Evening star., 1940-07-28
By PHILIP CARR,

LISBON, Portugal (N.A.N.A.)
by AirmaiD - Although bitterly
ironic contrasts are to be found at
this moment all over Europe, there
is perhaps no place which is so
paradoxically full of them as
Portugal.
Lisbon is packed with visitors.
Many are refugees from France
French and English and American,
Polish and Dutch and Belgian, Jew
and gentile-waiting and scheming
to obtain, first the permission and
then the transport to reach their
own country or any country that
will take them.
They are not beggarly horde of
refugees. Most of them, a few weeks
ago, would have been considered
we'll to do. A large proportion have
arrived in their own motor cars But
all of them, in leaving France, cross
ing Spain and entering Portugal,
have accomplished an odyssey which
has impressed on them the stern
economic truth that, in certain cir
cumstances, being rich counts for
nothing if the ready cash is in a
foreign currency which no one will
accept: that having millions in a
bank is useless if no one will take
your check.
I have seen a member of the most
famous financial family in Europe
carrying across the international
bridge at Irun the two bags which
were his complete luggage, and
sitting down on them at the other
end. while he waited for permission
to enter Spain. You might have
thought he was some poor emigrant,
and not well-known figure in the
salons of three capitals.
Fight for Food.
I lunched at 1run, in dirty little
restaurant, where men and women
of European reputation almost
fought to help themselves to food.
I know wealthy woman of "a years
who almost starved for two days in
her Rolls-Royce at the frontier be-
tween Spain and Portugal, and was
saved only because number Of
young Englishmen and women from
Oporto, hearing of the congestion
at the Douane, rushed by road to the
frontier with sandwiches and tea
to offer to the travellers who were
being held up.
The war refugees are not the only
visitors to Lisbon, nor are the war
and its problems the only things
in which the Portuguese are taking
an interest.
Here is the great paradox While
Europe is thinking in terms of war
and restrictions and sacrifice, Por-
tugal is thinking in terms of peace
and prosperity and plenty. At least
half the occupants of the Lisbon
hotels are tourists from other parts
of Portugal. from the Portuguese
colonies and from Brazil-whose in
habitants are Portuguese in race and
language-tourists come to visit the
remarkably beautiful national ex-
hibition of this year.
The exhibition has been organized
to commemorate the 9th centenary
of the founding of Portugal as a
kingdom, and the whole of Portu-
gal is gay with bunting in connec-
ton with it. From almost every
window in every street flutters a
flag. All the houses seem to have
been freshly painted for the oc-
casion.
War News Not Played Up.
The prominent places in the daily
papers are taken. not by war news,
but by accounts of some ceremony
or other in connection with the ex-
hibition, the Inauguration of a new
pavilion, the opening of congress
the performance of a new musical
work, etc.
The exhibition is indeed some
thing more than reminder of
Portugal's glorious past. 1t is an
expression of her satisfaction in
her very comfortable present You
are conscious of this feeling not