The New York herald., 1922-04-30
Majority of Pleasure Seek
ing Tourists Continue to
Flock to Continent.
GLOOMY AFTER MIDNIGHT
Law Forbids Sale of Tobacco
or Chocolates After 3
O'Clock.

Special Gable to THE NEW YORK HERALD.
Copyright. 1899, by TIE NEW York HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau
London. April 20.
Americans with money to burn are
not coming to London this year, ac-
cording to tourist agencies and leading
hotels. Although the season is not at
it's height there is already an appar-
ent apprehension that the spending"
Americans are again giving London
the go-by, as they did last year, ex-
cept for the most casual visits.
1t is a fact, THE NEW YORK HERALD
correspondent learns after extensive
inquiries, that the majority Of pleasure
seeking Americans continue to debark
at Cherbourg and to spend a large part
of their time and money in Paris, Brus-
sells. Berlin and Vienna. The efforts
of the Brighter London Society to re-
establish the prewar popularity Of the
metropolis thus far have failed.
Hotel and restaurant owners and 9TH
crs who are counting on travellers de-
clare that the reason tourists are dodg-
ing London is that the postwar gloom
is still hanging over the city, with its
limitations on dancing and the hours
for selling liquor. They say that the
depression. to which the people became
accustomed in the war days, has become
so general that 1t is a problem to know
where to start to lift 1t.
No Meals After Midnight.
It is impossible to get meal in Lon
don after midnight even in third class
restaurants, as nothing is open except
coffee wagons. The underground rail-
roads are all closed before o'clock and
the great railroad terminals like those
at Charing Cross and Victoria. which
feed the outlying districts, close shortly
after midnight. A visitor is prevented
by law from buying even cigarettes. to-
bacco or chocolates after o'clock in
the evening.
These war restrictions remain de-
spite numerous attempts that have been
made in the House Of Commons to get
bills passed to change them. The pubs
close at 10: 80 and In some districts at
IL, while hotels and restaurants are
permitted to keep open until IL.
Cabarets with more than six perform
ances, and these in ordinary dress. re-
Gently were legislated out of order owing
to the pressure brought to bear by the
atrical organizations. Even in Fleet
Journalism. 1t Is impossible to purchase a
bite to eat. cigarette or candies after
10 80 o'clock in the evening, though
thousands of men are employed in the
area within half dozen blocks of the
Strand and Ludgate Circus.
Night Clubs for Members Only.
In the night clubs in the West End
there is dancing until in the morning,
but under the law one must be a MEM
ber in order to be entertained at these
clubs. and no strong drink Is permitted
to be sold. A score or so lesser clubs
which recently have sprung up in the
West End are attempting to evadc the
law, but these are now being systemat-
ically raided and closed up.
These restrictions. all hotel managers
and tourist agencies agree. are side
tracking visitors. OF whom the Ameri-
cans are the most welcome. These vis-
itors stay for day or two SO that they
can say that they have done England.
but generally they do not remain and
arc prevented from spending their time
happily, even while here. These condi-
tions with respect to tourists, which pre-
vailed last year, caused CONSERVATION
among hotels and business houses. whose
owners say they fear they are facing
similar slack season.
But while the tourists are sighting
London there is marked Improvement
in the number of business visitors.
Men Of affairs are coming and going in
greater numbers than even before the
war These men go to the big manu-
featuring cities to transact business.
but as far as London is concerned they
arc always coming and going.
Although they generally travel with
their wives hotel keepers say they are
not the spending kind and that business
prospects are infinitely greater than
pleasure prospects here. There has
teen a further Improvement In the
business done by the smaller outlying
hotels. much to the displeasure OF the
larger and widely known ones. The
managers Of these say that most Amer
ican guests only sleep and eat their
breakfasts in their hostelries and dine
and dance elsewhere.
Theaters likewise are feeling the
slump seriously. The managers of the
leading hotels say they are well booked
UP TO June. but that otherwise the out
look for the season is most discourag-