EAST EUROPE BRANCH NOTES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79B00864A001400010101-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 20, 2005
• Sequence Number: 101
• Publication Date: February 15, 1974
• Content Type: NOTES

Approved For Release 2005/08/03 : CIA-RDP79B00864AQ91400010101-4
CON 'IDRNT_TXL
#15 . RASA' E'UROP9 BRANCT1 NODS 15 Feb. 1974
'CZECHOSLOVAKIA
Police i ' n ' i;den't Author
Dissident writer Pavel.Iohout was.visited at his. hiome
in Prague by two poli.cement.on February 14, but he refused
to talk with them. Presumably the police wanted to question
Kohout about his statement last week that the literary
situation in his country is as bad now as during the Stalin-
ist era. Kohout made this comment while defending a similar
assessment by West German :author Heinrich B.oell. The regime
may feel that it has to take some action in Kohout's case
now that it has a fresh Soviet example to consider. I
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situation, is more important than laughter. Relief from the
regime propaganda is obviously needed in the grey GDR, where
over, humor with a good dash of criticism is more important
than humor that fails to haul someone over the coals. The
journalist takes issue with those who think that a steady
cabaret treatment of public issues, such as the Chilean
EAST GERMANY
Come to the 'Cabaret
An East German journalist has tried to set his country-
men straight about the essence of. that renowned German
institution, the cabaret. He feels that. cabaret artists,
writers, and directors have lost sight of the fact that
comedy is the indispensable element of their art form. More-
domestic subjects for satire are plentiful.
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.CONKIPENT.IA ,
Approved For Release 2005/08/03 : CIA-RDP79B00864AO01400010101-4