I L ---------------------------------~-~~~~~--------, 63183 Volume 3 January 1, 1949 No.1 With the New Year comes new hope to the people of all lands and the problems of the old year are forgotten in celebrating the anticipated joys of days to come. Members of the Bank tell us how the New Year is hailed in their native countries. Australia Aberdeen. Scotland The New Year in Australia comes in the middle of On "Hogmanay" (New Year's Eve), very festive and summer and most Australians look forward to spending very noisy Aberdonians, equipped with the luck-bearing New Year's Eve by the sea. New Year's red herrings, lumps of coal and the Eve is traditionally a night of revelry. usual (pre-war!) bottle go "first-foot­ Parties to welcome the New Year ap­ ing", but each party must be headed by propriately are the rule, and in the a brunette, preferably male, because cities main streets are usually closed the superstitious highlandman would to allow people to forget dignity for a not welcome a fair-haired or" ginger" few hours and usher in another year first-foot across the threshold on Jan­ with singing, dancing and other forms uary 1. It is not at all important to of gaiety. R. H. Star know the occupants of any home on that occasion, as everyone is made wel­ Amsterdam. Holland come and warmed by a "wee drappie" When in Holland and you say "New before going on to the next port of call. Year's Eve," it reminds you automat­ Doreen Millett ically of oil-dumplings. Whenever you walk through Dutch streets on New .Oslo. Norway Year's Eve, the air is full of the smell Get your best friends together, offresh baked oil-dumplings, and many Get your best clothes, a housewife has been busy in the kitchen; the pan with Get your best bottle of champagne, the hot oil is on the stove, and on the table is the bowl "SKAAL" at midnight to the New Year with the batter and the gray paper for absorbing the oil. "SKAAL" to your New Year's resolutions The dumplings are fried and sprinkled with powdered "SKAAL" before and after to whatever you like. sugar. On the evening itself the whole family and their Forget there may be more to come friends happily gather together, eating, drinking, talking Forget last year's worries and waiting the stroke of 12 o'clock. Forget it will be hard to find a taxi home. Leonie Snatager Greece Paris. France Grace Werring Observance of the day of Christ's birth is less color­ To celebrate the Saint Sylvester in Paris on the last ful in Greece than in Western Europe and the U.S.A. day of the year, the custom is to have a big dinner rt is a quiet family celebration. The high mass is held party where one invites one's friends. It is what is ,early in the morning--commencing at 5 a.m.--and, called "faire le reveillon". We dance, laugh and drink, although the turkey dinner is traditional, there are no and when the twelve strikes of midnight sound, every­ Christmas trees (with limited exceptions in western body kisses each other and exchanges good wishes for influenced urban centers) and no exchange of gifts. a good and happy New Year. The dance begins again Santa Claus--delayed but not overworked--re a ches with renewed enthusiasm and continues until dawn. Greek children on New Year's Day, when grown-ups No wonder that the streets of Paris are never as empty as well let off steam. as they are in the first hours of the first day of the Nicholas Andritsakis year. Michel J. J. Verhulst RANDOM SHOTS OF THE BANK'S CHRISTMAS COCKTAIL PARTY AT THE WASHINGTON HOTEL, DEC. 14 Miss Eva Polak. and Mr. and Mrs. Arnost Polak. Mr. Joseph Rucinski, Mr. G. Stewart Mason and Mrs. Rucinski. Mr. William L. Ayers, Miss Elisabeth Cartee and Miss Lucille Brousseau. Miss Elsie Noonan, Mrs. Carolyn Cavadine, Mr. William Noonan, Miss Therese Rousseau and Mr. Badri Rao. Miss Merle Mason and Miss Lorene Mason. Copies of pictures in this issue of BANK N07!S and of others taken at the Christ.as cocktail party .ay be ordered through the Staff Relations Office WHO'S WHO IN THE BANK THIS IS THE WAY WE TOOK BATHS IN FINLAND By S. R. Cope - Assistant Loan Officer The orlgms of the Finnish baths known as "Salllla» have been lost, but it is certain that they predate re­ corded history in Finland. In country districts every house or farmstead has its sauna, usually a small wooden hut, heated by a woodburning stove. In the towns, sallllas are more elaborate, heated often by electricity, and having female attendants who apply birch twigs to patrons, regardless of sex, in lieu of massage. There are some 400,000 sallllas in Finland, and there are few Finns who do not take a sauna regu­ larly. The salllla is a national institution, and, in