Books at the big Red Fair are blanks
BUT THE COVERS ARE BEAUTIFUL
From RICHARD KILIAN
Leipzig.
MADE a strange discovery at the Leipzig Trade Fair in East Germany the other day. Browsing through the East German book exhibits I found that the pages in between the beautiful Covers, including one book supposed to be about Russian art, were all blank paper.
An official explained: "They are beautiful covers, nein? The actual texts of the books," he went on with disarming candour, "will come later."
This discovery somehow sym- bolised for me the present alimo sphere in one of East Germany's principal elties.
For the anke of appearances the East German Puter was be Ing roundly robbed to pay the Leipzig Pil.
Supplies of fout! and {1}: - sumer goods have been poured Into Leipzig from the rest of the country as well as from other Communist countries..
All shopping
world
For the Communist this fair nakes Leipzly Com
rounism's shop window Western world.
fire
to the
-
The restaurants packed with people entisumming enormous quantities of food and drink.
But wondered why so few ordinary people were at the huge fairgrounds.
There were, after all, plenty of things to set.
"They are all in town shop- ping for things they don't often Kel a chance to buy," I was told. "They don't bother mutch with the fair.
15
"And many of the thousands of West Germans who come East Germany ostensibly to attend the fair are busy making contact with their families who live here."
basin, and an evli smell çom- posed of cabbage, stale tobacco, beer, and unwashed bodies.
THE CHINA MAIL,
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 1980.
| PEOPLE KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES
1 gét a street light outside CL curtuinless window which I
i also iurns aight into day,
In bed because get frozen feet of the lack of proper caverkig,
There
are better hotels in
Leipzig-but not for reporters The good hotels are reserved for visiting delegations from fellow Communist countcles. They have to be impressed too.
The phone in my room, makes me wonder about msu" bousts ປາ technical kind's progress.
races
Whenever a call eamUS fur me the aged hotel porter up two long lights of stairs, knocks on my door and, strain- me to ing for breath, asks answer my telephone. The bell doesn't work.
Teddy Boys
The city still bears many bitter scars of war. Where, onee and picturesque streets curved twisted around each other in a open tangled embrace, great spaces now, let in, the daylight. The Allled bombers did 11 thorough job.
Many
tive of
East young German men dress in fancy and tight- drainpipe trousers Btting jackets, The Teddy Boy is here too.
~Prices are Judicrously high They wander in rowdy groups even for foreigners like myself, at night and police have had to who benefit slightly frum the smash up several gangs. "realistic" exchange rate Uf 11 East marks for HK$10. This is double the ofcial rate.
Lumpy bed
A meal of soup followed by meat and potatues, fruit, and coffee cannot be had for under HK$15.50. But that does not Include utry drink,
After many years of living in hotels in all parts of the world I can honestly declare that the Hotel Bayrisherlof in Leipzig is just about the worst ever a
far as am curteerner.
I say this despite a dusty red banner hanging in the doorway which Is proof that the hotel won a prize for catering and decommiadation.
For HK$18 daily I get n lumpy bed, a filthy carpet,, a cracked
Then Kilian goes
The atmosphere is fouled by the use of soft brown coal in the factories.
Even these days, with the sun striving for brilliance In Д cloudless sky, an opalescent pull hangs over the town
Emog fills eye-stinging nostrils and throat.
and
an the
Out at the fairgrounds big business is being done between 51 countries
some 10,000
private Arms.
and
The Eastern bloc of Com- nunism is dickering with the Western bloc of Captialism and vice versa.
This is trade and this is good.
But I cannot help thinking about those strange books on view. I was brought up to think that you cannot really tell book by its cover.
to the cinema
I SEE THE LEMBERG
I
MASSACRE FILM
До
WHO are The New Elite? They have been brought into focus by news of the engagement of Tony Armstrong-Jones.
They have 'arrived' on the strength of two out- standing qualities: extraordinary energy and superb professionalism.
The world of John Cranko
NOBODY has stepped
so quickly or ឆ០ masterfully into the select corps of today's Terrible Young Men than the choreographer John Cranko, the man who has irrigated the London Theatre with a sparkling stream of new ideas and techniques.
This was a boy from an un-
heard-of village in the Transvarl who came to London as a dancer who had begun his training too
Inte.
Contempt
He had nothing to ride on bu gry determination and dan- gerous contempt of tradition.
