Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-06-24

New York City, June 21.-Prohibi-
ton may o be an unqualified 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 International Mer-
camille Marine here. who travels con
stantly back and forth across the
| Atlantic and hence has abundant OPP
portunity for observing the conduct of
this unsuspecting fellow-citizens when
they are suddenly freed from all dry
restrictions on board the big ocean
liners.
They drink. of course be admit
ted. in discussing the peculiarities of
passengers, :" but it isn't as it used
to be, with %highballs at frequent inter-
walls throughout the day. cocktails be-
fore meals and liquors 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 perhaps intending
to do the same thing, forget to keep
it up"
Thus, the pursuit of favorite drinks
plays but an insignificant part in the
rush of Americans to Europe this year.
1t may account to some extent for the
large number Of returning Italians,
who have been deprived of their below
ed chianti in this country, but in plan
ming their trips most Americans have
clearly ignored the best opportunities
for satisfying any pent-up thirst. Ger
many, for instance. which offers drinks
at the lowest possible cost. will prob
ably receive the fewest visitors, while
Norway, which has reached about the
same bootlegging stage as the United
States, is attracting hosts of Ameri-
cans.
For the first time since the war.
Europe seems to have regained all of
its old, compelling charm for sight
seers. Hundreds, booked for extern
sive continental tours, are leaving on
every ship, so that the steamship COM
panies have occasion to expect an un-
usually prosperous season. So far
~second-class travel is not quite I'D to
the pre-war standard. Fewer school
teachers and college professors are
going across. The number of steer
age passengers is also decreased. but
the demand for first-class accommo-
dations is such that reservations must
be made long in advance.
Voyaging de Luxe
Our newly rich who delight in op-
~portunities for extravaganza and our
prosperous foreign-born citizens who
have become honIesick for another
look at the old country, are not to be
deferred by the high prices demanded
for staterooms. The $4,000 suites on
the big liners sell as easily as the $500
accommodations. The other day. one
suite was sold to a wealthy American
for $1,000.
This seems rather an exorbitant
sum to pay for one week of ocean ira
vel, 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 occupied by individuals who re-
ouire an extraordinary amount of SER
vice-people who are accustomed to
having their personal eccentricities
humored. There is one wealthy Ameri-
can, for example, who cannot travel
across the Atlantic 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 en-
tire voyage. while his valet sits lust
outside his door and plays upon Bag
pipes.
The big ocean liners. which are the
last word in marine engineering and
luxurious interiors. represent large in
vestments and they are expensive to