Evening star., 1941-08-27
Budapest, Europe's
Gayest City, Hit
Least by War
Restaurants Are Crowded:
People Are Satisfied
With Horthy os Leader
Bx MAX HARRELsON.

BY MAX HARRELsON.
The Stars Special News Service.
BUDAPEST, Hungary.-Budapest
is the gayest city Of Europe, least
changed of all the warning capitals.
Hungary took part in the blitz-
krieg against Yugoslavia and now Is
at war with Soviet Russia, but life
goes on much the same as . year
ago.
In the center OF q blacked out
continent, the lights burn brightly
in Budapest until 1890 am, and
even then are only dimmed.
Restaurants are crowded, and the
sound Of laughter mingles with gypsy
music. Thousands of persons prom
enade nightly along the Corso, where
the city's finest coffee houses face
the Danube. Cabarets are filled, and
champagne flows freely until the
early-morning hours.
The man in the street has felt the
weight OF war less, perhaps, than
his counterpart in any neighboring
country.
Politically, he considers himself
still independent, content with the
rule of moderate, tolerant Admiral
Nicholas Horthy, who as regent he
believes has successfully avoided
Nazi domination of the country's
Internal affairs.
Freest Of Axis Nations.
There have been concessions to
the Nazis, but Hungary is unques-
tionably the freest of the Axis coun-
tries. Press control Is not so strict
ans are not forbidden to listen to
foreign broadcasts. AS a result, the
man in the street Is well informed
and not so susceptible to propa-
ganda.
Recently the government has
adopted more severe anti-Semitic
laws, but they are not so drastic
as in neighboring states.
One sees q few German soldiers
about the streets, but they are most
ly engaged in transportation of sup
plies. Hungary is not an occupied
country like Rumania, Bulgaria,
Yugoslavia or Greece.
German pressure forced the Hum
garian government to release the
leaders of the Nazi Arrow Cross
party from prison, but they have
made no headway in organizing.
The government still Is controlled
by the powerful combination of
aristocratic landowners and church,
men, who are behind Admiral
Horthy.
Recently Nazi member Of Par
lament was convicted of having
participated in an incident in which
a hand grenade was thrown into
the midst Of a group of Jews stand
ing before a synagogue. He fled into
Germany and his seat was declared
vacant.
Four other Nazis were imprisoned
for smashing the window of a small
Jewishy confectionery shop. The
police continue to break up all
Nazi demonstrations and recently
forced their way into Nazi head
quarters and dealt roughly with
some Nazis who had beaten up an
old man in the street.
Best Fed In Europe.
economically, as well as politically.
the Hungarians have been more for
tunate than their neighbors. Thev
have had to tighten their belts a
notch or two, but are probably at
the moment the best-fed people In
Europe. Were it not for their Iaro.
1000 exports to Germany, the Hun
garlans would have more of every-
thing than they need.
The only real hardship was ex-
perlenced this summer, when there
was a bread shortage for about four
weeks before the grain harvest.
There were minor disturbances in
some places where shops were un-
able to meet the demands. This
years harvest, however, produced
more than enough for the country's
needs during the next II months.
There still are two meatless dav,
week, but the restrictions applv
only to fresh beef and pork and
you always can get plenty of lamb.
cold cuts, chicken, goose or duck
There also Is plenty Of coffee and
tea.
AS for clothing, you can get
enough Of everything except leather
soled shoes. Special tickets are re.
quired to get these, but most peo-
Pile are now wearing rubber-soled
substitutes, available without re-
strictions.
90 Clothing Books Issued.
No other wearing apparel has been
ratloned. Instead, the government
has issued clothing books in which
shopkeepers merely record your
purchases. This Is intended to pre-
vent boarding and speculation but
does not limit any reasonable buy
ing.
There probably are more automo-
blles on the streets of Budapest
than in any other city in Europe,
Private cars cannot be operated
without permits, but these have been
given quite freely, although gasoline
is rationed to all private operators.
Taxis are plentiful and cheap.
Prices of all things have in
creased, but wages have kept pace,
and there has been no check on