Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1921-03-18

it stopped anywhere when 1t got tired
There was no food aboard, and pas
sengers bartered socks, shoes and
clothing to the peasants for bread and
Dleat, as paper money was not accept
able.
There was no railroad train to
CzechO-Slovakia for a 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 and
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 for
$50. hut 800 or more crowded into it.
People were jammed into it like cattle
being shipped to the packing house. In
fact, everywhere throughout Central
Europe travelling, when possible at all,
meant delay. discomfort and peril.
Improvement Is Marked.
Such was the situation in 1919. but
new the Improvement, which has been
gradual and imperceptible perhaps to
persons of a single experience, is
marked. Clean. comfortable trains with
dining car service run between Buda-
pest and Vienna in about five hours
there is a through train to Berlin by
way of Prague in fifteen and a half
hours and other through trains with
sleeping cars to Rome, Trieste and
Warsaw. One has tie choice of two
direct routes from London to Vienna
and Vienna to London by way of eth
err Calais or Ostend. The traveller to
England can even take day coach in
Vienna and not be compelled TO leave
1t antil ne has TO board the channel
boat.
In Berlin, city ticket offices which
were closed not so long ago will now
sell tickets through TO London, TO
Paris, 10 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
persons in a compartment, which were
eagerly sought not long ago (and did
not exist at all Immediately following
eth. arlnistice) are now regarded as
second-class. A first class ticket calls
for a whole compartment, the upper
berth being unused.
There still remain imbecilities of
customs Inspections and occasional
rudeness; there is the annoyance of
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 a
fare on train in Polish territory. but
everywhere there has been ameliora-
ton of the diSorganization which fol-
lowed the armistice and a tending to-
ward the normal.
If one is not too exacting or petu-
liant he may now travel over Europe
in comfort. And amazingly cheaply by
American standards. Two persons who
recently journeyed from London to
vienna. to Budapest, back TO Vienna,
TO Prague. TO Warsaw. TO Danzig, TO
Berlin and TO London. accomplished
the trip of months duration at an
expense for both, including hotel bills,
of approximately $3.50.
IL traffic and transportation condi-
tions are slowly becoming better. so
TOO are political relations improving.
Signs of Returning Order.
These are some of the symptoms Of
order gradually. very gradually, re-
establishing itself. There are still
nuse problems of reconstruction that
n,rSt be met. difficult adjustments that
must be made There will certainly be
aore minor eruptions before there is
settling down, but there must be a
beginning of all things, and, comparing
fhe present with what existed in the
very near past, one cannot fail to re-
mark tangible structure emerging
cut of the general wreckage.
The ts.oughtless, who expected chat
the dislocations Of war would be as
easily remedied as washing the CRIME
from ones hands. betray Ignorance of
the durat.on OF natural processes. and
tho .1eremiahs chose mouths are filled
With lameatation take so much joy in
hemoaning the glittering shell of a
dead tyrsnny that they fail to note the
,.t,o.,,,g basinninps of a new free.