December 1-5, 1957
PASTERNAK: «If the whole world was covered in asphalt, somewhere a crack would appear and grass would start growing.» That prophecy by Soviet writer and propagandist Ilya Ehrenburg applies to Boris Pasternak, considered the greatest writer and poet in Russia today. Pasternak is one of the few intellectuals to survive Stalin’s 20-year rule. BENIAMINO GIGLI: Rome, 30 – Beniamino Gigli, the famous opera singer, died this afternoon at the age of 67. Gigli made his first appearance in 1915 as Enzo in «La Gioconda» and stood in for Enrico Caruso at the Metropolitan Opera in 1920. Returning there in 1955, after a 16-year absence, he gave three farewell recitals. INDONESIA: London – It was announced in The Hague today that negotiations were under way to arrange for the departure of Dutch nationals from Indonesia who wish to be repatriated, estimated at some 60,000 people in various parts of the archipelago. At The Hague, Dutch police officers armed with automatic weapons were guarding the Indonesian Embassy today as a preventive measure due to the tension in relations between the two countries.
