Evening star., 1947-02-02

In the winter OF 1856, cplli1'
try filled with people who love tt
travel was looking with some i'm.
patience to q grand sra Of postwar
pleasure touring. The petlt-up de.
mand for travel services was rum
ming strong, and Americans In gen.
eral expected multitude OF gla-
morous vacation choices to blossom
forth like flowers in the spring
But the war was only freshly out
of the way, and one OF the many
big words in its wake was recon-
version. American vacationers found
they had to make the most Of what
they had. They did, and their ex-
periences were far from dreary
With gusto, they crowded the best
known spots within the United
States, and discovered a lot Of new
ones. They famed out into Canada
and Mexico, and some found resorts
to their liking in South America
:, However, this was not the full
postwar travel treat Americans, with
money to buy anything offered, had
dreamed about. Europe was. still
blacked out, touristically speaking;
there was hardly a place to light In
the Pacific; the ultimate In new
trains were still on the drafting
boards or had gone only as far as
the car builders shops: the big
passenger ships were still under
wartime command, Real postwar
travel was still in the future.
That future seemed long way
off this time last year. The first
enthusiastic expectations following
WI day had subsided into a period
of disappointment and watchfu]
waiting. Developments now indi-
cate, however, that the postwar
travel era Is at hand. In fact, II
appears safe to date it from the
beginning of this year. Certainly
l947,s prospects are for q broad ex-
pansion of passenger ship and
cruise sailings, opening up areas
virtually shut off during the war;
the partial resumption Of pleasure
travel in Europe; better airline
services, and the appearance from
time to time of new trains, en-
bodying many of the striking in
teriors and comforts that the public
has been educated to expect.
X y X +
Recent signs Of these new times
include:
Disclosure last week that the
State Department expects to an
nounce soon some relaxation OF
passport restrictions, based largely
on the ability Of Europe to absorb
pleasure tourists and the availability
Of transportation from, as well as
to, Europe.
Announcement Of the Grace Line
that its popular cruise ship Of pre-
war days, the Santa Rosa, has been
and will begin l2-day
cruise sailings to Caribbean ports
on Friday. It is now in New
York. being loaded for the trip.
The unveiling this week Of Great
Northern Railways new Empire
Builders, billed as Americas first
de luxe postwar fleet of transconti-
mental trains, scheduled to clip 1872
hours from its Chicago-Seattle
schedule.
Recent introduction by the Balti-
more & Ohio Railroad of its first
postwar streamliner, the Cincin-
natian, the luxury coach train serv-
ing Cincinnati, Washington and
Baltimore.
Announcement yesterday by Trans
World Airlines that special arrange
ments have been made to facilitate
tourist travel to Switzerland. These
arrangements include system by
which Americans would be assured
of resort and hotel accommodations
there, and definite reservations for
returning on specific dates. The
guaranteed return" reservation sys-
tenn is similar to that announced a
month ago by American Overseas
AirlineS.
American World Airways'
of excursion rates on
some OF its routes, and extension OF
its flights.
The forthcoming return of the
Monarch of Bermuda to the New
- Tr~sr