—Portrait of the Week
CHINA carried out her third nuclear test— with `thereto-nuclear material'—and there was a grim battle-by-mistake in Saigon, when American forces thought they were under attack, but weren't: it was a suitable week, therefore, for the Earl of Avon to let it be known that he had a plan to bring peace to Vietnam, and would be publishing a book about it soon. In Europe the Common Market countries concluded, at long last, a compro- mise peace on the crucial problem of farm finances, and agreed to complete the customs union by mid-1968: while the Queen, visiting Brussels, made some tactful remarks about Britain's desire to join. Tentative moves to- wards peace over Rhodesia began in London, when 'private and informal' talks between the British government's representatives and those of Mr Ian Smith opened (and were denounced by African states at the United Nations). Attempts to make peace and end the threat of a seamen's strike next Monday grew more strenuous as the week proceeded. But there was no sign at all of peace over Mr Cal- laghan's new Selective Employment Tax, which was passionately denounced and defended.
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