Portrait of the Week
THE RUSH GREW more frenzied, the post later in the morning, the stock in the shops lower, the streets more impassable. President Eisenhower broadcast a tape-recorded message of peace on earth and goodwill to men from a space-satellite fired into orbit by an inter-continental ballistic missile. There were more demonstrations on the secret rocket site at North Pickenham, Norfolk, and Indian summer descended upon Britain and Parliament adjourned. Sing heigh-ho, the holly.
*
THE SUEZ CORPSE continued to stink in the cellar. Just before the House of Commons broke up for the Christmas recess Mr. George Wigg managed to get the debate he had long wanted on General Keightley's despatches from that unhappy theatre. The attack on the Government was pressed home with some diffidence by the Opposition Front Bench and Mr. Christopher Soamcs declared that what had been wrong with the enterprise had been the Labour Party's lack of patriotism.
* THE AMERICAN CLAIM that their latest space-satellite, fired into orbit at Cape Canaveral, carrying Presi- dent Eisenhower's fifty-eight-word Christmas greeting to the world, was the largest yet, was denied by the Russians, who insisted that the four and a half tons notched by the American device was only a record if one counted in the weight of the rocket which fired it and which had (some say, intentionally) gone into orbit with it. Anyway, there were now two stars to guide the pilgrims, but cynics doubted whether there were as many as Three Wise Men.
AFTER SIR HUGH FOOT'S last-minute reprieve of two Greek Cypriots who had been sentenced to death, there was optimism in the island despite a re- newal of terrorism. The killing of two British airmen was deplored by the Bishop of Kitium and Graeco-Turkish relations continued to improve. The Government published its Bill to sweep pros- titutes off the streets and out of all-night cafes.
* THE REV. MICHAEL scorr was among those arrested during a demonstration at the 'secret' rocket site in Norfolk. (A pending by-election for the divi- sion was being complicated by the candidancy of one Fountaine, a former Tory candidate who has wandered so far to the extreme Right that he has been disowned by the Conservative Party.) The demonstrators were ejected without violence, but they refused to give an undertaking that they would not demonstrate again and so will spend Christmas in prison. They seemed cheerful enough at the prospect, possibly in relief that the adjournment of Parliament meant that the Air Minister would not have to go on announcing that the location of the site was a military secret.
*
MARSHAL BULOANIN announced the details of the plotting against Big Brother that used to go on in his office. Nobody took very much notice except possibly Mao Tse-tung, whose uncertain and rumour-ridden position might, at any moment, cause him to develop the most pressing interest in the correct phrasing ,of a Communist confession. General de Gaulle, as expected, was elected the first President of the Fifth Republic by an enormous majority.
* THE MALTESE ROUND-TABLE turned out to have large number of nasty corners for the negotiators to bang themselves (and one another) on. They banged with a will and Mr. Mintoff went back to the island in the highest dudgeon of the year. But all was smiles at the Tower of London, where the Beefeaters were told that their threatened rent increases were to be reconsidered. And on that note the holiday began.
Previous page
