Evening star., 1940-04-21
Hemisphere in which to spend

HlCUl.
With such an expanse to travel in
where do we Americans prefer to
go? Latest survey to shed light on
this question Is the travel poll con-
Quoted by Town and Country maga-
zine. Returns from questionnaires
sent to 1000 readers were x'ed in
opposite the United States in SO per
cent. The South led all other Sec
tions, with 80 per cent, although the
fact that the summer season has not
opened up might unconsciously have
Influenced a choice away from the
cold weather area. The West Coast,
with 18 per cent, was second.
In a neck-and-neck race between
the West Indies and Mexico, the
former won, IA to 13 per cent. Then
came Canada with 8 per cent
Hawaii and South America with
each and Central America and
Alaska with each. (Although the
survey did not touch on this factor
1t may be stated that there will not
be SUFFICIENT steamship accommoda-
tions to take care of travellers who
wait until midsummer to book trips
to Alaska. Travel agencies report
these reservations are going fasto
The desire to travel in summer
dominated other seasons. Summer
was preferred in 81 per cent of the
replies; winter, 20 per cent; spring
"a per cent, and fall, 8 per cent
Automobiles were beaten as the
favorite mode of transportation by
railroads, although it was only a
per cent victory. The count was 4s
and A. Airplanes were third with
% per cent and steamship fourth
with 20 per cent. In water trave
all-expense cruises lost out over.
whelmingly to independent travel
the majority. being four to one.
Thailand, known to the outside
world for centuries as Siam, started
out its year of 2483 by calling at.
tention to the reason for dropping
one name for the new" one. Al
least Luang Thavil, commissions,
general for Thailand to the New
York Worlds Fair, has undertaken
to inform the American press the
background of the change. Point
ing out that his country began its
new year on April (B. E. or Bud
dhist Era 2483) the commissioner
general explains:
How the country came to be
known as Siam dated back to an
early period when contacts with
| foreign nations were few. Chinese
merchants traded with the country
through small trading post by the
name of Sayam. For their con.
venience this name was used tC
signify the whole country of Thai
The word Sayam was first corrupted
to Stem Foreigners who entered
the country later on found it con-
venient to adopt the name used BY
the Chinese and called the country
Siam. However, the name Siam wa!
mostly used among foreigners, but
among my people, the country ha:
always been known as Prades Thai
'Prades' means land: Thai mean:
free. To facilitate foreign pronun.
citation, Thailand was adopted a.
the official foreign name of the
country"
Countries which have bid for the
American tourist trade on scien.
tific basis-ante-b -bellum Italy ane
France and now, notably, Mexico
determined that staffs trained IL
the art of tourism service were i'm
portant in satisfying customers
especially Americans, and played {
gratifying role in bringing abou
repeater" trade. Wisconsin, which
for the past several summers ha
taken up the cudgels for the auto
mobile traveller by banning freigh
trucks from the highways owe
week ends, undertook a similar ap
proach to supplying competent re-
sort workers by establishing an an
nual training course. This year,
school began last week and viii
continue to May 81.
Safety Is accented on the theor,
of the director of the State touris
bureau, Victor A. Johnson, that 81
constitutes a black eye to the en-.
tire industry when tourists NEE
with disaster while vacationing il
Wisconsin"
Students are taught first-aid, lift
saving, outboard motor care ane
operation, fly casting, bait casting
general handling of fish and such
subjects that contribute to the max
ing Of valuable and dependable
resort workers. 1t at the completion
of the course they meet the various
tests, they are certified as qualified
resort workers and available for
resort employment.
x \: X X
Some warm, sunny day, when the
crocus, the cherry blossoms and the
forsythia's S yellow branches have been
so long gone as to convince the out
door enthusiast that it Is time for his
summer respite from the workaday
world, he will turn his attention
along with millions of others toward
those vast, ruggedly beautiful areas
the Federal Government has set
aside for this enjoyment-the ma
tional parks. But if he plans to run
the whole recreational gamut of q
park or two-stopping at the lodges
wandering horseback over the
mountain trails and listening to the
fascinating tales of the guides
around a roaring camp fire-he
must be careful not to jump the gun
on the park season.
While some of the scenic areas
are described broadly as open all
year." parenthetical notes on a list
of Americas parks indicate that the
designation is not practical for those
long distance travellers who want to
see each park in the full bloom of
its activity. In general, June finds
all accommodations open, but as the
schedule is almost as complicated
as a railroad timetable, the Interior
Department supplies this detailed
information: