Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-04
CHAPTER 5
By BILLY ROSE

falo, N. Y, which seldom gets
to see legitimate show. Yet
last season no less than II
Broadway hits were presented ir
the capital Of Tito's Yugoslavia
Among them were Cat on A
Hot Tin Roof" "Teahouse OF
the August Moon" THE Caine
Mutiny," and Death of a Sales
man"
Belgrade is populated by peo-
pie who earn an average of 5000
a year. Yet a dozen expensive
United States concert attractions
have played the Balkan metrop-
oils in the last IL months. In
addition, Dizzy Gillespie and his
cats were there recently ano
darn near blew Tito Town into
the Danube.
In the light of this, ! wasn't
surprised when the officials OF
Yugoconcert, acting on behalf
of the Ministry of Culture
promptly okayed an agreement
for a reciprocal exchange Of
artists. similar to the ones / hac
worked out with the Soviets anc
Poles.
The strangeSt bit of drama
saw on the entire trip was thu
nightly parade on the Terazije
the long Broadway of Bel
grade. At 6 each evening. over
head f1uorescent lights flare up
traffic is cut off, and a third o.
the city's population, arounc
100000. start meandering uI
and down, stopping only to CAPE
at show windows full of costly
merchandise they have no hope
of ever buying. Quietly, almost
like condemned men walking the
last mile. they keep shutting
along this flood Lighted strip
and the ghoulish procession con-
tinueS until the lights flicker
out at midnight.
Tale of the Squeezed-In Beds
Why does a third Of Belgrade
walk the Terazije night after
night? An old-time newspaper
man explained it this way: The
people simply can't bring them
selves to go back to those bleak
rooms with the four squeezed
in beds.
There's a story about squeez-
ed-in beds they tell on the Terra
zije, A schoolteacher handed
out fancy colored photos of Tito
to her pupils. and next day
asked the children what they
had done with them. One after
another, the kids got up ano
said they had tackled them on
the walls. All except little Jan
Why didn't you hang up the
picture of our leader?" the
teacher asked.
Il couldn't" said the child
THE other four families in our
room have the walls. We live in
the middle
Rose in Malik's Garden
In London, before setting out
for the Communist countries,
was received by Jacob Malik, the
Soviet Ambassador to Britain
at the plush embassy near Ken
sington Palace. While chatting in
the rose garden, I mentioned
that after Russia I planned tt
visit Roumania and the Other
satellites.
Mr.. Rose" said Malik sternly
Russia has no satellites"
Il get it," I said. 'Roumanis
has two-party system and al
the peasants have Ford CONVEX.
tibles."
Nary a muscle moved il
Malik's face. Russia" he re-
peated. "has no satellites"
Six weeks later, when oul
plane set down at the BuchareSt
airport, the first thing we noticed
was statue of Stain almost a,
tall as the terminal. And as VIZ
limousined into town. we saw
dozens of blow-ups of Khrush'
chev, Bulganin and Voroshilov
II was enough to make a mar
wonder if Mr.. Malik could pos.
Sibly be wrong.
Politics and potshots aside, our
reception in Bucharest was tht
warmest we encountered on oul
trip. A contingent from tht
Ministry OF Culture was at thu
airport TO greet us and, witt
much honking Of horns, We wert
escorted to the Athenee Palace
Hotel There we were ensconcec
in four-room suite and in
formed we were guests Of the
government.
PistachiO Protocol
Ny first meeting with the com.
missars of culture was held that
night in the paneled library Of
an appropriated mansion. The
temperature was in the high Cos
Would you do visiting fire.
man a favor" I said through
my interpreter. Let's take of
our coats.
Everybody liked the suggestion
fine.
Perhaps you could also rustic
up a little ice cream. / went on
That did 1t. The culture mer
grinned, and before you coulc
say Anna Paulker, we had agreed
on all points. major, minor anc
miniscule Incidentally. there
might be lesson in this for the
state Department. II protocol
fails, try pistachio.
Next morning at 3, the Rou.
manians began auditioning art.
lists for me in their biggish anc
baroquish Radio Building. The
first hour I listened to a 30-piecc
gypsy orchestra led BY a gent
named Wagner The teamwork
and vIrtuositv OF the fiddle sec.