The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-06-30
EUROPEAN
TRAVEL WILL
Be HEAVY
Great Demand for First
class Passage On Big
Boats

| NEW YORK CITY, June 90
Prohibition may not be an unqual-
flied success in this country, but
Americans are gradually losing the
drinking habit.
This announcement does not
come from the prohibition ranks,
but from an official Of the Interna-
ton Mercantile Marine here, who
travels constantly back and forth
across the Atlantic and hence has
abundant opportunity for observ-
ing the conduct of his unsuspect-
ing fellow citizens when they are
suddenly freed from all dry re-
strictions on board the big ocean
| liners.
"They drink, of course" he adj
mitted, in discussing the peculiari-
ties of passengers, "but it isn't as
it used to be, with highballs at
frequent intervals throughout the
day, cocktails before meals and IL
quors afterward. The Britisher
marooned in this country for two
or three weeks starts in making
up for lost time the minute he
gets beyond the three-mile limit,
but most Americans, although per-
haps intending to do the thing,
forget to keep it up"
Thus, the pursuit of favorite
drinks plays but an insignificant
part in the rush of Americans in
Europe this year. 1t may account
to some extent for the large num-
Der of returning Italians, who
have been deprived of their below
ed chianti in this country, but in
planning their trips most Ameri-
cans have clearly ignored the best
opportunities for satisfying any
pent-up thirst. Germany, for in
stance, which offers drinks at Che
lowest possible cost, will probably
receive the fewest visitors, while
Norway, which has reached about
the same bootlegging stage as the
United States, is attracting hosts
of Americans.
For the first time since the war,
Europe seems to have regained all
of its old, compelling charm for
sightseers. Hundreds booked for
extensive continental tours, are
leaving on every ship, so that the
steamship companies have occa-
sion to expect an unusually pros
porous season. SO far second
class travel is not quite up to the
pre-war standard. Fewer school
teachers and college professors
are going across. The number
of steerage passengers is also de-
creased, but the demand for first
class accommodations is such that
reservations must be made long in
advance.
Our newly rich who delight in
opportunities for extravaganza
and our prosperous foreign born
citizens who have become home
sick for another look at the old
country, are not to be deferred
by the high prices demanded for
staterooms. The $4,000 suits on
the big liners sell as easily as the
$500 accommodations. The other
day, one suite was sold to a
wealthy American for $4,000.
This seems rather an exorbitant
sum to pay for one week of ocean
travel, but the I. NJ. NJ. official
assures US that the profit on these
expensive suites is not half as
much as might be expected. For
one thing, they are usually occu-
pied by individuals who o.. require
an extraordinary amount of ser
vice-people who are accustomed
to having their personal eccentri-
cities humored. There is one
wealthy American, for example,
who cannot travel across the At
lantic unless he occupies a sound
proof room. Another always
takes a pet boa constructor with
him. Still another remains in his
stateroom drinking heavily
throughout the entire voyage,
while his valet sits just outside
his door and plays upon bagpipes.
The big ocean liners, which
are the last word in marine engin-
eeling and luxurious interiors, rep
resent large investments, and they
are expensive to operate. 1t cos,s
81 800 for instance, to serve a
single meal for all the passengers
on one of the boats. The tot4l
operating cost for one vessel PEE
round trip is about 100000. And
the Storage, which formerly pro-
duced a large part Of this revenue,
now brings in very little. Some
ships, with a capacity for 2,500
steerage passengers, are carrying
only 300. (Which explains, said
the I. NJ. NJ official, "why first
class rates can't come down"
Even so, ocean travel is almost
as cheap as rail travel in the
less than 10 cents mile, first
class, for the 5000 mile journey
across the Atlantic on the big
liners. This charge includes
meals and sleeping accommoda-
tions. There is a slight fiuctati n
in rates, depending upon the type
of ship chosen for the voyage as
well as upon the season of the
year. For instance, the minimum
rate on de luxe ship-the Ma
jestic, Olympic or Homeric-for
crossing from New York to Chcr-
bo,,.f. -. Co.., bo ~, on X y hoIt