Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-01
ROSE AMONG THE REDS
Stors Swop With Soviet
Okoyed in So SO Deal

of my proposed deal so it could
be translated and evaluated by
his associates.
AS we walked down the hall,
I told him it was my impression
that Oistrakh, the Soviet vio-
linist, had created more good will
in the United States in a few
brief weeks than their late For
eign Minister, Vishinsky. had in
several long years. Ivanian
didn't argue back.
A few days later. he phoned
me. and this time we met in q
somewhat more imposing Office
with Georgi Orvid. Deputy Min
lister Of Culture. behind the desk
Ivanian translated by clip-clor
English for Orvid and the Others
present.
Fingerprint Issue Raised
Orvid opened the meeting by
saying that the Ministry of Gull
ture was interested in my pro-
posal, and then, as might be ex-
pected, brought UP the question
of fingerprinting. / told him
there was nothing I could do
about it; that it was a law passed
by Congress. and applied equally
to all nations.
I then went on to tell him
what he already knew = that
President Eisenhower had asked
that the fingerprint provision be
changed, and that 1t was my
two-bit belief that the Presi-
dents recommendation would
ultimately be accepted. / further
stressed that any contract we
agreed on would have to be sub
mitted to the State Department,
and that unless it was $3.50 and
no nonsense, Washington would
file it in the waStebasket.
We then reviewed the agree
ment. item by item, and when
1t was announced to the press
the following day, an old-line
correspondent was good enough
to describe it as the best exam
pie of Notwithstanding trading
with the Soviets he had ever
seen.
In a nutshell, it provided for
the exchange Of up to 500 artists
during 1857. If feasible, the first
Of the shows were to open stimuli
taneously in New York and
Moscow on New Years eve. The
size Of the troupes would be
identical in number, and the
cities they played approximately
the same in population. Each
side would select the best enter
tainment the other had to offer.
Pay Arrangement
The Soviets would pay their
actors in rubles, we would pay
ours in dollars, and to avoid any
squabble about rates Of exchange
the country playing host was to
keep all box-office receipts. Re-
ciprocal advertising was to be
worked out beforehand, and If a
Soviet show were televised 1t
could be commercially sponsored,
Why did the SovietS okay this
agreement? Darned If / know,
any more than I know why they
have issued $500 visas to Ameri-
cans in recent months, and per-
mitted them access. with cam
eras, to eight Of their cities. I do
know, however, that even on a
governmental level, everybody
connected with show business is
a ham. It's one thing for an artist
to make good in Kiev: it's an
other to knock 'ern a-twister at
Carnegie Hall.
This theory, I grant you, is q
bit on the pat side. and it may
well be that the willingness OF
the Soviets to exchange balalai-
kas for buck-and-wingers is part
OF an overall Communist plot.
have no way Of knowing.
! do know, however, that
there's a certain amount of horse
sense in the old line: ITS hard
for a fellow to keep a chip on his
shoulder If you allow him to take
a bow"
Tomorrow: The Soviet Hit Parods.
(copyriEht. 1855. By Billy Rose)
Distributed By the Bell Syndicate, Inc. }