Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-06
The Nobiest Briton


Britons everywhere have reason to shed
some tears, and proudly, over Sir Winston
Churchills decision to relinquish his duties
as the Queens Prime Minister. What man
among them, after all, is more deserving of
their highest esteem and affection? Who
has served them better? Where is his equal
to be found? And who has been less POM
pous or more witty-and at the same time
quite so eloquent and grand-in presiding
over the fine, If fading, pomp and circum-
stance of their globe-encircling empire?
Here, surely, is one of the true giants
of our age-still giant, at 80, despite his
retirement from active participation in the
great affairs of his own country and the
world at large. Nor is he to be hailed and
eulogized, in that sense, only by Britons.
For free men on every continent must re-
gard him as magnificent leader who has
rendered priceless service to the cause of
human liberty. And the people of the
United States can hardly fail to harbor in
their hearts an especially warm feeling for
him, not merely because he Is blood kin
of ours through his mother, but more partic-
ularly because he has sought INCREASINGLY
to promote the closest and strongest pos
sible Anglo American friendship
Now that he has resigned to make way
for Anthony Eden, Sir Winston ('good old
Winnie" to his countrymen) probably finds
that his superb sense of humor is somewhat
tickled by all this-by the fact that he is
alive to read what amounts to collection
of immensely fiattering obituaries about
himself. But there is actually no empty
f1attery in any of it. On the contrary it
represents the measure of what his con-
temporaries in the free world sincerely think
Of him. He himself, of course, has referred
to his own intimations of oncoming per-
Sonal mortality, but the truth is that he has
achieved Immortality already-at least to
the extent that high place in history may
be said to be immortal. He has done this,
as every knowing adult realizes, by virtue of
what can be described only as the genius of
Unborn greatness-greatneSs of kind that
has been his conspicuous mantle for more
that SO years past. There is no other way of
explaining his unforgettable role as Britains
indomitable leader during the Second World
War. There is no other way of explaining
his soul-stirring oratory, his craftsmanship,
his remarkable literary power, and all his
other qualities of heart, mind, tongue and
pen that have set him apart-and above
most men of his era.
Thus, like Lincoln and small company
OF others. Churchill and his works-his i'm
pact on his tin1es-are destined for contin-
uing exhaustive scrutiny by definitive his
torians and biographers for generations to
come, assuming that an atomic hydrogen
war does not do away with posterity. AS
for his contemporaries, they already know
enough to say of him that no man has lived
a fuller life, or displayed more grandeur of
character, or been stouter champion of
decency and freedom in our tremendously
troubled and dangerous century Let him
speak for himself: "In war, resolution. In
defeat defiance In victory, magnanimity.
In peace, good will"
These words are Sir WinStons own.
They define the central theme of his pub
lished memoirs of the Second World War
In way, they also serve as a summary of
the man himself-the noblest Briton of
them all in our time. Certainly, although
his resignation creates large international
emptiness, one must hope-as President
Eisenhower has suggested-that he will keep
on giving free men good counsel as long as
he lives, which, God willing, will yet be
long time.