Word: stolen
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...cynical exploitation of Viet Nam's economic problems. Corrupt Communist officials have moved into the black market trade once operated by the ethnic Chinese. All of the Red River delta's major arteries south of Hanoi feature Communist-run "floating markets" that offer goods stolen from ships or directly off the docks at Haiphong. Conspicuous consumption among Communist officials has become so flagrant that Premier Pham Van Dong felt it necessary to issue a prevailing order: "At a time when the people in several areas are experiencing privations and hunger, it is absolutely necessary to refrain from organizing...
...across the frozen pond, wondering if we could find a live beaver to eat--as Henry David Thoreau used to fantasize--when we discovered upon climbing over a slight rise, that our car was no longer there. Now, the first thing we figured was that our car had been stolen. But then we realized that it probably had only been towed--although it was 9:05 on a Sunday morning--and we walked up the road to Ranger Bill. Ranger Bill said. "Uh. well look--your car was probably towed by the Lincoln police," and we said. "Uh, well look...
...crude heart had been scratched above its right eye. Nonetheless, the incident underscored the fact that no museum−no matter how prestigious−is immune from the epidemic of art thefts that is sweeping the country. Late last year, three Cézannes worth $3 million were stolen from the Art Institute of Chicago. On Christmas morning, bold cat burglars penetrated the security system of San Francisco's M.H. De Young Memorial Museum and left through a skylight with $1.2 million worth of 17th century Dutch paintings, including a prized Rembrandt, Portrait of a Rabbi...
...together, crooks in the U.S. made off with nearly $50 million in stolen art in 1978, up an estimated 35% in two years. In Europe, police believe that art thefts are growing faster than any other form of larceny. Laments Donald Mason, former FBI art theft specialist: "Alarm bells are ringing all over the world. Time is not on our side...
Sometimes works of art are reported stolen to order for connoisseurs. But experts at the Delaware conference said that art thieves usually are not specialists. Rather, they are the same sort of criminals who steal automobiles, TV sets and jewelry. "Let me dispel some myths," said Gilbert Raguideau, a French government expert on the subject. "There is no mastermind, no international art Mafia. We all have heard the legend of the mad, rich connoisseur who buys stolen masterworks. He does not exist." The works are sold to frequently unsuspecting collectors in the U.S. and abroad through dealers who care more...