Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-15

hind the reviewing stand. eating
an orange.
asked a Hungarian why the
minister wasn't watching the
parade with the other bigwigs.
Him" said the Hungarian.
He can't stand those Commu-
nists."
It's one Of the paradoxes Of
Hungary today.
Despite brutal suppression Of
the 1856 revolt and the ominous
presence Of Russian troops, Hun
gary In some ways remains among
the least communized Of the Com
muhist countries.
Few people who have known
Hungary in the last two years
think another revolt is possible
without a major change In the
world situation.
Almost any anti Communist
Hungarian will tell you:
I'VE made our pitch in 1856
and nobody helped. You saw
what happened. Why should we
do 1t again?"
Yet the same elements that
spanked the 1856 revolt are still
alive in Hungary.
lntellectuols Look West
Few educated people are Com
munists. Writers and students
banker after Western ideas. Pay
is low and housing is frightful.
There is no legal anti-Commu-
mist activity, no freedom to print
any criticism of communism or
Communist leadership. no real
limit to the power of the police.
no trade unions except those run
by the government.
But, even with the close super
vision maintained by the Russians.
Hungary is far from being COM
pletely communized. The Com
munist Party itself is weak, as
was shown by the revolt.
Not even all the important gov
ernmental posts are held by Com
munists. The Russians rely on
Hungarian party members for
day-to-day government. But there
are not enough capable Commu-
nistS for the Job.
Some HungarianS who feel they
are good Communists would rather
see their country develop along
the more independent lines Of
Poland or even YugoSlavia.
Judging from his past record.
Communist leader Janos Kadar
may be among them. He spent
five years in prison for "Titoism."
Hungary is traditionally farm
country but less than one-fourth
of the land is in collective farms.
This compares with nearly 100
per cent in Russia and Bulgaria.
more than half in Romania and
Czechoslovakia.
CoIIectivizotion Outlook
The Communists helped Hun
gary's peasants take the land from
the big landowners after World
War II and. much as they would
like to push collectivization faster.
it's too soon to expect the peasants
to give up the land without a
fight.
In the cities and towns. too,
there is more scope for private
enterprise than many Westerners
think.
It is legally possible to own a
business with 8 or 10 employees.
including members Of the family.
And there are ways around the
law.
One small business man told me:
I'm only supposed to have three
employees, but I really have 20.
You know, it's two years in jail
for each extra one. That means
"a years If they catch me-"
He seems to have the influence
to make a prison sentence un-
likely.
There are few recent Western
books in Budapest and almost no
Western newspapers. But Ameri
can popular tunes-of the day be-
fore yeSterday-are staples in the
best hotel dining rooms. There are
even juke boxes. complete with
American records. Hungarian
composers write-and the Com
munist state publishes-their own
rock m roll numbers.
An increasing number Of Amer
lean movies are being shown.
Much is made of womens styles.
and even beauty contests are held
occasionally.
Whatever other shortages may
bedevil Hungary. food seems to be
plentiful.
Kadar claims that Hungarians
eat an average of 3,240 calories a
day. He says that is more than
the United States or Britain.
No one who has ever eaten in
a Budapest restaurant would care
to dispute him. The food is ap-
petizing-if you like Central Eu-
ropean cooking-but distinctly on
the fatty side.
Few HungarianS can afford to
eat often in restaurants, but they
don't starve at home either,
Food Is Plentiful
Bread, the great European
staple, costs the equivalent Of 5
cents a pound. The poorest paid
worker--some get only about a
dollar a day-can fill the stom-
achs of even stable family.
Since Christmas. oranges. ba-
nanas and figs have become COM
mon in shops. although prices are
high.
'Ludas Matyi." a humor weekly
which has a bit of freedom. re-
Gently carried a cartoon showing
a family admiring a bunch of ba-
nanas at a dollar a pound in
shop window.
do you think" asked papa.
chat we could negotiate a loan