The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-07-30


 long queues form before the cine mas.
 Many new Russian films, some heavy with propaganda, are being shown plus few French and Bri- tish and some very old American productions indeed. including such as Al Jolson's The Singing Fool"
 There are some Doug Fairbanks Sr., thrillers. One house advertises Norma Shearer's Smiling Though.
 Everywhere soldiers by the hun- dreds are seen in uniforms Many are courting girls, especially in the square of the republic where they have a garrison.
 Children Poorly Fed
 Some rather skinny kids are leap- ing about, shouting in the streets Their legs are spindly. Their con- pleXionS, as frequently in Europe are sallow.
 They show the effects of under nourishment or semi-starvation.
 These are the overtones. Some how most scenes seem artificial thin veneer.
 What about the undertones?
 The Prague man in the street has the sign in his face of long hang over from the war, seven years of Germans with their butcher Hey drich and the notorious crime of Lidiee.
 Veneer Hard to Take of
 This state of the eyes, the tight ness of the mouth, the droop of the shoulder and the unusual tenseness Is notably slow in wearing off. A study of many faces makes it seem as if the people are coming out of bad dream they want to forget but somehow can't
 The effects are ingrained now in his thinking. The worker under the present system is king-but officials are finding it hard to get him real ly to work. He throngs to any kind of parade or celebration At his present rate he will have taken more than 100 general holidays by the end of this year.
 He reacts uneasily to any sug- gestion there may be another war soon. He doesn't want to believe it's possible.
 "Czechoslovakia would be the loser", officials say. We would be right in the middle of things no matter who started the war.
 Caught in Middle
 He looks to his geographical posi- tions-190, 900 900 Russians on one side and Germany, which twice oc- cupied and fought over his country side in l5 years, with 70-odd mil lions on the other side.
 If he could, he would transplant his country geographically into the middle of the Atlantic or Pacific.
 But the average person here isn't much aware of international events one way or another. His four-p page tabloid size newspaper doesn't have room for much and like the people in many parts of the United States he is preoccupied with domestic happenings.
 He never reads anything out rightly critical of Russia-the sub jeet is taboo. On the contrary he hears praise for Russia on every side. He gets the good with the bad about western Europe and America.
 Not in Any Hurry
 His faVorite jokes at the moment deal with official red tape, especially the complications of the national ization of almost everything but the smallest businesses. He is surprised if anything goes rapidly anywhere He expects to wait weeks to get document or to get his shoes repaired.
 He expected things would be bet ter much quicker after the end of the war. But he tries patiently to that conditions every- where are tough. Generally speak ing, his pay has been increased.
 If he drives car, he receives T. poo crowns a month in Prague where full army colonels draw B. poo. A crown is worth two cents. But he prices he pays for everything nave skyrocekted so he can't buy i4utA hlly way.
 His income as compared with the cost of living leaves him behind the 
 Desperately Wants Peace
 The price is impossible the wife 'f a garage worker says, looking at goods priced 300 percent higher han preWar. With a sigh she turns away.
 Your average man in Prague hears that his apartment house garage porter who voted Commun- st is looking for a cook. If he isn't ] Communist or near Communist ne probably worried a little or great deal about how things shape ID.
 Almost every Czechoslovak wants friendship with the east and west. He is afraid, underneath, of Rus ;ia. lie desperately wants peace. If 1e thinks much about peace and War he thinks chiefly Of Russia and inc Unite9 States.
 Both are big, powerful and im-