The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-05-02
AMERICANS IN
FRANCE SPENT
PLENTY IN 1923
Heavy Tourist Taxes Send
Many Visitors to Other
Countries.
BY RALPH HEINZEN,
United Press STAFF Correspondent

PARIS, May 2. - The several
hundred thousand American tour
lists who trod over France last year,
summing on Deauville's golden sands,
digging into ruins in the war zones
or Just sightseeing in Paris. turned
Frances deficient trade balance Of
$50, 100000 into a banking balance
favorable by S122,000,000.
Although 1929 was less of a travel
year than any year since 1924, as
far as American tourists are con-
cerned. French official sources fix
at S210,000,000 the amount Of
American gold poured into the laps
of French hotel keepers, music hall
owners, railroads and steamships.
Frances tourist attractions and
scenic beauties brought her more
in her exchange with America than
did all her merchandise exports.
More Than Debt
American tourists left in France
five times the sum in gold that
France paid to the United States
last year on her war debts account.
Yet France is worried because
there was a noticeable slump in
tourist travel during 1929. The Wall
street crash, which sobered Amer
lea, has had an immediate effect
on tourist travel, and the Riviera
is comparatively empty while last
year at this time it was filled with
Americans, mentioning on the
profits of their pastime in Wall
Street.
Several days ago, a London news
paper published a photograph of
the famous tennis courts of Monte
Carlo on a bright January after
noon. Tilden was playing singles
match, and yet the two players and
their two ballboys we're exactly dou-
bic the number of spectators who
sat in the million dollar stands.
Much to Germany
From unofficial but conservative
sources, it is learned that American
tourists left 2,000,000,000 francs less
behind them in 1929 than the pre-
viouS year. Most Of that money
went to Germany and Italy where
tourists are beckoned with promises
Of relief from vexatious taxation.
That has led to a new undercur-
rent of protest in France against
the many petty taxes to which a
visiting foreigner is subjected.
In France, tourists pay 50 pass
port visa, which Italy and Germany
nave done away with. France
charges landing tourists 81 port
fee" which is in reality meant to
form a fund from which Seamen'S
pensions are paid. Germany and
Italy pay their seamen's pensions
from domestic taxes.
Police Card Needed
France obliges a tourist to take
out police identification card at
a cost Of several dollars after a
months stay. That necesSitateS
long waits in dirty police head
quarters corridors, with the atmoS-
RAANAO Va tOOaNNO dllO Ol1S-
picion peculiar to police head
quarters.
France then charges a tax and
de- luxe tax on hotel bills, restau-
rant bills, taxicab fares, railroad
tickets, almost everything pur-
chased in the shops and besides,
charges a tax de Sejour" in all of
the watering resorts, this latter in
tended to help the resorts keep the
streets clean.
Since Italy and Germany have
made Americans welcome and have
done away with vexing taxes, tho,
have reaped the golden reward
which France is beginning to re-
greet.
There is now a movement to
spend $10O,0O0,00O a year on tourist
propaganda for France, just as
Germany does, but the government
has done nothing to reduce taxes
on tourists.