Today, Cranko was far more behind him than the score of new ballets which sent the Okl
Gang running in panie down the curridors of Covent Garden,
THE
NEW ELITE
Part Two
ruitles of modern life. In one shew, he made girls suddenly cut their cigarettes; and then had them move in macabre shadows that had audiences gasping in alarm yet the shadows were Daly
thrown by hatracks and pairs of steps.
He can catch in the stage a chuckle, o tender sigh, a madcap inspiration, with more speed and less fuss than anyone alive.
He look time off from revita- Oe. It was a disastrous lising the Royal Ballet in order Cranke had gone too far over- to murder the accepted idea of board in experiment. revue, and Lo demonstrate lyric writers how to fool rongs in the contemporary idiom.
And now opera; he in
する
to show the world, with a new
work. Benjamin Britten totally new approach Lo
the stuffiest of all arts,
Defiant
Ho mostly inhabits a judiciously untidy room
with o plano and
a Piper and a cosy fire
where steaks are
barbecued...
marriage to a cannibal king, who ale her — and some as strangu na the tragedy of the girl whirled
to her death by a ghoit. All were
His DIAL revue, Cranks
a
B
10
d.
of a solicitor. At seven, the marked with a gift of theatri- family moved to Johannesburg, colity that made them, just pe but it was at Capetown Univer- atorics, Instantly comprchcnuble Prince of the Pagodas, which Joss-sticks in the basement-sity that the boy became fascin- and instantly surprising.
ated with dancing. defled every sort of tradition: he sorry."`
Poople are always dropping "Mostly, I used to look filled the stage with smoke, and
at visited three times by Prini thed had the ballerina Svetlana in and parties combust natural books and imagine what the Margaret, was the result Berosovn fly (on wires) up from ly. Julle Andrews starts to sing ballets were like," he says. He dare. "I was watchlig her partner's hands and clean Her husband, Tony Walton, who know the standard of teaching theatre revue I thought out of sight. He even made the is backing Cranko's new revue, was not high in
squats by the fire with its stars, but
South Africa, They said could I do belter and scenery dance,
he learned at he could, I sald who could do worse? So Gian Lynne A flimsy young man in wool, dancer
danced leading rates, and walled they gave me six weeks." with a nose as sharp as a pen, Yolande, a Singalese, intense blue eyes and soft hair, His manner is warm and gentle wistfully for the war to end,
The lo show. with Ha net six-foot Cranke standing up has and yet leily calm. In his stride the look of a lanky elf, and sit- he can assume control over 50 ting resembles nothing so much gondolieri engaged as a heap of stair rods. The problem is to catch him alone.
He
Dropping in
and
ຄະ opera
extras. on inadequate pay in Venler, and has the hauteur to
order them In Italien to bend kages to one exact nate,
Cranko uses people as spring boards for ideas, Taking a week off in Switzerland, he returned with seven New Cranks, the result of meet- new kems for The ing reven new people.
New opera
At 19 he grabbed a troop- ship and arrived in London of four is still being lmiinted. with just enough to live.
Leading roles
Now Covent Garden has asked him for another fail – length ballet, Cranko is temporarily baffled "To set a thing in Notting Hill Gate is not necessarily be ing contemporary. The real pro blem is that we don't dance in England today.
.
Within six months, he was a dancer at Sadler's Wella. He re calls "miles and miles of Sleep This is the only man I know who dared to devise
owns 訊 teeming old-
ing Princess," n totally fashioned house near Victoria
trooping about new musical Keep Your Hur the wrong side of the station
run. Luckily, there is always a dance and a folk music. West with n spear for a three-month "In America there is a folk flop, and mostly inhabits a judiciously
demand in ballet for tall men Side Story untidy room with a plano and a
could contrast the with strong wrists to carry the Puerto Rican mambos and the John Piper painting and a cosy
females around. Cranko won New Yorkers' jive. Now, Lon- Are where steaks get barbecued.
leading roles. Upstairs he uses û French
don's West Indians would have country kitchen rather 25 2 Week-ends now are spent al "But I started too late, at 14, noises and ways of dancing. But painter uses a palette, whipping Fawley Bottom, the Pipers and 1 never really wanted to what would the British people Today, he is planning another up curious delights in a Ken- stonewalled farmhouse, working be a performer. I don't like it. do?" assault on convention: The New wood mixer with tinned salmon on something quite else: in June, I don't like that feeling of being
It is hard to imagine that Cranks (opens April 27), a revue and capers and cream. There is Crapko is to direct, with Piper's looked at,"
circus furniture made of.
