European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 1, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday september 1, 1978 the stars and stripes Page 11 letters to the editor letters on important subjects ignorant compatriots abroad for the past two and a half years i have read the stars and stripes. It seems to me that most people use it to get around the Chain of command with problems As far As the letters to the editor Page goes. When i was in civilian life i always assumed the letters to the editor column was for the people to voice their opinions on subjects of importance to the whole Community. I sympathize with the Many problems voiced in the column but i could t care less if someone has t figured out that if you buy an inferior product you can take it Back and get a refund. Seriously Why would someone write to the editor if their steaks weren t done properly or if the Cereal they bought was two years old if i go shopping i look at the items i Purchase. 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The problems that face the world now Are the ones that will still be facing our children if we Don t take time to Correct them now having stated my Case let me ask peo ple who read your column How they feel about the Price of Gas going up to the equivalent of the prices in Europe if this happens we will All have to pay More for Gas drive less or use mass transportation some things we All might not like to do. However if we Don t Stop using Gas at the present rate we All might be walking paying More for the Gas that is left and maybe just maybe our children won t have to worry about Why we did t do something about the pollution caused by automobiles. If you have Ever used the mass transit system in Europe i am sure you can find faults with it. But it beats walking. If you have any ideas on this subject i would sure like to read them in this column rather than All the whining complaints of people who quote that this is the year of the Soldier what this is my friends is the decade of  sgt. Edward g. Betz Fulda Germany $900,000 civil suit settled for $500 Washington a the Federal government has agreed to pay $500 to the fam ily of a youth arrested three years ago on charges of attempted theft of the Hope Dia mond court records reveal. The payment was settlement of a $900, 000 civil suit the boy s father brought in 1976 charging false arrest and false imprisonment. The agreement was disclosed after approval by . District judge Howard f. Corcoran. The government also agreed to expunge the boy s arrest record. The government however did not con cede the Validity of the family s allegation that the boy was unjustly arrested. The youth Larry precure was 17 years old in 1975 when he was arrested by a . Park police officer who became suspicious of the boy s examination of a Case contain ing the Hope Diamond and other jewels at the smithsonian institution. Precure was charged with attempted theft and attempted destruction of govern ment property but the charges were late dropped. I have just finished Reading the article a modern american tour of Europe in the stars and stripes. In reply i would like to Point out that if the Stewart family was ripped off it was primarily through their own ignorance and naivety and that Simi Lar bad vacations Are easy to avoid. First of All the assertion of Stewart the Only Way to travel the world these Days is to lose a War. All we saw were Jap anese and German tourists. I think they re the Only ones who can afford  in response to this absurd statement i would like to Point out that it is 33 years since the end of world War ii. In that time both the germans and the japanese have worked like fiends to rebuild their coun tries. If they Are prosperous now it is because of their own Industry ingenuity business acumen and perseverance. Their economies Are Strong today not because they lost the War but despite that they lost it. American Aid helped to be sure but other nations have not done nearly As Well with similar Aid. Meanwhile the . Has allowed inflation and Energy waste to. De value the Dollar to an absurdly Low level. Secondly on our own vacation this year my wife and i were impressed As usual with the numbers of americans still flock ing to Europe. Our hotel in Rome might As Well have been one the . For All the ital Ian we heard. Marie Platz Here in Munich is practically an american Haven and prices Are certainly not cheap Here. In Short there is to need to begrudge others their Prosperity As obviously from All the american travel ing around Europe this summer we re not doing so badly ourselves. The writer of the article claims that the stewarts were shocked by the Prosperity and High Cost of living in Europe. I reply that if they were shocked it was Only be cause they be lived with their Heads in the Sand for the past 20 years. Anyone who has bothered to keep in formed with the state of the world surely should realize by 1978 that the bombed out rubble of Europe has All been cleared that automobiles have replaced bicycles that food has always been relatively More expensive in Europe than in the . And that generally the europeans i believe have been living quite Well for thet past decade and especially in the Case of Switzerland Germany and Scandinavia living Stan Dards Here Are higher than they Are in . To be shocked in 1978 by Europe s Prosperity is about As ludicrous As a european visiting Shawnee Mission kan., and being shocked that americans Are not living in cavalry guarded forts surrounded by Sav age indians. Such ignorance is inexcusable but sadly All too common in my fellow americans. Third merely from a traveler s Point of View the Stewart family unfortunately picked the worst possible Way to see Europe. Indeed the phrase to see Europe is indicative of the attitude which causes such travel fiascos As the one they experienced. Western Europe alone is a chunk of territory almost As Large As the . With approximately the same number of inhabit ants. But whereas the . Is one country one culture and one people Europe consists of numerous cultures and countries. To attempt to see Europe in three weeks is to attempt to do the impossible. There is no Way merely from the logistical Point of View that one can see England Scotland Wales France Luxembourg Belgium and Switzerland in that amount of time. There s too much distance involved. One must be continually on the go con stantly checking in and out of hotels sleep ing on buses trains. In Short spending three weeks being herded like cattle while the scenery passes by in a blur. A far More enjoyable three weeks would have been for them the pick out two at the most three cities they especially wanted to see and limit themselves to Only those. That Way they would have had the time to leisurely explore a City and gradually get to know it and its people. They would not have been forced to stay in bad hotels or put up with the conditions the article described. They would have been unhurried and could change their minds and search for something More to their liking. Of course they would t have seen seven countries but at least they would have enjoyed the three they did see. A few other comments Why were they surprised that a Swiss restaurant wanted Only Swiss Money How would the owner of Joe s diner in Shawnee Mission react if someone tried to pay him in Swiss francs i hate to see my fellow americans get Ting ripped off when they travel. Sadly it usually is their own fault through their ignorance or impatience they have the worst possible time and pay too much Money to do so. Despite the deplorable state of the Dol Lar one can still travel enjoy oneself and spend a reasonable amount of Money if one limits his itinerary goes it alone not on a tour and in t afraid to be flexible. Michael t. Rascati Munich with Home delivery take advantage of the stars & stripes Home delivery service in most government housing areas. Delivered to your Mailbox daily for $4.50 a month. Accept my subscription to stars & stripes name please prin1 Street bldg no Telephone no 1 will pay the Home delivery Carrier when he comes to collect signature City Apt. No housing area ii please Complete this form and mail to stars & stripes Apo 09175 attn sales promotion