Portrait of the Week
THE argument about whether the Russil satellite is a nine days' wonder or a fortnight, or a year's still goes on,-fed by some very ertatig behaviour on the part of its radio transit-0and American fears about its significance. Presi; dent Eisenhower made the major tactical erre of taking the whole business very airily, remarlift! in his colourful way that it 'did not raise h apprehensions one iota,' a saying which h brought violent criticism on his head. However this appears to be the official view, for the Pre dent's assistant has pronounced that Anicrie3, goal is not 'a high score in an outer-space bask' ball game' but the serving of science. It has bec°, noticed, though, that the date of the first America° launching has been advanced to December. , The administration has found time, fortunale1): amid all the fuss to withdraw some of its troof from Little Rock, Arkansas, where the racial feciol ing seems to have subsided, and to relax at le3i temporarily the rule that visitors to the State' must be fingerprinted. Her Majesty has opened the Canadian Par10 ment, the first reigning monarch to do appeared on television for the first time with gre success, and gone on to the United States. The television appearance of Mr. Malcolm Mugger- idge in London, on the other hand, scheduled to explain why he had published an attack on the monarchy in an American magazine the other day, has been cancelled by the BBC.
The realities of international affairs are in the news again after a happy interlude. Messrs. Khrushchev and Nasser, far from being convinced by Turkish and American protestations of inno- cence, have acted on the assumption that there is a deep-laid plot on their part to liquidate Syria, President Nasser has sent a battalion of Egyptian troops to Syria and has been rewarded by being compared by the Syrian commander-in-chief to Khalid ibn Al-Walid, the seventh-century warrior who 'last united the Arabs.' Mr. Khrushchev for his part has sent letters to the leaders of the Socialist. parties of Europe drawing attention to the dangers of war in the Middle East from the Turco-American 'threat.' Lord Hailsham has Sharply criticised their contents. Syria has appealed to the Security Council, and Mr. Gromyko has also weighed in. Mr. Dulles has expressed alarm at the Russian behaviour. The debate on disarmament in the United Nations has begun with more than the usual display of Rus- sian violence and an acrimonious ten days or so IS wearily awaited.
Yugoslavia has announced her intention of recognising the East German government. Britain has handed over the Trincomalee naval base to Ceylon. The quarrel between the Prime Minister and President of Pakistan has come to a head with the resignation of Mr. Suhrawardy. In Cyprus there has occurred the first terrorist murder since March, but the government has reprieved another terrorist.
At home the Conservative conference has fol- lowed its appointed course—this being a low- temperatured avoidance of present difficulties in the hope of better things to come. Mr. Selwyn Lloyd says we must be friends with America, and Mr. Thorneycroft that we must work harder. The success of the gathering was the new chair- Man. Lord Hailsham, who was regularly photo- graphed taking a morning dip ii the sea; in fact, he was such a success that he has been forced to luake a statement that 'Hailshamism' does not and could not exist.
Great alarm was caused by the emergency at the atomic reactor at Windscale in Cumberland Which overheated, scattering radio activity over about 200 square miles and thereby making milk Produced in the area unsafe to drink. The Minister °f Power said that the accident could not happen at an ordinary atomic power station, but an inquiry has been ordered.
The Highland Light Infantry is to lose its identity in spite of violent protests in Glasgow. Marlon Brando has married an Indian girl who turned out to come from an Irish family in Cardiff. The Prime Minister has opened the Motor Show.
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