identity card stamped. in order
that he may leave the frontier But
he must surrender his bread card
1rstat still another bureau, which IS
ablyTclosed for the day. Armed
with u receipt from the bread card bu-
|reau, he returns to the police bureau.
gets his stamped identity card and
probab bly,. finds that the last train to
Belgium FOR the day has gone.
Even when he gets aboard the train
which may be so overcrowed that even
With a first class ticket he may have
to ride in second or third class com
paftnent, his. troubles are far from
ended. There are waits and passpor,
and customs examinations at both the
Dutch and Belgian frontiers-one ex-
animation, to get out Of Holland and
another TO get into Belgium. waits in
rooms like bull pens in which, if the
train happens to be crowded, the
scraIn bic for: a subway at a, rush hour
is play in comparison.
This condition. typical of travel be-
tween Holland and Beigium. is, as
nothing -tos the, difficulties Of getting.
from Holland into Germany.
Rapid progress is being made. par
ticularly in Belgium. to restore rail-
way traffic to normal. but the short
age of equipment. due to war losses
or shortage of coal. due both to strikes
and war. has reduced the number Of
trains operated to a figure far below
that Of before the war and all gener-
ally are :oyercrowded. AS a rule, nc
reservations of seats. except on very
long trips; are possible.