The Protracted Conflict

Brussels—During the past year the economies of every nation in Western Europe except West Germany have been moving parallel to the U.S. economy. The consumer price levels have increased between 5 and 10 per cent; unemployment has risen a little; there has been a slowdown in economic activity or a mild recession. However, few if any European economists expect a serious depression. They are less sanguine about an end to inflation.

■ The Communist nations are making a big play this year for tourists from the West. Their posters, ads and publicity handouts are prominent everywhere. Scheduled air flights between East and West are being rapidly increased. Auto travel is being eased and, in general, bureaucratic regulations seem to have been somewhat loosened. The Soviet Union has set up arrangements whereby agencies or individuals in Western countries can organize group-package tours at fairly reasonable rates that will nevertheless yield a good profit to the organizer. Enterprising ladies of the large American communities that exist in every West European nation are enthusiastically at work on such deals. The Communist, and particularly the Soviet, tourist campaigns overshadow the American, which is lethargic, uncoordinated and mostly invisible. Some airlines and travel agencies offer various U.S. tours, and there is a considerable quantity of travel brochures and other literature stacked in corners of this and that U.S. governmental agency. But you seldom see any of it, no one knows where to get it, and any given agency, official or commercial, never seems to know what any other is doing. The U.S. Travel Agency belongs to the Department of Commerce, in whose office on the seventh floor of Kennedy House (yes, that is the name) there are piles of attractive State brochures. But nothing is known about this by those employees to whom you speak at the USIA Library, the embassy, the random travel agency—or the office of the U.S. consulate on the floor just below. There is little pr sort of effort in news releases, publicized talks, interviews, etc.

JB

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James Burnham

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Brussels—During the past year the economies of every nation in Western Europe except West Germany have been moving parallel to the U.S. economy. The consumer price levels have increased between 5 and 10 per cent; unemployment has risen a little; there has been a slowdown in economic activity or a mild recession. However, few if any European economists expect a serious depression. They are less sanguine about an end to inflation.

■ The Communist nations are making a big play this year for tourists from the West. Their posters, ads and publicity handouts are prominent everywhere. Scheduled air flights between East and West are being rapidly increased. Auto travel is being eased and, in general, bureaucratic regulations seem to have been somewhat loosened. The Soviet Union has set up arrangements whereby agencies or individuals in Western countries can organize group-package tours at fairly reasonable rates that will nevertheless yield a good profit to the organizer. Enterprising ladies of the large American communities that exist in every West European nation are enthusiastically at work on such deals. The Communist, and particularly the Soviet, tourist campaigns overshadow the American, which is lethargic, uncoordinated and mostly invisible. Some airlines and travel agencies offer various U.S. tours, and there is a considerable quantity of travel brochures and other literature stacked in corners of this and that U.S. governmental agency. But you seldom see any of it, no one knows where to get it, and any given agency, official or commercial, never seems to know what any other is doing. The U.S. Travel Agency belongs to the Department of Commerce, in whose office on the seventh floor of Kennedy House (yes, that is the name) there are piles of attractive State brochures. But nothing is known about this by those employees to whom you speak at the USIA Library, the embassy, the random travel agency—or the office of the U.S. consulate on the floor just below. There is little pr sort of effort in news releases, publicized talks, interviews, etc.