Cranko will be baffled long. with
Д notable presence of lettuce designs, the new opera A Mid- steel and its six artists in the and milk, and a notable absence summer Night's Dream by Ben- costumes of Picasso blue-period of fuss.
Jamin Britten. acrobats.
A whim of incense on the Cranko was born 32 years ago stairs, and Cranko remarks at Rustenberg, a litle village in solletiously: "The lodger burns Northern Transvaal, only child
What has won Cranko his place among the elite is his de- If it succeeds, it will succeed light in the fantastic incon- as did his full-length ballet The
Mid Week Selection
by Friell
Eden
TOLS
"It's a bit dry as a book-but you wait till the Americans make a musical of it."
VERORDERS
ELVIS
PRESLEY Deman
"Man, this is the supreme test for the US. army. Whatever the cost-Presley must get
through!"
SUPPORT
THE DENTISTS
∙PAY CLAIM
Д
SURGERY
HAVE just soon in a Leipzig projection room
propaganda film which attempts to pin the blame for
the Lemberg massacre, in which 7,000 sows died, on to
Dr Adenauer's Minister
Theadora Oborlander.
of
Rafugees,
Accusations about Ober- There is no
Professor
question that
lander's past have been flying Oberlander was a Nazi. But -between East and West Ger-
many for the past month.
Oberlander denles
that he 18 gulity of the enormous
crime against
humanity for which he is being
that his charged is held by many to be
Nazi battalion the "Night open to question.
ingair Battalion" fired even
one shot during the time 41 The film presents no concrete spent in Lemberg, now called proof of his responsibility for Lvov,
IN QUESTION
the Lemberg massacre.
By far
the most damning evidence of his all-round metiyl
ח!
iles was found apparently the Nazi Education Ministry to Oberlander which Oberlander was basically attached. It is featured in the Alm.
now
the At first charges seemed all to be Com munist Inspired. Eut some responsible West German
and newspapers
magaziner have unearthed damaging evi- denco against him.
The film is the one which was shown recently In the House
of Commons to selected M.P.J.
Oberdander has denied the charges against him, but he has never denied the cpntenis the personal flie, which con- cerned his jobs under Hitler.
of
Dr Adenauer, I am tuld, no longer has any pressing political nced for the controversial It la technically bad, with gure. But all he remains in crudo trick photography, repetie, office, offering D tremendous tive and boring suggestions of propaganda value in the East gullt--and the most, horrible Ģermän Government. Close-up photography.
-(London Expreta Bervice),
Substitute for Chruse-
THE BROTHERHOOD
OF MAN
"That's a good start, Hugh-All men are brothera except Manny Shinwall, Dick Crossman, Michael Foot and Uncle Tom Dilboig and all that lot 2,Af
T
Under the perceptive tutelage
of Ninette de Valois, the young South African poured forth a stream of ballets, some funny like the one about the girl snob's
-John Barber
-(London Express Service).
Tired Townsend takes a
gloomy view...
Paris,
THERE have been many occasions In the past
five yours when I would have given a great deal for
a quiet social evening with France. Group Captain Peter Town- n failure, send and it was only the tolerate "The other week of all weeks that
I found myself in just such
cosy tangue-laosoning situs- tion with him.
PARIS NEWS LETTER
by SAM WHITE
This was bound to end leave that night. I asked him if during the state visit of the
in his viow.
QUOTE
★ Former
communique
said that
WDS
The
those present among Madame Do La Villes Brune, lady-in-waiting at the Elyace. I undestand that this was a slip of some official tongue,
he couldn't stay and leave the President of Peru French would not next morning. No, he told me. monarchy." he sud. 'He had to go back for a party
for Princess Margaret."
It only remains to be added thal in this hectic 12 hours they apent together Mr Armstrong- Prime Jones took no less than 340 It was at a porty given in a
"Too pictures of the vicomtesse. minte penthouse flat by a noted many important Frenchmen singer of Portuguese fados, those have been given an
Incidental intelligence. mournful self-pitying folk songs complex for life by being most“ „faiblonable" restaurant :im which are not everybody's glass brought up by English nannies." Paris at the moment is owned of port.
by a photographer and is called
The
French Minister M. Bidaul!:
inferiority
Busy day "The Pigsty."
hostess's name was Clara D'Ovan, a buxom, hand- THE most vivacious and some woman, who supplements certainly the most her father's singing with OC-
photogenic member of casional film work.
