Evening star., 1943-08-15
By JACQUES FUTRELLE, Jr.

1t is not too early. even these
August days, to think of Florida
vacations. Already there is a trickle
of civilian furlough travel south
ward, a thin stream that, after
leaves paint the Northern country
side, will swell and sweep in a flood
to the land where summer spends
the winter.
AS in Atlantic City with the
greatest hotel concentration in the
world, a number of swank hotels are
being mustered out of the war by
the Army. A limited program of
"demilitarizing" hostelries in Miami
Beach began July Is, renovations
are under way to restore the luxuri-
Gus atmosphere and in some cases
reservations are being accepted for
the coming season.
Although the Army, which prac-
tically took over several resort
cities in that beach-bound State,
will retain 216 hotels and apart
ments in Miami Beach alone, 889
apartment buildings and 144 hotels
there that have served their roles
in the vast training program are
being returned to civilian use.
Miami Beach's back-from- -the-wars
transfers will clear 9,307 apartment
units and 6,847 hotel rooms. These
are in addition to the accommoda-
tions never taken over, and more
hotels may be mustered out by 1914
as Army plans develop.
St. Petersburg, Fla, also is busy
planning to play host to more civil
ians than last winter. A number of
prominent beach-front hotels there,
after serving as Army Air Forces
barracks, are coming back into cir
culation as recreation havenS for
those who have been doing their bit
on the production front at home.
Scores Of smaller hotels there also
are being released.
The spirit of serving the war ef-
fort will continue in the Florida re-
sorts, however. Not to be invited to
come on down" are purely pleasure
seekers. If their sojourn there has
a war reason, vacationiSts will be
welcome.
In pointing out advantages of
winter season rest, Miami Beach
hopes to avoid contributing to the
confusion of wartime travel. Pros
pective visitors will be asked to time
their trips so as not to conflict with
the war effort, as there is little hope
now that transportation will be in
creased over those jam-packed last
winter. ODT last week announced
that no extra trains would be added
for the coming season, although re-
adjustment of the summer schedules
and additional sections and cars
will help handle peak loads.
The types of visitors Miami Beach
plans to attract are:
l. Elderly or retired persons living
in congested war areas but not act
ually engaged in the war effort. Un-
der the plan persons in this category
would rent their homes to war work.
ers and move to Miami Beach for
the duration. The plan is designed
to alleviate in part the severe hous-
ing shortage in northern war dis
tricts.
2. Elderly persons in i'll health
who have been ordered to warmer
climate.
8. War workers and executives
forced to take a vacation to recu-
perate and rejuvenate themselves
for the work ahead.
X X X
AS in peaceful times, the glamous-
Gus rivalry for the title of Miss
America 1943," will break out Labor
Day at Atlantic City. To be precise,
Labor Day falls on September 6,
and the pageant of pulchritude and
talent" opens with a roll of drums
and of eyes on the 7th. BY the 18th,
the hostilities will be decided and
the queen crowned.
But tardy deciders may miss it.
For one thing, ODT, the railroads
and the bus lines will appeal to
everyone to refrain from holiday
travel; for another, hotels there are
pretty we'll filled up.
The resorts city press bureau
reports choice hotel rooms are at a
premium-a mild expression for a
publicity organiZation-and it hard
ly covers the situation. The heavy
demand ranges from week to
month. A survey of 20 of the larger
hotels there reveals reservations
without Labor Day parallel for Is
years.
Two weeks ago they were rs per
cent booked through September 6.
There is some hope for accommoda-
tions at the smaller hotels and
guest houses, however, and at Army
released hotels that are just now
hanging out the latchstring for
civilians.
In the old days, an American who
had not taken his vacation by Labor
Day almost had to write the year
off as a loss. Relatively few went
to winter resorts, and to start to
summer spot after the first week
of September bordered on the &C.
centric. Proprietors themselves con-
tributed to the, custom if, indeed,
they did net create it by boarding up
their establishments the moment
city parents hauled their reluctant
children toward home
But the blind spot in vacation
RESORTS