Portrait of the Week--
'THE RIDDLE OF WILSON'S vanished friends' was the leading press headline of the week, with one of the Great Train Robbers disappearing into thin air with twenty-nine and a half years still to serve. Police claimed they had uncovered a second break-out plot, and were suspicious of a Daily Mail personal column ad: 'W in W almost at breaking point. Cott 11.50 today.' The Sunday Express blamed Henry Brooke, but its argument that the break-out would be a Tory election liability was nullified by the riddle of the other Wilson's vanished friends, as the NOP Labour lead tumbled to 0.6 per cent.
*
WITH TWO MONTHS TO GO to the election, both Tories and Labour began the final assault on hoardings and press columns. Present betting: Tories 2-1 and Labour 11-4 on, though one book- maker commented that stockbrokers were buyng steel shares and betting on Labour so they could not lose. A warning of an economic crisis came from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, but there was more speculation over a US report that Mr. Butler would retreat to academic life after the election. Mr. Montagu (formerly Lord Sandwich) made clear he had no such thoughts by accepting the 'Tory. candidature at Accrington, and ex-Labour Minister Sir Geoffrey de Freitag was said to be a-wooing vacant Labour. seats.
*
ABROAD, this was Cyprus week, with all events conspiring against a settlement. Mr. Tuomioja, the UN mediator in Geneva, suffered a stroke, the UN seemed likely to increase its force on the island by 1,000, and Greece threatened to with- draw. all forces from NATO to fulfil her obliga- tions to Cyprus. General Grivas, former EOKA leader, became commander of the Cyprus National Guard, and the UN commander on the island, General Thimayya, hastily withdrew criticism of the Cypriot Government following a message from U Thant. Meanwhile, the Cyprus Government.promised to relax its food blockade of Turkish-Cypriot communities.
JOURNALISTIC SCOOP of the week was Lord Thom- son's meeting with Mr. Khrushchev, which the Sunday Times modestly described as a 'remark- able interview.' Mr. K showed his guest a' col- lective farm and revealed his-willingness to attend a summit conference. Sir Roy Welensky is to come to Britain again, and the Southern Rhodesian Appeal Court decided that the deten- tion of Joshua Nkomo was illegal. But the Government chose only to extend the area of his restriction. Senator Goldwater modified his remarks on extremism and President Eisenhower said he was with him all the way.
*
ANOTHER DISAPPOINTING WEEK for the BBC, with the Tam-ratings suggesting that viewers watch BBC-2 for less than one hour per week and with a rumour that Compact is coming off at Christ- mas. The Corporation promised a new pro- gramme for the election, Forum, in which, accord- ing to the Daily Mail, 'voters may speak as well as politicians.' Road deaths in May were a record for any month, the Duke of Kent became a free- mason, house prices have risen 48 per cent in the Past three years, and Dr. Beeching was reported to be cutting Sunday trains by half next month.
AT LAST THIS FIGHT for the Ashes ended, with rain symbolically washing out the last Test. The new soccer season began, and Liverpool won the first leg of their first European Cup match, beating K.R. Reykjavik 5-0. The bulk of Britain's ath- letes for the Tokyo Olympics were chosen, and South Africa was formally excluded from taking part.
Previous page
