The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-07-26
So Declares Richard Hoff-
man Back from Old
Home
EUROPE RECOVERING.
Taxes Lighter in Germany
Than In France and
Italy

seevral years before the Great
war, an Englishman named Stephen
Phillips, made tour of the United
States then went home and wrote
a book called THE Almighty Dol.
lar" in which he took occasion TO
poke a lot Of characteristically
British fun at US and our institu.
tons, language, and financial az.
fairs in a ponderous but good.
natured fashion. Today, Mr.. Phil
lips has only to go to any OF the
cities Of middle or southern Eu.l
rope and there he will find the
American dollar the standard OF
value on the bourse, American Eng.
lish spoken, even by children on
the streets, and the American tour.
list, always a good spender, vel.
coined more than ever before.
This was one Of the conclusions
reached by Richard Hoffman, the
Madison street jeweler, who has
just returned from a three months
tour OF Europe during which he
paid visit to his parents in Jugo-
Slayia. Mr.. Hoffman left Fairmont
on April IS and arrived home last
Saturday, having visited France,
Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Jugo.
Slavia, Czecho-Slovakia, Austria,
Hungary and Germany.
Little time was taker up In
sightseeing on the way to his old
home, the prime object of his Jour.
ney being the visit to his parents,
the first in ten years. Arriving at
Havre on April 26, he took the train
for Paris where he spent two days,
then to Switzerland, to Italy, ar
riving at the home Of his parents
In zsagab; Jtigo.S .Slayia, early IN
May. He remained there until May
10 when he took a more leisurely
trip through the countries men.
toned.
The ideal way to live; said Mr..
Hoffman, is to make money In
and spend 1t In Europe for
new, as never before, the American
tourist is getting the worth Of his
money on account Of the slump In
prices that prevails everywhere.
He cited the case OF one American
salesman who for two weeks IN.
dulged in an orgy Of the pleasures
SO dear to the heart Of the travel.
ing salesman when away on a trip
theaters, midnight suppers, with |
real champagne, sightseeing jaunts
but found that at the end Of the
fortnight he had spent less than
500.
The American dollar Is the
standard OF value everywhere, be.
Ing worth from 40 crowns In Jugo |
Slavia to 1000 in Poland. When |
he arrived In Jugo-Slavia in the lat
ter part OF April, the dollar was
to 11S crowns. When
he left two weeks ago the crown
had dropped in value until dollar
was worth ITO crowns. Two suits |
bought by Mr.. Hoffman for $34 each
were made Of the finest English
serge and would have cost more |
than $50 each in this country. Tex.
tile fabrics, especially are becom.
ing much cheaper.
In travelling through Hungary,
Austria, Czecho Slovakia and Ger
many the train passes through vast
fields Of grain that are an evidence
Of a large crop this year. In Ger
many especially, the outlook for a |
speedy recovery from the effects OF
the war are bright for the reason |
that there everybody works, from
the child Of six to the oldest. In
Italy the people are working night |
and day, but food is not SO plentt-
ful as in the more northern coun-
tries. In Germany, Austria and
Hungary, the people are very
to the Americans, seeming
to have forgotten the animosities
by the war. Taxes In
these countries are Just about
half OF the amount levied In France
and Italy a condition that is having |
a tendency to draw merchants and
from other coun.
tries, especially from England to
Germany.
One Of the noticeably unpleasant
results OF the war, said Mr.. Hoff.
man, Is the low plane Of morality
apparent, even among
the lower classes. Young chill.
dren are seen smoking cigarettes
aud the night life In all cities can
not be described. Vienna, Buda-
pest, Paris and other large cities
have recovered their wonted gay.
ETY. and everywhere the people |
seem to have almost forgotten that
there ever was such a catastrophe
as the Great war.
Mr.. Hoffman greatly enjoyed his |
visit to his parents. His father cele-
brated his eightieth birthday last
and his mother Is 75 years |
old. Three brothers are living in
zagrab, julius, known in Fairmont |
where he spent four years with his |
brother, is q banker: WilliamSts en-.
gagged In the wholesale linen trade |
and Joseph In the wholesale dry
goods for women. There arc also |
four sisters, al married.
Mr.. Hoffman was accompanied |
here by Mr.. and Mrs. Louis Fabo.
tcoutinuefua page tthrsel
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