Evening star., 1954-06-29

about the world and it's prob
lens.
His views could scarcely be
called overwhelmingly optimis-
tic. But from his first tart COM
ment to his closing tribute to
my faithful friend and lieu
tenant" Foreign Secretary Eden.
he proved conclusively why he
is still the Queens First Min
lister. and why he will undoubt-
edly remain so, God willing, un-
til he himself elects to step
down.
Scores on First Question.
He made no speech, prefer
ring to cast his appearance in
stead in the form of a press
conference, with written QueS-
tionS from the floor. In the very
first, he was reminded that at
the wartime conference with
President Roosevelt in Quebec
he had described Anglo-Ameri-
can friendship as blazing.
What is the temperature now?
he was asked. He read the ques-
ton over to himself very slowly.
stumbling a little. There was a
pause, a little gathering of ten
sion in the audience, and then:
Normal" he shot out, blinked,
and sat down.
After that, it was Winnie all
the way.
With touch sometimes
humorous but more often deadly
serious, he pictured the Russian
problem as it looks from London
partly a group of menacing
men in the Kremlin, but per-
haps more Importantly still
millions of Russian citizens who
"have had a very rough time IN
the goth century, the century OF
the common man with al
the bloody struggles in which
they have had to engage, in the
revolution and the disciplinary
measures, internal stresses which
have fallen upon them"
These Russians, he said, might
be expected to want some of the
wealth which science can pro-
duce. more to eat and NOR
various things to eat, and more
and better knicknacks to put II
the houses, and more cinema'
with better programs E. some O.
the fun of television >.
With these people hungerin'
after "a better time" the Prim'
Minister urged "a try for peace
full co-existence, real good tr!
for it,"
Victorious on Ruins.
He would like, he said, 1T
make quite sure that the Rus
sian people would not feel tina
they might gain far more b,
a quarter of a century of peace
full development in their owl
country than they would b,
pressing matters to poin
where we should all be led t.
situation that battles human
imagination in its terror bu
which, I am quite sure, woul'
leave us victorious, but victori
Gus on a heap of ruins"
Therefore, he said soberly, h
was very much in favor @
patient, cool, friendly exami
nation of what the Russian in
tentionS are"
II am not anti-RuSsian," h
remarked. Il am violently anti
Communist. But I do beg yo
to make sure that no stone
left unturned in this period t
give them a chance to graS
the prospects of great materis
well-being, which will be offere
to all those millions, and ! al
rather inclined to think, if
had to make prediction, tha
they will not throw away sue
an opportunity. :"
From time to time Somebod
would ask him a question per
: mitting a humorous answer, an
these he never failed to rise tt
Toward the end he was aske
whether he would prefer to hav
an increased Republican majorit
in Congress after the fail elec
!. tionS.
He made the standard dis
claimer of any intention to in
terfer in the internal politics
, affairs of his host country an
then he demanded jovially:
why should l be asked to sa
anything which would probabl
lose me half my friends?"
. And after the laughter die
: down, he added:
, II am not going to choose be
tween Republicans and Demo
. Gratis: I want the lot"
And the laughter roared u
r again.
9 When it was over. there We
5 the familiar 'V for Victory sig
r with the uplifted fingers. tf
!. puff of smoke from the big ciga
: the last quick gulp of brand
:" before leaving the table; an
: then the slow, triumphal pros
reSs out through the corridors {
g the Statler past the waitin
a applauding crowds in the lobt
= and on the streets, and so int
the big black limousine and ava
in a rush up Massachusetts, ave
Ie nue. to the British Embassy.
l. The last of the wars gre;
c. triumvirate had described
l. world of savage problems ar
= some few bright hopes. And
IT so doing, Winston Churchill he
k proved once again that in spi
J. of age and times inevitable OF
d. ward rolling, he still is one
sr the brightest of them all.