Evening star., 1947-06-30
By DonieI De Luce

Shades OF capitalistic Broadway
The big shot of Hungarian show
business today is Joseph Stain.
Over the "Coney Island" of Buda-
pest flies a red flag with hammer
and sickle Every kid who rides the
merry -go-round pays a copper
toward curing the financial ills OF
the Soviet Union.
The leading club for Russian
Army officers in this city has been
reconverted into a night spot for
natives and tourists. The pail
that's the Hungarian word for suck
ers-are trimmed 81 per cocktail.
In the distant Kremlin life may
continue at an austere pace for the
Politburo, but it controls 200 com
panies in Hungary ranging from
coal mines to an amusement park
and revenues are getting fatte1
these days.
The 200 companies formerly con-
! tanned German capital and were
worth upward of $50,000,O00 Thanks
to the Allied agreement at Potsdam
in 1945, the German capital became
Sovietized overnight.
Turned to Profit Making.
Battle weary Russians, who had
fought from Stalingrad to the Buda
pest Corso, shucked off their uni
forms. donned wrinkled civilian suits
and turned to profit-making-for
the financial glory of the Soviet
fatherland-With all the avidity OF
Horatio Alger in his first job.
They are shock troops of Com
munist commerce in this 30th year
since the Bolshevik revolution.
OF the Russian Army that
swarmed across Hungary in 1945
with 10000 booty-hungry soldiers
only relatively military skeleton
remains today.
Fewer than 10000 Russians. ,.ac-
cording to official sources, are here
Only 5000 troops-approximately
two transportation regiments - are
expected by Hungarian officials tc
remain after the peace treaty with
Hungary takes effect.
Typical of those who have gone
into civilian business is Stocky, gold
toothed, bespectacled Capt. Alex
ander YeriZalov, late of Leningrad
His muscular hand rules the for
tunes of Angor Park-8,O00 square
meters of Coney Island gadgets in
the heart of Budapest.
Russian Gives Orders.
Angel" in Hungarian. means
English. The amusement park was
esta blished generation ago by
three German brothers. one of
whom emigrated to England. The
latters son and heir, Capt Stanley
Meinhardt of Coventry and Lon
don, retains so per cent share of
the company, but the remainder is
completely Russian.
An 8l-year-old Hungarian friend,
Kalman KovacS, represents the
EngliShman. He sits at a tiny
table in one corner of Capt. Yeriza-
lows big Office and just listens.
Kovacs and Capt. Yerizalov can
not speak common language. But
it is not necessary at Angel Park.
What the captain says, goes.
Over the entrance to an electric
scooter track. red banner pro-
claims: long live Soviet. Magyar
friendship" The captain considers
this good business and may order
more
On seven different occasions, he
drummed on the desk of the Buda-
pest radio director to demand free
advertising.
It's for the little people-the
workers" he argued I'VE want to
make them happy cheap
Each time the director hastily
made an insert in the days script.
Loan From Soviet Bank.
The captain leased the Russian
officers club to a Hungarian entire
preneur for $500 a month and may
up the ante. since it is now we'll in
the black It's walters now add
more extras to Your bill in fewer
minutes than the craftiest bistro
proprietor on Broadway.
Capt. Yerizalov believes in the old
capitalistic principle of plowing back
earnings into the business in the
expectation of greater future profits
He took over Angel Park when it
was Shambles with 10 bomb
craterS. He made it spic and span
with fresh paint and repaired fun
machines. When he needed short
term loan, he got it from an all
Soviet bank here.
For the equivalent of $4,000 he
restored an elegant gondola ride
called Venice" installing colorec
water fountains and scenery paintec
by the best stage artists of the Hun
garian opera.
He refused, however, to follow ira
dition in giving away thousands Of
free admission tickets to the park
But he cut the price from 10 to
cents and is preparing children
musical garden where tots can bt
left gratis while their parents 60 of
to ride. the roller coaster.
Old-line conCeSsionaires brooc