Evening star., 1937-04-25

gated to non-profit, semi-public agen-
cies In the different States and cities.
Presumably it will be these on which
American tourists will rely chiefly.
1t is easy, looking over the advance
copy, to imagine many an armchair
tour made through these volumes by
Winter fireside, to be followed by q
Summer trailer tour at the earliest
opportunity.
Each State volume follows stand
ard pattern, although they will
vary in length from 100000 to more
than 100000 words. Each will start
with series of general articles COW
ering the States history and the
contemporary scene" its art and
architecture, its geology, and its edu-
cational, industrial, commercial and
labor institutions. Many Of these
articles have been done by top-flight
experts In their fields, non-relief spe-
cialists who have been glad to con-
tribute the whole job when asked
merely to volunteer in consultative
capacity.
Then the guides get down to the
job OF conducting the actual traveller
wherever he may want to go. First
comes a section describing the States
larger cities and historic towns. Each
city or town wins an article conveying
to the reader its special color, history
and attractions sort Of hors
d'oeuvres course-followed by series
of foot tours" Of each community,
specifically laid out and studded with
descriptions of the sights to be seen on
the way. All this is quite in the stand
ard guide book fashion; each city
article is even preceded by smaller
type listing of its rail and bus stations,
its air and water ports, if any; its
traffic regulations, taxi and trolley
fares, hotel, theater golf, swimming
and other sports facilities, and its an
nual festivals and similar events.
For the balance of each State the
guides will use the States motor roads
as the framework on which to drape
their colorful descriptive matter. This
is not a sighting Of the railroads, the
routes OF which are all included as
well, but rather recognition Of the
fact that the Nations country roads,"
instead of being the rough and rare
mud tracks that Baedeker describes,
really provide the best practicable way
to search out the charm, the won-
ders and the historic backgrounds Of
the broad American scene. Not only
to search them out, but also to re-
veal them for the first time in many
instances to millions Of motor tourists
who have passed them by unwittingly
since America became Nation
a-wheel. In these guides travelling
America surely is going to discover
itself, no one who ever has taken a
motor trip Of more than so miles
can fail to learn with some dismay
how much pleasure, information and
entertainment he has missed because
this job never has been done before.
This might be termed the unearned
increment which will flow from the
guides to tourists on business or pleas
ure bent who have wit enough to
read them In advance, even though
they seek no specific Information.
But consider the wayfarer with . spe-
cial interest tn historic houses, In
rare geological formations. In ancient
battlefields, In Indian burial mounds,
in architectural landmarks or in
'lost" towns and villages. Picture the
traveller, native or foreign, who wants
to investigate some special industry,
some raw material resources, some new
technical process. the examples of
which may be scattered across 5000
miles of a broad land. Both the
pleasure-bent wayfarer and the busi-