The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1921-04-09

it stopped anywhere when It got tired.
There was no food aboard. and pas
sengers bartered socks, shoes and
clothing to the peasants for bread and
meat, as paper money was not accept
able.
There was no railroad train to
Czecho-Slovaka for long time and
no communication by boat along the
Danube. When traffic did begin spas
medically, savage customs officials met
travellers at the frontiers and treated
them to bodily search for money ana
valuables, herding them like cattle
and hurting their luggage violently
about.
In Germany railroad traffic was bet
ter, but there were few trains and no
through service Such trains as did
run were shamefully crowded. They
were unheateG and sometimes even
unlighted. 1t was only about a year
ago that one of the infrequent trains
which left Vienna in the direction OF
| Switzerland had accommodations 4or
$50 but 500 or more crowded into IL.
| People were damned into 1t like cattle
being shipped to the packing house. In
fact, everywhere throughout Centrat
Europe travelling, when possible at all,
meant delay, discomfort and peri.
Improvement Is Marked.
Such was the situation in 1919, bue
new the Improvement, which has been
gradual and imperceptible perhaps TO
persons of a single experience. Is
marked. Clean, comfortable trains Win
dining car service run between Buda-
nest and Vienna in about FIVE hours
there is a through train to Berlin ny
way of Prague in fifteen and natr
hours and other through trains with
sleeping cars to Rome, Trieste apu
Warsaw. One has the choice OF two
direct routes from London to Vienna
and Vienna to London by way OF eitii-
er Calais or Ostend. The traveller to
England can even take a day coach In
Vienna and not be compelled to leave
II until he has to board the channel
: boat. -
In Berlin, city ticket offices when
were closed not so long ago will now
sell tickets through to London. 10
Paris. to Rome, to Vienna or to war
saw. A train which leaves Berlin at'
eight in the morning will put you into
London next morning at 10 80. by way
of the Hook Of Holland. German
sleeping accommodations, with two
5 persons in compartment, which were
4 eagerly sought not long ago (and ana
: not exist at all Immediately following
the armistice) are now regarded as
: second-class. A first class ticket CARS
for a whole compartment, the upper
berth being unused
), There still remain imbecilities oE
: customs inspections and oecasiohas
rudeness; there is the annoyance oE
having to buy new tickets at some
frontiers in the money of the country
entered and there is the surprise OF
having Polish money refused FOR q
fare on train in Polish territory, Dus
everywhere there has been amellora-
tion of the disorganization which fol-
lowed the armistice and tending to-
ward the normal.
If one is not too exacting or peru
! liant he may now travel over Europe
/ in comfort. And amazingly cheaply by
1 American standards. Two persons who
4 recently journeyed from LeSdon to
Vienna, to Budapest, back to Vienna
4 TO Prague, to Warsaw, to Danzig, e
81 Berlin and to London, accomplished
q the trip of months duration at al
q expense for both, including hotel bilis
& of approximately $3.50.
n IF traffic and transportation cOndi
n tions are slowly becoming better. 81
b TOO are political relations improving
n SIGNS of Returning Order.
n These are some of the symptoms
B order gradually. very gradually, re
q establishing itself. There are still
q huae problems OF reconstruction tina
D ,oust be met, difficult adjustments tina
q r,ust he made. There will certainly .
q ,nore minor eruptions before there
B a settling down, but there must be
beginning of all things. and, comparin
the present with what existed In II
very near past, one cannot fail to e
an mark tangible structure emergir
" cut of the general wreckage.
~ rhe tLoughtless, who expected IN
- the disiocations of war would be
&c easily rerledied as washing the grin
'ne IRON, ones hands, betray ignorance
~ th. duration of natural processes. al
- ethe !eremalls whose mouths are NH
az -. with lamentation take so much Joy
tor bemoaning the glittering she'll OF
-. dead tyranny that they fall to note
The hesita,.ny beginnings Of a new II,