LIKE THE GOOD OLD DAYS

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5312, 27 January 1947, Page 7

LIKE THE GOOD OLD DAYS

THROUGH THE "IRON CURTAIN'1 WITHOUT YISAS. i ' * BUDAPEST. A meihory of the "good old" days before World War I when one could travel without a passport came to. 15 newspapermesn, when theyjcrosised from Austria into Dungary, through the "iron curtain" without hoticing it. However, the coming had been officially announced in advance. Invited to a fair at Tokay, three British, two Italian, one French and eight Austrian journalists set out from Vienna. The Hungarian Legation in Vienna had telegraphed the names to Budapest on the eve of departure. There was no time for entry visas to he forwacrded tq Vienna they were waiting ^for the party at the frontier. Weary 'of post-war f ormalities, filled with forebodings about the ddfficulties of frontier crossings, the newspapermen looked out of the window as the Welberg Express drew in at Hegyeshalom, the frontier station. They were surprised and pleased when the head of the Hungarian customs unit, consisting of members of the Hungarian police — there were no Russians to be seen — suggested politely that the party step over into the dining car which had been coupled to the Hungarian train at the border. Perhaps they would find a good Hungarian lunch agreeahle? After all, he added, the formalities could just as well be performed in the dining car. They all sat down to a meal which was a treat for those who had lived on the meagre Yiennese diet. The train, meanwhile, had started. The customs chief looked in again merely to ask whether this was the party going to Tokay, saluted and withdrew. Nobody's papers or luggage was examined.