its way, an expression of democratic life, for it provides a meeting place, where, regardless of age or social position, questions of the day, important and trivial, can be discussed. Our introduction to the salllla was at Pyhakoski, in northern Finland. From the guest house where we were staying, we had to walk a quarter of a mile through deep snow to a little hut-like building by the side of an ice- covered lake. In the summer it was usual, after taking a salllla, to dive into the lake, and we were as­ DR. EMILIO TORO sured that to break the ice and pI llllge in, or to roll in the snow, was an exhiliarating experience. Vie thought Dr. Emilio Toro, Executive Director for Chile, that it was unnecessary to check the accuracy of this Colombia,CostaRica,Ecuador,El Salvador,GuatemQ.la, theory. Honduras ,Mexico, Nicaragua and Venezuela, impresses At close quarters the hut looked insignificant, witb one first with his amiability and cheery disposition. only a spiral of gray smoke rising from a narrow His eyes dance as he speaks and then suddenly become chimney as reminder of the purpose of our visit. The deeply penetrating. door of the hut opened into a snlall compartment, spar­ Dr. Toro has spent the greater part of his time in tan in its furnishings, but pleasantly warm after the private business with short periods of working for his cold outside. As we lllldressed, we noticed a further government. He is a mining engineer, with a degree door, leading, presumably, to another compartment. from the Royal School of Mines, Imperial Institute of Speculation on the subject was stilled when one of our Science and Technology, London, England. hosts threw open the door, releasing a blast of hot air Dr. Toro was born 54 years ago in the little town of as.foretaste of what was to come, and asking if we were Manizales, Colombia, where he attended primary ready. Since, by that time, we were as naked as the school. He also studied in Medellin and later graduated day we were born, the question seemed unnecessary. with honors from Eastern Business College, New York. We entered. He next studied in London, then returned to Colombia In one corner was an iron stove burning pine logs. and went into private business. In 1926 he was ap­ On top of this stove were large granite stoves, which, pointed Manager of the Bank of the Republic, Manizales heated by the fire llllderneath, served to warm the Branch, and the Manager of the Banco Agricola Hipo­ compartment. Most of the floor was taken up by a tecario. In 1933 he became General Manager of the platform, on which was a bench just big enough to seat Caja de CreditoAgrarioIndustrial y Minero, inBogota. four. The whole could hardly have been more than He was principal member successively of the Board of seven feet square. Directors of the Bank of the Republic, the Federacion Once the door was shut the temperature rose. Since Nacional de Cafeteros and the Instituto de Fomento the air contained practically no moisture it immediately Industrial, all of Bogota. In 1945 he was delegate of absorbed any perspiration, so that the skin remained Colombia to the Chapultepec Conference in Mexico, for a time quite dry. The black line in the thermometer and appointed Governor for Colombia to the Inter­ lengthened, the heat became almost stifling, and we national Monetary Flllld and the International Bank. made frequent use of a bowl of water to refresh our From 1946 to 1948 he was Vice President of the Inter­ faces and to cool the bench on which we were Sitting. American Coffee Board in Washington and since 1945 At last the thermometer crept above the 1000 centi­ he has been Minister Plenipotentiary of Colombia to grade level and we started to perspire. One of our the United States. hosts threw on the hot stoves a little water, which Dr. Toro thinks his design for living is very inter­ vaporized immediately, sending a wave of moist, hot esting: part of the time in North America with its air across the compartment. Now we were perspiring stimulating atmosphere, and part of the time in South freely, although the temperature had dropped below America where there is such an ample field for de­ 90 0 centigrade. · velopment and initiative. He visits Colombia about After a while we went into the outer compartment, twice a year and expects to move back permanently breathing again deliciously cool air and refreshing before too long. . See BATHS - cont inued on Page 4. BATHS - continued fro. Page 3. ourselves first WIth warm, then with cold showers. k E R N A T I O N A L COOKING CORNER Then again into the inner compartment. Three times the process was repeated. On the last occasion