— Portrait of the Week ' WHEN TROUBLES COME they come not
single spies but in battalions.' The battalions of troubles marching towards the Government were not just those trying to leave the Army, although eighty- two servicemen have already applied for by-elec- tions four months off. The Government has decided to plug this gap quickly. There remains the strip-club owner who intends to fight CoInc Valley on a campaign against entertainment tax with his strippers as canvassers. But the army of discontent mustering against the Government is rather more serious. Though British MPs loudly insisted that the independent deterrent really is all that it is made out to be, Whitehall feared that America would throw it on the scrap heal) by abandoning the Skybolt project. Rumours of an integrated European deterrent were laughed off by France. Meanwhile Blue Steel, one British rocket development that got beyond the drawing-board stage, became opera- tional. Gloom grew in Whitehall after the Six ploughed their way through agricultural details, and a 'make-or-break' meeting is being mooted for next spring, The position was not improved by Mr. Gaitskell's repeating his Brighton speech in Paris to the shocked silence of pressmen. Un- employment reared its ugly head; the Govern- ment denied that any crash programme was necessary and promised that 'something must be done,' though they may have to wait till the unemployment figures come down first.
AS HIS BOMBERS PROVED SO UNWELCOME in Cuba, Mr. Khrushchev packed them up and began sending them home: at the same time he can- celled the offer of planes to India, possibly con- vinced that Chou En-lai would protest and force him to pack them home as well. Mr. Nehru mean- while remained a don't-know over the Chinese offer to withdraw--he insisted that so far the Chinese had only 'thinned out' their troops, not withdrawn. Nevertheless, Mr. Nehru will dis- cuss Kashmir with Pakistan, thanks to the media tion of Mr. Sandys. The latter flew on to the Caribbean to act as mediator there—not over Cuba but over the West Indian Federation which like every other federation is tottering. Mr. Sandys insisted, however, that the Aden federa- tion still has life in it. U Thant was confirmed in office for four years—probably just enough time to solve the Congo farce. Central government forces were rumoured to be attacking Katangan troops, but a lifetime of attrition seems possible. Dr. Adenauer would dearly love to be confirmed in Power for four years, but may have to settle for four months. Almost as his last hope Der Atte pleajed with the Socialists—in his own recent °Pinion 'unfit to govern'—to form a coalition government and keep Adenauer in power. Herr Strauss accepted the inevitable, and Dr. Adenauer
accepted his resignation. Dr. Salazar re-formed _ his Cabinet, President Tito went to Moscow, and Dr. Beeching stays in office.
BRITAIN'S S New SUPERSONIC ENGINE blew up at a grand test. Mr. Marples was criticised for sug- gesting that wrecked cars should be put on show as reminders of drivers' folly. Mr. Marples con- veniently forgot that we have underpasses on show as permanent reminders of ministerial folly. London air pollution was seven per cent. down on last Year, though it did not seem so during the come blanket days of smog this week. Bearskins are to
off at night outside Buckingham Palace, and the interest in bare skins shown by a Canadian Parliamentary delegation to Paris was criticised by Montreal press, which claimed the MPs' activities would make commercial travellers b go lush. i ush. Tristan da Cunhans voted by 148 to 5 to
home, and MCC cricketers stayed on in Aus- tralia after saving the First Test. Crime began to Pay at last : after last week's £62,000 raid at London Airport by crooks dressed as businessmen another thief took £10,000 from a house after gaining entry by claiming to be a constituency worker of the local Conservative Party.
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