Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-03-03
Many Americans
Will Cross Ocean
To Europe This Year

New York. March 2.-(AP)-The
annual summer invasion Of Europe
by Americans is "all over but the
sailing" with promise of being great
er this year than ever before.
So great is the prospective rush
that number of steamship COM
panies have completed their booking
TO rail- summer sailings. that is, adj
vance reservations already have
claimed all passenger berths. Some
steamers closed their books for the
summer, sold out" last October.
These advance reservations are never
fully taken up, but this winter they
have been 80 great as to promise that
corners filling the vacancies of un-
taken reservations may fill almost
every boat to capacity. ~
The Cunard Line, among others,
has advanced the first summer sail
ing to May /. instead of the CUSTOM
airy first excursion. June l.
With this increase in the number
of foreign tourists there is proper
tional greater representation of a
complete cross section of the United
States. No longer is a foreign tour
the exclusive prerogative OF the
towns leading citizen, but it Is avail
able to almost anyone who ordinarily
would spend six weeks away from
home on vacation.
The steamship companies credit
revisedf rates for much of this in
crease. Thousands of bookings are
from students, who often gain col
lege credits thereby, and other per-
sons who must economic. The way
for their trips has been opened
through the recent establishment of
tourist third cabin quarters. which
provide a round trip in clean, COM
Portable quarters for SITS to $3.50.
For the more affiuent there still re-
main the second class at $3.50 up one
way and the first class at $500 up;
considerably up in cases.
A decrease in dread of ocean travel
Is believed by steamship officials to
have contributed greatly to the in
creased booking The radio has proven
alert to check the safety of vessels,
and the worst storm no longer blinds"
ship, due to the radio compass
Through the hardest storms and dark
est nights, even with the ordinary
compass out Of line, vessel now
plows steadily on her course guided
by the dot-dash of a radio operator
hundreds of miles away.
Also, it is pointed out, the con-
slant growth of travel is in itself
reinsurance to the timid that it must
be safe, and vessels now are run on
fairly accurate schedules.
Most Of our passengers think no
more of crossing to Europe than / do
of crossing to Staten Island" said one
official.
Another reason Is advertising, en-
parked upon in an extensive scale by
individuals, tourist agencies and gov
eminent agents."
European hotel, restaurant and
amusement proprietors are reported ex-
erting unusual activity, mainly
through advertising, to reap the golden
harvest.
While still viewing the American
tourist as a good contributor toward
their livelihood, the European mer-
chants are manifesting little differ
ent spirit toward the American influx
than in former years, steamship Off
Gals assert. There is not so much
busting off of antiques" Factories
interested primarily in the production
of "war relics" have not been SO busy.
1t is expected that the tourist tide will
return less freighted with odds and
ends Of supposed historic value than
in years gone by.
The smallest single group of persons
represented in the advance bookings
are foreigners or naturalized citizens
making trips to their homes. A spe-
cial trip to Scotland making a particu-
lar appeal to golfers and offering an
opportunity to play over famous
Scotch courses was found to be prov
ing popular.
Official differ as to whether any
number of Americans who will cross
the Atlantic to secure brief respite
from more or less strict enforcement
Of tho 1na tinnal nrnhi hiti0n Ia