Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-06-16
BY ALBIN Z. JOHNSON.


ship loads Frenchmen, Bel
gians, and even Italians, are seeing
America" Niagara Falls, the Empire
State, Radio City, the Washington
Monument, and even Grand Canyon,
are entering the French language just
as Rue de Ia Paix, Mont Marie,
Champs Elysees aud the Louvre and
Eifel Tower were, few years ago, the
American trade mark Of sophistiea-
ton. -r''
Paris, and the Riviera, Just amt
what they used to bel
The depression has hit the Riviera
with a vengeance. It has hit Monte
Carlo even harder. For generations
the Casino of the smallest principally
In Europe has lured pleasure seekers.
The click of the worries or the whirl
of the wheel at the roulette tables had
been irresistible.
Gambling Crowds Cheap.
Today it is still almost impossible
for Riviera addicts to keep away from
the gaming tables at Monte, Mentone,
Nice, Cannes or across the Italian
frontier at San Reno. The players
still appear, but it's cheap crowd
that responds to the announcement
that: Admissions Free" Even the
almost unbelievable fact that the syn
dictate relinquishes, over specified
periods each day, the zero" the one
uumber on which the bank always
wins, isn't increasing the Casinos
clientele-simply because the people
aren't here any more.
From one end Of the Cote d'Azur to
the other-from Bandol and Mar
settles to Cap d'Antibes and Mentone
it Is the same story. And tourist
propaganda doesn't tell it-empty
cafes, shattered hotels, abandoned
shops which formerly catered to the
foreign tourist trade, and dried up
| American bars
To put 1t in dollars and cents one
need only quote the leading newspaper
of Nice, the Eclaireur du Soir, which
announces sadly that while foreign
! tourists spent in France, III 1927, more
than $4,000, 000, 900 ($800, 900 ,00o), in
1894 they spent less than 1000, 900 900
($133, 100000. The largest part Of
this loss is borne by the French re-
sorts Of Deauville, Biarritz and the
Mediterranean, chiefly those of the
latter region. Paris also has taken an
awful wallop, especially her hotels and
luxury trade.
Various factors are responsible for
the wholesale desertion of France and
her resorts by foreigners, especially
Americans. The British started the
exodus about two years ago when the
pound sterling left the gold standard.
With around 10 francs instead Of 125
to the pound the remittance men
people who lived of small incomes
and pensions) who cluttered the Cote
d'Azur, began to clear out. 1t was
cheaper to pay income taxes in Eng
land than to stay on the Riviera with
their deprecated exchanges. Besides
the French prices were slow In COM
| ing down and deflation-such as exists
did not really start until the dollar
also was deprecated.
Today, with the dollar seldom rising
above Is, it is literally impossible for
the average tourist--and it Is the tens
of thousands Of average tourists" who
spend most money in the long run
to stand the gaff. Hotel prices have
tumbled-in the flrst-class and de luxe
establishments. But it Is too late.
Most have been forced to close down
or curtail their stats to such an ex-
tent that they no longer have the at
traction of the old days. Only one
de luxe hotel in Cannes, the Queen
Resort Of the Riviera, Is anywhere near
meeting expenses, and that only be-
cause 1t was built In pre-war times and
consequently is undercapitalized.
Similar In Paris.
The situation in Paris resembles
that of the resorts. Again, according
to the Eclaireur, one de luxe hotel in
Paris lost 10000, 000 francs in 1888,
while four others lost $1,000. What
the small shops, where foreigners
bought the little luxuries in the line
of jewelry, perfumery, lingerie and silk
unmentionables, engravings, etc., have
lost is incalulable. Their shattered
windows with the telltale signs, Bail
ceder," speak eloquently-and trag-
ically.
O1uCldl oLAblSL1Cn dioO OA4CA AA CA
PLANTATION. In 1928 the revenue from
the gaming tables Of the French re-
sorts land roulette, the most popular
wheel of them all was not permitted
to spin except in the principality Of
Monaco) was 414,440,000 francs, in
1880 it dropped to 33s,071 900 francs,
by 1892 1t had decreased to ISL GOO 900
francs and last year. despite the intro
duction of roulette, it had dwindled to
155 ,000, 900 francs.
In 1927, according to governmental
reports, there were recorded Assoc, 900
people entering France aS tourists;
in 1894 there were less than TOO, 900.
English and American visitors to
Cannes declined by more than so per
cent. German tourists are non-ex-
istent, because of the ban against
taking marks out of the Third Reich.
The refugees" who have taken the
places of Americans In Mont Parnasse
and Mont Martre and at the cheap
places on the seashore, are liabilities
rather than assets. They add to the
already 1000, 900 unemployed.
There are those who believe that
the tourist trade will come back. But
others sorrowfully admit that 1t will
take another generation, or another
war, to bring again the good old
days" In isolated instances hotels and
communities have arbitrarily stabilized
currencies and fixed prices. Monte
Carlo, for example, offers "A French
francs to the pound sterling, regard
less Of how low the British money
sinks on the international exchange;
Beaulieu has gone 6 better. Offering
80 francs for sterling. Dollar quota
tons run similarly.
The French government also, yield
ing to political and business pressure,
has made o belated attempt to hold
the expatriates. But already 10000 OF
the IS, 900 of Americans formerly re-
siding in Paris have cut their moorings
and gone home" Others are hang
ing on-especially along the RIVERS
because they cannot sell their Villas