Parisian society today is the A
1 gather that her connection Vicomtess de Ribos. She is with Townsend was a film pro- ject in which she will oct as a kind of shapelier Legge.
tochrileal adviser and script writer,
Troubled
Madame De La Villes Brune was there in her capacity as wife of a distinguished French
The diplomat.
QUOTE
11.8. Generál W. T. Hedor, commander of the U.S. Bir baso at Chatonu Bgans "I kn American
the « Topl known STORM is blowing over language he may be injecting wrong Ideas Into his dealings the Chompagno country with the natives."
(London Express Service), Los a result of arrangements mado for Mr Inveitably, of course, she has originally been photographed by Tony Khrushchev's visit thera in The party was in no sense Armstrong-Jones. She told me the course of his tour of
occasion Franco next month. smart and had a distinct raffish about this memorable ili a torrent of words. quality. There was 'iliile room
Originally it was planned that "It was the meat astonishing should visit Moot and to move and latecomers sat on the
unforgettable day of my life, floor.
Chandan
Epernay. This she began, in what I was fater
the municipality of Reims, which is aroused the protest of the amplial of the Champagne country and which is forking out most of the money for
Townsend's Belgian
wife.
Marie-Luce Jemagne, was there, heavily
to recognise as her lower key,
here "Топу arrived looking hot in
November 10, 1950. He come to embroiderød ellk, „blouse.
Townsend was wearing a blus my house at 10 in the morning until 30 et autt and
wondered and did not leave
night, immediately whether this was
one of the several ordered in Attractive
Mar
Princess London when garet's friends rushed him round to a tailors in the coume of his reunion with the Princess affer his Belgian exile.
reception.
It was then decided that lio should visit Pommery instead, is but the Bran of Pommery
"I have never been so swept having irado umion troubles and I can the workers thora threatened to off my feet in my life.
cetlod engagements everywhere demonstrate their dissatisfaction
cocktails and during "K" vlalt..
-lunch, dinner,
It could not be, I reflected my dreamaker.
So this has been changed at: the suit was boggy and the ***It General de Gaulle had the fart moment and instead. trousers were of an unfashion- wanted to see me I would have "K" will visit Munin.
to make it another able with; at least 18 inches, I asiced him should say..
day.
Tony is so gay, full of lite He looked rød, red eyod,
has and ideas, I understand Princess
Too strong
RE fadies-in-waiting go-
CAR WILL DECIDE IF YOU'RE
FIT
TO DRIVE
New York.
The drunk of the future
• who staggors to fin car may find that his yaḥiplo hai décidad ha 'is too in- toxicated to drive.
Anal
slightly shaven and he the Margaret very very well. Please. Aing to be appointed to
to say anything the court of Charles de According to Dr Jones Mekinti, Princess Margaret
mastered obviously not English upper clnm.art of wear- I do not want
anzzico ing one's hair long while at the to same time not looking he though Jealous, ope needed a holreut,
But he is one of the Gaulle? Of course there is most attractive men I have ever lack of courtiers, but ladies- a little. 190:
Inevitably, of course with met. He makes you feel well, In-waiting le
里 We had lunch at four,
glasses of whisker in our hende, so well.. we fell to talkins, as everyone
elso here does soner or later, didn't even
about the bolitical situation. We graphed
stron for Republican
eat. He photo
stomachs hore.
2
Besides the jealoules that
such a move would provoka in
la
me from every con
found ourselves substantially in celvable angle, agreement. Townsend, of course,
"On one Decasion he kept me. Parls pociety are mich
has the advantage of consider standing on one foul for an hour; seriously endanger publle order.
blo kabwledge, both at avonte on a rickaly marble table next" and the personalities involved. to the lake in the
He pulle voo trying Beylogge
The whole, horrifying idea, Bole do however, thát been given RoTYO substance by an all-100-little- communique
to introduce moichical prin-1bablutely adored him for noted line in olples into the government of his nergy:Then
•he had to from the Elyson Palkon lagund
*This decision will be'a
one. The car will"" roñiso to start. The drunk Mill have to take a bun, trudn, er tood,
research plenila Columbia
tho Urikverty, compulsory built-in "drunko- melem" pro deflil'ely'a pos- elbility for futurs Americor
rafety
кага.
at
Tho tumper-proof sealed, unit will make It Imposablà for the engine to be started.
Other electronic sets will bring the car, to n stop if tho driver marta to fall akteep at the wheel, predicted De Mal- podatki,
CONCLONDOA KERTAS Jeroffe?ą
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