The Washington times., 1935-10-16
NOW
AchieUingGBdth
In Europe
IT'S A BIG JOB
By HELEN ESSARY

Taking bath isn't some
thing to write home about.
Nor Is it a noticeable tax on
the pocketbook.
Unless, of course, you are an
American voyager who has neg.
lected to take a room-with
bath-at a Swiss hotel.
At the Hotel Richemond when
I arrived no rooms with baths
were vacant. Indeed, there
were next to no unoccupied
rooms.
The place was jammed.
Principally with the Russian
delegation and encourage to
the League meeting. I could
hardly make a path to the
elevator through the mob Of
detectives guarding M. Litvinov,
the Soviet Prime Minister.
I say mob" of detectives. I
really mean only six.
But as I was saying. it was
the presence particularly of the
Russian delegation at my hotel
that made taking a bath so
difficult, even if "a tub" has
seldom been a part of the great
Russian tradition.
This morning I laboriously
translated the notice in my room
explaining the system of public
baths" And mentioning the
cost thereof as follows:
''Un grand balm" two francs
"Un balm de piedS" one franc
The notice further advised
that the bathroom was kept
locked all day and all night.
That, if one wanted to have a
bath, one must press green
button twice and so notify the
femme de chambre."
I pressed the green button
twice and the red button once
and the blue button three times.
Just to make sure that somebody
would answer my call.
But nothing happened. There
was no knock on the door. No
ringing Of the phone. I sort Of
waited around for Is minutes
or so-as one does in Europe.
Still nothing happened.
I admired the scenery outside
my window. The Alps in the
unusually clear mountain light
looked almost close enough to
touch. Mont Blanc, generally
hidden by a mist, was white
with snow and ice,
Being a mountain has its ad-
+vantages, I meditated. And
pushed a few more buttons. The
rains of heaven come down on
the mountain and help that
schoolgirl complexion. And if
it doesn't want to be seen by
the world at large, it just hides
behind a cloud. And takes a
serene week or two off from
public scrutiny.
And here I, a miserable hui
man being, sat in a nervous
state waiting for a turn at a
hotel tub. go.
AT last, screwing my hair up
tight, I stepped out into the
hall. Wandered about and
found the femme de chambre
shaking up the eiderdown COM
forters in the room of South
American lady come to Geneva
to improve the world.
With considerable pride, I
announced that I wished "un
grand balm" A two-franc bath"
A Swiss franc, I said to my
self is worth thirty American
pennies.
"Oui, Madame Merci," said
the femme de chambre. Rush
ing down the hall ahead Of me,
with one of the big clinking
keys suspended around her
waist, she unlocked the bath
room door.
The bath room was almost as
big as the Kursaal-the Swiss
town bath. The tub would have
accommodated the burgomaster
and his family if they were
ever to feel chummy at wash
ing-up time.
Over a high wooden stand
before the big tub, a bath mat
was spread out. On a chair was
a huge towel known as a bath
cloth" in Europe. The bath cloth
is as large as two company
table cloths. 1t is considered
very agreeable to wrap ones
newly washed and wet self there
in and sit a while and dry. My
bathcloth was embroidered in
red with the significant letters
EDEN"
OF all things. This was a CO.
Incidence! Capt. Anthony Eden
was the British hero at the
League! Where could the bath
cloth have come from? 1t
couldn't have been a souvenir
from the Baronial House Of
Eden in Yorkshire. It was prob
ably just another evidence of
Britannia ruling the waves, I
reflected, and reached for the
soap.
There was no soap. There
never is on the Continent.
Again I pursued the chamber
maid. And demanded soap!
The maid looked at me
SWeetly and said:
"Oui, Oui, madame. But the
soap is one franc mOre!"
One franc more! Grand
&o+a1- ninety centSI For a.