Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1922-05-25
SEE GERMANY FIRST
Plenty OF Interest For American
Tourists In TeutOnland


Tourists In Teut0nland
Jesse N. Engle, formerly of TILL
city, who has been In Y. M. q. A
work in Poland and Germany, Is U
return shome in about a month. III
writes Of the German invasion Of
the American tourists and what at
fractions that country has for visi'
tors, his letter being dated at Berlin
April "a:
Editor Reflector: Why the rush OF
America ntourisks should continue
to be toward Paris first is inconceiv'
able, when they just as well come
to Berlin right away. Inter Den
Linden is as beautiful as the Champs
de Elysees ever can be, the Branden'
burg Tor at the one end as massive
and substantial as the Arc de TIL
omphe, and the Royal Palace, Lust
garten, Statuary groups. University
Opera, Art Gallery and Grand thor
ough fare at the other end Is as mag
nificent as the Place de la Concorde,
Tuileries and the Louvre, which are
found at the opposite end OF Paris
famous boulevard. Potsdamer Platz
is as busy and as Cosmopolitan az
the Place de rOpera, and the Royal
Gardens and Potsdam Palaces have
a rugged beauty and grandeur not
found at Versailles. The Tiergarten
in Berlin has hardly an equal In the
world for a combination Of outdoor
nature beauty and art. The Bots de
Bologne Of Paris, though splendid
and great in exent must take second
place to Berlin's Tiergarten.
To really appreciate Berlin and
Germany and the German people, one
should spend no less than month
in Poland and Warsaw. The for
eigner in Germany does not see old
scaled off tumbled down buildings
the throngs of ragged, importunate
beggars, nor the filthy streets and
sidewalks and doorways. In Ger
many clerks and officials are cour-
teous and efficient in a way that her
neighbor to the East does not seem
to vet have learned. The taxi-driv-
ers have meters which the Polish
cabmen have not, and the taxi pass
enger Is not asked double price for
his ride, to be graciously thanked II
he pays half Of it, and when pass
enger attempts to board train IN
he Is not jammed and
pushed and knocked forty ways for
Sunday as he so often Is In Poland.
The Berlin street corner newspa-
per vender has an advantage over his
brother in New York in that he can
hold his apportionment Of the even
ing papers in his arm, while the
New Yorker has so many large and
heavy papers that they make a pile
on the pavement six feet high.
The American tourists do not APP
pear to be excited about the large
amount Of liquors they find in this
country after coming from dry U. ).
A. There may be reason. One
Of them reported that in New York
he was compelled to walk two blocks
before he could secure any alcoholic
beverage.
In this country opera Is the rule
in all of the large cities. In our
operas in the largest cities
are exceptional. 1t is to be hoped
that the Americans here will so fall
in love with the operas that when
they get home again they will de-
mand. them there. In dramatic art
the artists here might learn some
valuable lessons from the American
stage, but in music and in general
and in general and in opera in par
ticular we must take off our hats to
Germany.
American street car patrons and
should not, while in
Berlin, contract the dangerous hab-
it Of hopping off and on moving
street cars, for back home 1t is now
everywhere "verboten," and also
there they must use the pay-as- you
enter system, and need not worry
about holding tight to a little paper
receipt.
An Englishman approached IAN
in Berlin hotel one day
asst week and remarked casually,
Are you able yet to understand the
language of the Teutons?'" "Well"
responded the New Yorker, II can't
say that | understand all they say,
,ut must say can understand it
,bout as well as l can-the English
nat some of these Englishmen use."
It is easily observable in Berlin
hat the advance guard of the army
If 100000 Americans with pass
ports have begun an invasion or
must of course be
part Of the two million army Of un-
men reported to be in U.
J. A. 1t can hardly be possible that
hey are the dollar chasers that Eur
,peans think are SO plentiful on the
,ther side-if they are, why come
,ver here and throw away their dol
ars on luxuries and other things
they imagine they need?
But this invasion Scott sci Dank"
$ a very peaceable one. BY their
,uoyant spirits and good demeanor
he invaders seem to say forget it,"
ct us settle down to business and
i've happy ever after. Every Amer
can welcomes and appreciates the
and privilege of enter
ng this fair land, in turn hopes Ger
many is glad to see him here.
While there are many other places
nd countries pleasant and interest
ng to visit, these men, their wives
nd their daughters will tell you in
he first five minutes Of conversa-