Evening star., 1939-01-23
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN,
Star StaR nrresnnndent

bELIHADE, IugOSldVld. - A1Cer
Paris and Rome it is pleasant to
walk on the streets of Belgrade.
One is reminded of something often
forgotten by Americans in Europe:
That the United States is an in
dustrial country which still has an
export trade. Here and, am told
in other cities of Yugoslavia, 90
per cent of the automobiles are
American. Few are recent models,
but almost all the hacks and many
private cars are American made.
The movies show mostly American
films, and Westerns are at a pre-
MUM. Popeye appears in most
Belgrade movie palaces. In the
drug stores American toiletries can
be bought cheaper than the French
or British and are little more ex-
pensive than the German. Ameri-
can oil has not been naturalized
with a local name as in Italy and
France, and the majority of type
writer's are good rebuilt American
makes.
I mentioned these facts to a
friend in the Belgrade government.
He was pleased because I was
pleased and did not want at first
to dash cold water on my enthusi-
asm. But finally he said: This
won't last long. If you come back
IN a few years the Fords and the
Bucks will he replaced by Flats
and Adlers 1talian and German
makes, Berlin will send us heroic
war films to replace Popeye and the
Westerns. The Olivetta is already
replacing the Remington and the
Royal, and Schwartzlohse soaps and
creams will replace your national
makes. 1t is inevitable and cannot
be helped
Can Sell Little to U. S.
Yugoslavs cannot buy dollars and
they can sell little or nothing to the
United States. Their chief wealth
is in cattle, hogs, wheat, corn and
copper. They realize it is difficult
under present conditions to sell any
OF these to America. When there
was a free international economy
based on settlements in gold, and
when gold was not SO rare as it is
now the Yugoslavs could buy what
they wanted where they wanted
Now all that is changed. The demo-
cratic exporting countries demand
payment in cash while the totali-
tartan states accept payment ir
kind. A country without foreign
currency but plenty of hogs has no
choice.
The Belgrade government is, of
course, fully aware that it gets the
wrong end of the stick. NominalIy
the Germans and Italians purchase
Yuoslavia's raw materials at world
market price. But they sell them
finished probationary they don t
need or want-at prices much higher
than in other countries.
Railroad equipment is slow COM
ing from Germany, and when it gets
here is far more expensive than
that offered by the British or the
French. Whether Yugoslavs like ii
or not they must buy textiles made
of substitutes. After the axis powers
have taken all they need of Yugo-
slavia's products there is little left
for export to other countries for
purchase of cloth, leather and other
such fineries.
Prices Are Outrageous.
The cost of living is high. Ger.
mans and the Italians purchase mos
Of the foodstuffs and other raw ma.
terials, but it takes many tons o.
wheat and corn and many thou.
sands of head of cattle and pigs tt
pay for the finished products i'm.
ported from the totalitarian state.
at prices fixed for them by Germany
and Italy. The result is that thi!
population, used to plenty of gooe
food-mostly meat-must now pay
what it considers outrageous prices
The Serbian housekeeper shudder
with rage when she tells you tina
the price of lamb has gone up to q
cents a pound.
Yugoslavia used to have one O
the foremost armies in Europe. Al
far as fighting qualities of the mel
and ability of the officers are con
cerned this is still true. But in tn,
last three years the army has suf
fered from lack of modern wa
equipment. Either because the axi
powers are not quite sure how thi
army will be employed or becaus'
neither country has enough wa
material for export, the Yugoslav
get practically nothing either from
Germany or Italy. Their ordnance
is old fashioned. The guns ar,
mostly French types and it is diff