Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-07-27

-@N~ ~e@@N OAAC @AAOAS AASAA AAAAACA
be guilty Of a gross misjudgms
What we have behaved Xix
def at mathematics and who
eantly than in his dealings with
European currencies.
This very day in Salzberg
provides a perfect illustration
Of that point.
First thing this morning, we
converted 500 in express
checks into Austrian shillings.
When the courteous man at
American Express passed the
pretty Austrian currency
through the wicket to us, we
were the possessor of $500
ehillings.
A man unaccustomed to o.
300 Of anything in his billfold
can react in one of three ways
to the novelty of the expert
ence. He can feel recklessly
rich, a sudden need to be con-
Sentative and responsible. or
Just plain bewildered. Being
the type who is without a choice
In such matters. we felt be-
wildered.
\ r 4
It was in this state that we
went to what surely must be
the most fashionable looking
barbershop in central Europe.
In this strange place, we sat
In a chair that can only be de-
scribed as advanced" while a
smiling. attractive girl got us
ready for the barber whom we
expected to make an entrance
rather like the dentist at home.
The girl - herself - turned
out to be the barber, which was
another bewilderment. which,
added to the one of having
$500 shillings, left us unhinged.
Well. little.
This is how 1t happened that
when we had paid for the hair
cut with one of our 100 shilling
notes-a big, handsome thing
We gave the pretty barber one
Of the several smaller notes as
q tip.
She looked a little startled
at this and said she hoped we
would stay in Salzburg long
enough to need another hair
cut and that we would come
back to the shop.
This fixed her in our mind as
. very nice girl and we said as
much to Stanley Woodward, a
fellow Washingtonian who lives
here during the summer and
who. is our coffee-house COM
panion when one of us is not
working.
"She. no doubt, thinks you
are extremely nice, too" he
said. II would if anyone gave
me an 80-cent tip for a 65-cent
haircut"
Naturally. this sort of thing
teaches a man a lesson and if
we ever figure out what the
lesson is, there will be one
less American behaving what
Is called like a big shot in
Europe.
A man totally lacking any
aptitude for currencies would
be smart not to write about
them beyond the my-most-em-
barrassing moment sort Of
stuff. The fact is that we are
not feeling very smart today
and since currencies are the
topic. we shall stick with them.
The one we like best is the
German or DeutSch with which
as a Berlin film festival Juror
we had time to get cozier than
with any other. The Deutsch
mark is a currency that adj
mirably avoids involvment in
higher mathematics. 1t is what
We have come to think Of as
q "one-coin." which is to say
1t is something with which a
visitor can relate as he relates
TO a one-dollar bill or a quar-
ter back home.
The basic mark is a metal
coin. looks like a quarter, buys
as much as half-a-dollar, and
behaves simply and Familiarity
when being used to pay for a
10-mark dinner. or a l-mark
taxi ride. An American can feel
at ease with a mark in its unit
form. a piece of metal. or multi
piled as a note marked 10, 20,
or whatever.
rs
There is one exception to
this. a small one. but large
enough to embarrass the Ger
mans who are properly proud
Of their currency and its rela-
ton to a sturdy. solid economy.
Europe's best, indeed.
This exception is the two
mark metal coin. It is only
slightly larger than the one
mark piece and the two can be
easily confused, especially by a
visitor with a less developed
sense Of touch than the natives.
Something must be done
about the two-mark coin," the
Garfn ans kaon falling etronuare