WE took bundles of dried twigs, previously softened in Pentti Pajunen, Research Assistant in the Economic.... water, and beat ourselves on back, legs and arms. Department, tells us of a delici.ous dish that is made Finally, in the outer compartment, we washed in warm in Finland. He says that it is fine for the piece de water to remove all perspiration, and dressed. After resistance of a buffet supper, or it may be cut into a glass of beer, we were ready for the walk back, small strips and served at a cocktail party. feeling greatly refreshed by our first experience of a Finnish sauna. Lihapiirakka (Meat Turnover) 250 grams (2 cups) butter BIRTH ANNOUNCED 250 grams (2 cups) boiled potatoes Mr. and Mrs. Thos. J. Costello(Mrs. Jean Costello) 250 grams (2 cups) wheat floUr announce the birth of their son, Michael David, who 1 large spoon of water was born December 4, in the Alexandria Hospital. Cold mashed potatoes are mixed with butter, water Mrs. Costello is in the office of the Executive Director and flour to make a smooth and elastic dough. for the United States. Put in cold place for one hour to harden. Filling: 1 cup uncooked rice 1 scant qt. fried ground BANK NOTES' ARTIST 2 large spoons butter meat 1/2 onion, finely chopped 2 cups bouillon or 2 cups Mr. Laurence E. Slade, of the Office Services Di­ 6 haro. boiled eggs milk vision, is the new artist for BANK NOTES. Mr. Slade salt and white pepper designed the beautiful Christmas cover, as well as the Method: one for this issue and he will continue to illustrate the Fry finely chopped onion in butter and add ground paper. meat and brown it. Add bouillon, seasoning and boil for a few minutes. After that you let it cool. (Smoked BRIDGE PARTY salmon may be substituted for meat and bouillon). Wash rice in cold then warm water, boil in plenty of January 7 is the date of the next Bank Bridge party water with salt added. When tender, pour into colande~ at 2410Wyoming Avenue, and 8:30 is the time. Please and wash again with cold water. register with Miss Marion Dougherty (room 203), the Divide butter dough into two parts, one a little larger hostess for the evening. Everyone is cordially invited. than the other and roll into 1/2 centimeter (1/8 inch) Fee 50 cents. thickness and cut into two large squares. Now the larger square is put on a cookie sheet. Spread with WALTER REED HOSPITAL PARTY layer of boiled rice, then a layer of meat (or flaked salmon); dot with small pieces of butter and with finely The Red Cross has invited 2l. group of Bank girls to chopped boiled eggs on top. Leave an empty border of be hostesses at a party in the Red Cross Building, 3 centimeters (1 inch) and deck smaller square on top; Walter Reed Hospital Thursday evening January 13 at brush lower edge with water and turn over the top 7:30 p.m. RedCross will pick up girls at 6:45 p.m. at layer. Press tightly together and wrinkle. Pierce the Washington Hotel. Please register in room 1208. top with fork. Some left- overs of dough may be placed on top for decoration. Bake on cookie sheet in hot oven. GHA ANNOUNCES DENTAL SERVICE INTERNATIONAL BANK NOTES Group Health Association advises that applications Harriet French Editor for membership in the new dental program are being Reporters given consideration in the order in which received. Due to the number now on hand, applications which are Lillian Breen -­ Secretary's Department Carolyn Cavadine .- Public Relations Department mailed at this time may not receive consideration for Marion Dougherty -­ Office Services Division three or more months. Dorothy East -­ Administration Department Alice Foley -- Legal Department A staff member who wishes to apply for membership Ann Friedman -- Economic Department should forward his application to Group Health Associ­ M. Timmins -- Treasurer's Department Josephine Van Gasse -- Loan Department ation without delay. No money should accompany the Jeanne Wells -- Executive Directors application. The advance deposits of $10 for each adult and $ 5 for each child should be made to Group Edited and Published on the 1st and 15th of each month by the Staff Relations Office, Personnel Division Health Association when they notify an applicant that INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR his application has been accepted. RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT 1818 H Street, Washington 25, D. C. Application forms are available in the Staff Relations Michael L. Lejeune -- Personnel Officer Office, Room 1208. Elizabeth Geib -- Staff Relations Officer All contributions should be sent to the Editor, Roorl 1208. Deadline, 10 o'clock on the 8th and 23rd of each .onth.