Evening star., 1945-08-20
Todoy's War Story
BY THOMAS r. HENRY,
Star Staff Correspondent.

Star staff Correspondent.
PRAGUE.-Almost alone Of the
great cities of Central Europe this
ancient capital Of the Bohemian
kingdom and political nerve center
of the Slav world has come out of
the war virtually undamaged.
During the guerrilla uprising in
early May few walls were knocked
down and a few windows broken
by German guns. The historic
buildings are untouched, such as
the Hradzin, or 200-roomed palace
of the president which dates from
the 18th century, the great cathedral
which dates from the 10th century,
the Bohemian national museum and
adjacent Charles University.
The real war damage has been to
the spirit of the people. Years Of
German occupation and tyranny
have left ugly scars on what used
to be one of the gayest societies in
Europe. The word bohemian"
vaguely descriptive of Prague's old
life, long has been part of the
English language ito designate a
kind of carefree, artistic existence.
Prague was the Paris of Central
Europa place of gay living, fash
ions, artist colonies, political exiles
political intrigue, quaint corners
antiquities. 1t wants to be like Paris
again and in some ways the postwar
Prague is not unlike the postwar
Paris.
Prague suffered more than Paris
The German occupation here was
nearly two years longer. American
soldiers entering Paris for the first
time were surprised at how well
everything looked. how well the
people were dressed. German policy
apparently had vacillated between
extreme tyranny and efforts to
placate the Parisians. Paris was
relatively we'll fed and well clothed
compared with Prague. The enemy
policy here was one of crushing
everything Czech, of making the
place an integral German city.
Recovery is a slow, painful process
Food still is very scarce. Everything
is strictly rationed, even in restau-
rants where coupons are torn of
meticulously for half a boiled po-
tato or slice of bread. Without cou-
pons 1t is almost impossible to get
anything to eat. There is no alco-
hol of any kind.
Prices are very high. The value
of the Czech krone is problematical
In Pilsen and other occupied towns
the American Army has an ex-
change rate of 100 to the dollar or
ten to the mark. This makes prices
quite reasonable, roughly on a par
with what would be paid for the
same articles in America or Eng
land. But only a limited exchange
is allowed, largely for the purchase
of souvenirs or for necessary ex-
penses in an entirely Czech COM
munity.
Once outside the American zone
the soldier gets rude shock. There
is no official exchange rate. About
the best offered at any store or hotel
is 30 to the dollar or. three to the
invasion mark. I am told that any
body having actual dollars or
pounds, which would be illegal could
trade them at 300 krone for a dol
lar, or 1900 for a pound. Czech
prices are based on a value of about
Is krone for a dollar. That is what
the Czechs themselves pay for
everything A glass of the very
very weak lemonade for which pay
five cents, five times its value, due
to the Army exchange rate, costs the
Czech 20 cents. Still here, as in
Paris, everybody seems to have
plenty of money.
During the war there was a -four
ishing black market, although II
probably never remotely approached
the magnitude of the French black
market. 1t enabled the rich to get
enough to eat. 1t did not particu-
larly affect the poor, since ofiicial
prices were rigidly fixed. Then the
egg and butter bootlegger was a
patriot, since he was putting some
thing over on the Germans. Over
night he has become criminal and
it is claimed, the black market has
been fairly well subdued.
The only transportation is by
crowded, city-owned streetcars
There are no taxis, except few fol
doctors and nurses. This is partly
because there is no gasoline. One
sees few gasogene cars, using wood
chips or charcoal The Germans
confiscated almost all Czech autos
and stripped most of the others OF
their tires.
The streets are crowded all the
time. The people, as in Paris, seem
fairly well dressed. Prices of cloth
ing displayed in the shop windows
are fairly reasonable. There is music
in the air all the time from cafe
orchestras. People dance in these
cafes all day long. The city is dance
mad, a reaction from the occupa-
ton days when dancing was pro-
hibited and folks went to concen-
tration camps when they were
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