The Washington times., 1923-01-14

WA9F El8Hb TINS tlIMos ~ We -
very comfortable train. not
crowded, and lots Of other busy,
sensible people were travelling
just the same way, without 4
sleeper.
Flambeau. slept so well that
the conductor had to shake him
4 little at Springfield to extract
the ticket. but when they passed
Stamford, Conn. he rousAd shirn-
self just III time FOR 4 glimpse
Of lovely red sunrise. And as they
neared New York ne glanced
about the car and discovered
that all his unknown ccmpan-
ions Of the journey were awake
and looked immacuIa tely dressed,
somewhat different from 3 group.
In d European train, who at the
same hour would be waiting ii
line with towel and soap in hand
for q turn ii the lavatory. Of
which, there would be- only one
for beth men and women. Ameri-
cans are In some ways more fas-
tfdious. =
Already FIambeau had spent
more on his tickets, In spite Sc
the saving on the IS excursion
from washington to New York,
than IN a much, much longer
Journey from London to Vienna,
second class. nearly always com
Portable and sometimes even
palatiai, through ticket for
which had cost him trifle less
than five pounds British, or about
$26. and he had gone from Lon
don via the night boat to Ant
werp; thence to Brussels, to
Namlir, and via Cologne to Ber-
lin: then to Dresden, to Prague
in Czechoslovakia; back into Ger
many to, Nuremberg, to Munich,
and eventually to Vienna. This
was the longest route ticket that
Cooks office in London was able
to issue. on account Of unsettled
conditions in Europe. And 50
from Vienna onward FIambeau
bought single tickets the price Of
which was exceedingly low ac-
cording to American rates, though
high In crowns. in marks, in
rubles, as he journeyed to Buda-
pest, to Cracow, to. Warsaw, to
wilma. to Riga, and then through
Germany q fourth time to Sweden,
where the trains are exceedingly
clean and well managed. The con.
ductors are college graduates, so
it is said. though they seldom
speak any language but Swedish.
TRAVEL COSTS.
''See America firstl'' How often
Flambeau had reproached himself
for his inordinate love Of Euro
pean travel, even with its dis
comforts today. but he excused
himself with the thought, that
American railway travel is 30
very expensive that one can see
much more. in Europe for. the
same outlay, and so the educa-
tional advantages are greater.
But now, for the first time since
his return from Europe, he re-
allied the vastness Of America,
the stupendous extent Of the
United States, when in only one
days travel he had touched eight
different States, stopping off al.
ready three times. And before
his return to Washington a day
or two later, he would have trav-
eled by six or eight separate rail-
way lines. And yet, all this
amount OF travel, always by ex-
press train, meant only a small
fraction of his big country, q
slice that could probably easily be
slipped inside the boundaries Of
Texas.
His pleasant business in New
York was to discuss. plans for ex-
positions of European art to be
held in Washington, so Flam-
beau spent very agreeable day,
interviewing Polish representa-
tives, including visit to the
studio of the celebrated Polish
American painter. Wladyslaw
Benda, who promised number
Of his panel pictures for the ex-
hibition, and to come himself II
possible. Benda has a luxurious
studio apartment at No. Ora
mercy Park, next door to the
National Arts Club. He was oc-
cupied in preliminary sketch Of
a charming new model, with Won
derfully perfect contours,
Then FIambeau saw Charles
Winters, the Hungarian consul
general. who had SO fortunately
been in Budapest during the visit
there. and found him much in
favor Of the Washington exhibit
ton, and ready to send q display
which had been shown In Brook
lyn through the interest Of Stew.