20 MAY 1960, Page 3

— Portrait of the Week— LA ST WEEKEND MR. MACMILLAN papered

over the biggest split in the British Commonwealth since the defeat of General Burgoyne. Eventually the 1,500-word communiqué, after much scissors- and-paste work by the Prime Minister, made only a passing reference to apartheid. The wind of change had dropped temporarily to a mild, cooling breeze, to the relief of Mr. Louw and Sir Roy Welensky and the dissatisfaction of Dr. Nkrumah of Ghana, President Ayub Khan of Pakistan and Tunku Abdul Rahman of Malaya. Once again, though probably for the last time at a Common- wealth Prime Ministers' Conference, Mr. Mac- millan had solved his 'little local difficulties.' But, by the end of the week, he was faced with a

crack which divided the world like a breakfast egg.

PRESIDENT EISENHOWER, WO, began the week with tactful optimism by letting it be known that he Was determined not to allow Mr. Khrushchev's casual sneers to threaten the success of the Paris meetings, Mr. Khrushchev himself seemed to be holding the most impregnable moral and diplo- matic strongpoint in years. The allies of America on Russian borders began one by one to insist that no spy planes should be operated from their territories. The American Government was per- suaded to cease further flights. And, on Sunday, the Russians launched a four and a half ton sPaceship satellite wits a plastic man on board.

ONLY PRESIDENT DE GAULLE did not seem to share the mood of restrained euphoria, but preserved his ostrich-like dignity—no doubt partly because his head was still spiritually buried in Algeria.

" MONDAY THE SUMMIT, so long pictured as a diplomatic Everest, had been flattened to a mole- hill--if indeed it had not become a positive rut. Mr. Khrushchev issued an ultimatum refusing to discuss peace unless the Americans pledged them- selves never to violate Russian territory again, to aPologise for their past intrusions. and to punish tshheleicniiteruders. The doves of peace were grounded

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PRINCESS MARGARET and Mr. Antony Armstrong- Jones arrived at Pigeon Point. Tobago Island. The Queen Mother continued unperturbed with her tour of Northern Rhodesia, despite native violence and Police precautions, in what is appropriately, Perhaps, known as the Copperbelt. There she Presented chiefs with copper tankards, embossed with the Royal arms, and framed photographs of the Queen and Prince Philip.

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!vIR. JUSTICE SOUTHWORTH, puisne judge of Nyasa- land, reported on the Blantyre incident. He con- cluded that the situation was summed up in the Words of one local witness—`Riot? What riot?' in his report, he included some lively personal Portraits of many of Fleet Street's biggest by-lines --the details of which were reported in some newsPapers and not others, according to rather Obscure rules of editormanship.

INDEPENDEW TELEVISION AUTHORITY issued a Fat reducing the amount of advertising in any one hour from eight minutes to seven and a half. This change was to start on September 12, and after Christmas there would be a further reduc- tion to seven minutes. Some viewers trusted that this would be a continuing Fabian process of erosion.

IN NEWCAS1I.E, a shopkeeper was fined for expos- ntlig a hare for sale in March. In France, doctors began a go-slow strike and refused to sign any certificates. At the Middlesex Sessions, the Chair- 'nail told a youth on a shop-breaking charge: You do not stand a chance in a competition for a vacancy at a Detention Centre. They are nearly as difficult to get into as Eton.'