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Show TOURIST CROP IS FAILURE : IN FRANCE Number of Americans Who Visited Battlefields This Summer Was Far Below Expectations By N EWTON ( PARR I t International Ncu Service Staff t orregpondent. PALIS, xcpt. l B -France Ib distinctly dis-tinctly disappointed because the number num-ber of American tourists who Visited the battle fields this summer was far below expectations. She had been led to expect more than 1,000.000 Visitors from the United States and to count upon an improvement In the exchange situation through the Immense amount of money they would spend. As a matter mat-ter of fact It Is estimated that not onc-tenth onc-tenth of this number came and that a V ry :-mall percentage of these could be classed as "spenders." M Fernand Davis former Cabinet member and president of 'he National Touring organization, believes thai merlcan visitors were not numerous because they could not find accommodations accom-modations on transatlantic liners, lie hopes to see conditions changed ncxi year. MANY R ISOXS 'There were mnnv cher. reasons,' he added. 'For one thing the passport pass-port difficulties have not been removed. re-moved. Then the earnings of many Americans who might have come to France were oulte seriously affected by the wave of price reduction In thej United States "Propaganda, which I believe came from German source. Injured us. The most absurd rumors were set In clrcu- j Intlon. It was said that visitors would' find no hotel accommodations andl very little food. I might cite the case: of the wealthy American who de-' barksd at Havre with packing coses full of canned food In order to make! sure that his family would not starve; whlli touring France Another report had It that prices were so high In! Prance that only millionaires or princes could afford the trip. "Wo might have done better In the way of providing accommodations. In Italy, for example, a royal decree pro- hlblted the sale of a hotel except by permission Of the government. This measure was designed to prevent the turning of hotels Into office buildings thus accentuating the lodgemenr crisis. Hut In Paris a large number of hotel have been sold in this manner man-ner and a certain number are stIM occupied oc-cupied by government services." |