Look Them in the Eye
After four hours spent in the Hotel du Com- merce we emerged to track down the Italian Consul in Modane in his lair in the local cak. He was amiable and produced the visa with such celerity that it was perfectly evident that its exis- tence was no safeguard against South Tyrolean or Pan-German terrorists. We then had to beard the French and Italian passport control once again, and I felt nearly certain that they were bound to spot 'This passport expires August 14, 1962,' which seemed to be written all over the document in letters of fire. I tried to recall all I had ever read about looking officials in the eye, keeping the hands from shaking and so forth. Surely they would notice . . . but no. This story really does have a happy ending. We got into Italy, and visas for Austrians were abolished live days later. I don't know that there is a moral— except perhaps that one ought to keep up to date both on international affairs and passports. Not having one's papers in order is. above all. highly inconvenient.
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