Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-04-04
THOSE WHO VISIT FRANCE
MUST EXPECT HARDsHIPs
wars Havoc Has Brought About
Conditions Which Do Not
Make for Comfort.

PAltlS. April 3.--Whiie official and
nnofiicial circles in France are actively
bidding for American tourist traffic
TINS year. conditions are such that
the American who comes prepared to
spend his money here should not set
ms hopes too high In regard to rooms,
transportation or general comfort.
This is not the fault OF France,
put Of conditions resulting from the
war. and the American should realize
~ before he sets foot on French soil
or ms disappointment may cause him
TO be unjust in his opinion Of France
and the French.
tourists must not expect to travel
anu 70 visit various places Of interest
IN absolute comfort. In fac. II he
seeks comfort. the tourist had better
4 atay at home. Transportation fncil-
tics. hotels and general conditions are
such that comfort Is out OF the qucs-
tlDn
HAIL Line. Out OF Gear.
In the mrs; place. owing 10 the war.
french railroads are entirely out of
gear and the general social unrest
and strikes will probably keep them
SO Tor some time to come. This
means that the traveller in France
must he prepared TO pay fabulous tips
TO retain n compartment or a seat In
the train make reservations weeks
ahead, unless he is willing 70 spend
inc night standing or sleeping on
the floor.
He must also he prepared 10 carry
hand luggage only. unless he is will
Ing TO wait weeks for the arrival of
ms trunk. On certain main lines
| baggage arrives AT the station the
same time as tho traveller, but this
] Is not all guaranteed.
! Other lincs-many OF them Offering
delightful cScursions-arc provcrb-
ialiy slow in the delivery OF baggage.
incidentally railroad fares have been
Increased more than 80 per cent.
Almost conscsted as the railroads
are the hotels in the larger cities
Rooms have to be engaged long In
advance. and even then Their. IL no
certainty Of getting 4 satisfactory
ono. NO new constructions have been
going on since tho var. naturally
and in Paris. for instance several
former hotc.s have been turned into
banks
Hotel Facilities Reduced.
A new ho,e! hes bccn opened. IL is
true, but IN return the Hotel Astoria
IN being mononoi!aed b. the Rcpnra-
lions Commission. In short. for an
thrush of hundreds OF thousands Of
people daily. Paris has rather less
than usual hotel facilities. owing TO
inc scarcity Of rooms. prices are high.
Ten dollars day is the usual charge
Tor an ordinary room. and 1lj with
bath. The prices for ineals are ac-
cordingiy high
| Ia the provinces. prices arc lower
and IN some places, the hotels are .x-
cc!!eni- But except for fashionable
summer resorts. such AZ Dcauv!!le
TfouNi!.c. binard Biarrtz or water
ins places !.kc EVAN. AK les Bains.
N!chy. the provinces have tcw large
hotels and American tourists mus, not
expect 10 md the comfort To which
they have been used. 1t cannot be
repeated too often, France is not
comfortable place to travel in now
This does not mean tourists should
stay away. for n little hardship does
not hurt. But IL does mean that they
snnu.d understand what lis in store
for them and not 20 expect 10 find ali
the comforts .: home.
In spite or the fact that the Amer
!cnn army left all It's automobiles in
France. automobile service is cSpen-
sivc and not too comfortable. The
priceH VIII undoubtedly 20 up during
the coming months, hut even now
few t-ins can be had for less than
$500 dollars. and naturally tho man
who rents Il car must pay for The
return trip. whether he makes use
OF the car or not.
Visit War Zone by Car.
Trips 10 the battle fields are made
almost exclusively by automobile as
the railroad does not approach the
scenes Of devastation closely enough.
Huge barracks are being built in the
devastated areas to house ruture tour
lists. The experience TO be had here
Will be !n;erestinI-but not comfor-
table. although the French claim IL
will not harm those who come to get
thrill out OF what was the suffer
ing OF other people, TO pay for this
thrill by slight physical diScumforts
incidentally, tourists visiting the
devastated areas will be douhly wei
come II they remember that after all
they are privileged in not having been
the Victims Of war and that whatever
they bring along to relieve the mis-
cry OF the invaded regions will be
exceedingly useful.
Details as to what tourists might
contribute in this way. whether
clothes. food or money. may be had
on arrival In France.
Shopping is going TO be high. Prices
have triplcd and quadrupled for the
French. since the war. and they won't
be lower Tor Americans. French busl-
ness people realize that a dollar nj
present. is worth three times its for
mer purchasing value in francs. and
prices Tor Americans are fixed ac-
cordingiy.
Hence clothes. jewelry, underwear
tho thousand and one things which
Americans used to buy in paris-arc
going to cost so much that oniy a
millionaire Will be able to carry any
thing home. This. again. is not tho
fault of the French, but due 10 fiuan
ciai and economic conditions all over
the world. But unless Americans
realize II, they may expect to pick
up bargains In France now as before
the war. and not finding any, believe
they are being cheated
Many papers are advocating a tax
on foreigners. This idea will never
be carried out. as France has always
been and remains hospitablc coun-
try. but the tourist must realize that
France intends to be repaid, in part.
for her losses by means Of what
American tourists are going to spend.
PREACHERS TURN FROM
THE PULPIT TO TAKE PLOW