— Portrait of the Week— AT GENEVA the Western Powers' disarmament
plan was put forward; Mr. Macmillan's visit to Rome was put off: Mr. Khrushchev's visit to Paris was put back. Because Mr. Gaitskell was put out, Mr. Crossman was scot down.
AT The TEN-NATION" DISARMATANT CONFERENCE which opened in Geneva, the Soviet delegate began by expressing dissatisfaction with the West- ern plan, and the United States delegate with the Soviet plan. All the same, Mr.' Khrushche‘i sent his greetings, and Washington told the American delegation to be ready to stay in Geneva for a year. Lord Hailsham, Minister for Science, said in the House of Lords that, when he contem- plated 'the hideous weapons'ron both sides,' he regarded 'either a world, ditithority or total dis- 'armament . as the Only lational objectives.' Mr. Soames, the Secretary o(. State for War, denied the Observer's allegations that brainwash- ing was practised in. Britain during the war, and the Obser'ver pointed out that he hadn't denied that it had been practised by Britain. An Ameri- can Pioneer 'V satellite was speeded on its way by Jodrell Bank.
MR. CROSSMAN, oflicial Labour Party spokesman On Pensions; resigned from the Opposition Front Bench. He had refused to give an undertaking to Mr. Gaitskell that he would not 'persistently and Publicly oppose the official policy of the party on defence or, for that matter, on any other issue as decided by the party meeting. A meeting of the National Executive decided after six hours' debate to retain Clause Four but to add twelve othei clauses in modification of this 'first full declara- tion of Party aims.' The Party slogan, agreed Mr. Crossman and Mr. Gaitskell was now to be 'The Brotherhood of Man.'
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MR. MACMILLAN :Warned that railwai fares
and charges would have to 'so up; the British Transport Commission offered a 5 per cent. rise in pay to 120,000 men in railway workshops, but rejected a claim for a forty-hour week; the London Transport Executive also offered a 5 per cent. rise to its 42,000 bus workers.
THE ALGERIAN PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT said that General de Gaulle's new firmer policy on Algeria had closed the door to negotiation and peace: they would now go on to fight for independence. The League of Empire Loyalists told Mr. Mac- millan that his new milder policy on Africa was a betrayal of the Whites in Africa. Two Tory back-benchers told Mr. Macleod in a House of Commons debate that he would have to treat with Pr. Banda. Forty-five Oxford dons told Sir Roy vvelensky that the Rhodesian Federation's refusal to renew Mr. Michael Faber's residence permit Was a threat to academic freedom.
ELEVEN LEADING BANK. offered a reward of i1,000 to any member of the public who helps to foil a bank raid, or to convict the raiders, and four armed men promptly ambushed a Midland Bank ear and made off with £19,000. Associated- Rediffusion offered more than two and a half million pounds for Wembley Stadium; a profes-• sional footballer was transferred for a fee of £53,000; and the Government found a number of good reasons for not increasing the old-age pen- sion. Time and Tide was reprieved, and will con- tinue publication. Mr. Musgrave was the first man home, and Miss Lewis the first woman, in the John o' Groats to Land's End walk, winning £1,000 apiece from Mr. Butlin, and the right to be called by their first names, Jim and Wendy, in the public prints, just as though they had got engaged to royalty.
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