The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-07-15
A Big Country Is a Fine
Thing
TSHE UNITED STATES il great empire Of forty eish
different notions It enjoys absolute free trade from

vTyHE UNITED STATES ID great empire Of forty-sgh
different nstons. It enjoys absolute free trade from
one 0cean to the other cheap postage that reache
thousands Of miles, railroad travel from Pacific TO Atant
without change.
In these days. when there is much complaint, It
well occasionally to remember blessings Consider hov
people live in Europe the difficulties that confront tn
traveller the merchant the manufacturer. # you wen
from Indiana to Illinois, from California to Utah, ant
had to change your money, get passport change iron
one railroad station to another, you would not like il
That is how it is in Europe.
Read short extract from Wells book "The Salvagin
of Civilization and be thankful that bad things are
you in country where it is at least possible TO MOVE
AROUND, to go and without asking forty-eigh
different pernssions you have children over ten year
Of age read this aloud to them. 1t good thing to be
gin early thinking about your country.
.Take first the American case An American
wants to travel from New York to st. Louis. He looks
up the next train packs his bag, gets aboard sleeper
and turns out at St. Louis next day ready for business
"Take the European parallel A European
wants to travel from London to Warsaw. Now that is
shorter distance by fifty or sixty miles than the
distance from New York to st. Louis. Will he pack his
bag, get aboard train and 60 therei
''He will not. He will have to get passport and
getting passport involves all sorts of tresome little
errands.
"One has to 60 to photographer, for example
to get photographs to stick the passport The good
European has then to take his passport to the French
representative in London for French visa, he is
''After that he must get German visa. Then he
must 20 around to the Czecho-S lovak office for
Czecho-Slovak visa. Finally will come the Polish visa
"The other day had occasion to go to Moscow,
and learned that it takes three weeks get visa for
Finland and three weeks to get visa for Esthonia
You see you cant travel about Europe at all without
weeks and weeks of preparation The preparations for
little journey to Russia the other day took three
whole days out Of my life cost me several pounds in
stamps and fees and five in bribery.
ultimately, however, the good European is free
to start Arriving at the French frontier in hour
so, he will be held up for q long customs examina
ton Also he will need to change Of his money
into francs. His English money will be good in
France. The exchange in Europe is always ductuang
and he will be cheated on the exchange. All Euro
pean countries, including my own cheat travellers
the exchange-that is apparently what the exchange
is for.
she will then travel for few hours to the Ger
man frontier. There he will be bundled out again.
The French will investigate him closely to that he
is not carrying gold large sums Of money out Of
France. Then he will be handed over to the Germans.
He will go through the business with the customs
and the business with the money. His French
money is no further to him and he must get Ger
man. few more hours he will arrive on the frontier
of Bohemia. Same search for gold. Then customs
examination and change of money again. few hours
more and he will be in Poland Search for gold, Gus
toms, fresh money.
GAS most of these countries are pursuing different
railway policies he will probably have to change trains
ana rebook MS luggage three or four times The trains
may be ingenously oontved not to connect so as to
force him to take some longer route politically favored
by Of the intervening states He will be lucky il
he gets to Warsaw in four days.
"Now, here is fuss fddling little journey
OF 1,10o miles Is it any wonder that the bookipgs
from London to Warsaw are infnitesimal in compas
with the bookings from New York to ST. Louisi bdg1
what have noted here only the normal incon-
venences Of the traveller They are by no means the
most serious Inconvenience
az hapop
movement of traveller, hamper the movements Of
foodstufs and all sorts Of merchandise in much
greater degree Everywhere in Europe trade is being
throtted by tariffs and crippled by the st. vtus dance
Of the exchanges Each Of these European sovereign
states turns out paper money at its own sweet will
WIast summer went to Prague and axchanned