It May Not Be Art, But It Pays the Bills

By Sidney Urquhart

Capitalism has hit home in Czechoslovakia. In fact, it has hit the President's house. VACLAV HAVEL's Prague neighbors were startled to see an end wall of his apartment house blossom overnight into a colorful mosaic of Procter & Gamble billboards. Havel, who hopes to use the billboard fees to restore the building's crumbling facade, has shrewdly insisted on veto power over the content of the ads. P&G happily obliged with a politically correct mix of environmental messages that stress the company's commitment to cleanliness. Got any wall space in Kennebunkport, President Bush?

With reporting by DANIEL S. LEVY