— Portrait of the Week — WHEN ONE DOOR SHUTS, another
opens. As the lighting in Katanga came to an end, Indian troops crossed the borders of Goa and over- whelmed the Portuguese garrison after a short campaign. Portugal complained to the United Nations, the Soviet Union made it clear that she would veto any attempt to take action against a move she had applauded immediately it started, and the British Government made it clear that, although Britain deplored Mr. Nehru's adven- ture, this country could not contemplate (what- ever treaty obligations might exist) taking up arms against a member of the Commonwealth. But there were very few to praise Mr. Nehru.
STILL, ANOTHER DOOR CLOSED. 'His' army having apparently been defeated, Mr. Tshombe agreed to meet the Central Congolese Prime Minister, Mr. Adoula. A truce broke out, but it was an uneasy one, and nobody could be sure how long it would last. The British Government survived censure by the Opposition on its Congo policy, and also the attacks by a number of its own supporters; its evasive tactics were much admired. at any rate by admirers of evasive tactics.
THE GOVERNMENT'S ECONOMIC POLICY, too, sur- vived censure by the Opposition, the Chancellor of the Exchequer making it clear that the wage Pause would continue until it stopped, or not, whichever should be the earlier. He also an- nounced that he would wait no longer for the Trades Union Congress to make up their minds about his Economic Development Council before appointing a Director-General, who was to be Sir Robert Shone, a member of the Iron and Steel Board. Meanwhile, Imperial Chemical Industries, in conditions of strictest secrecy spoilt only by leaks, announced that they were making a take-over hid for Courtaulds which, if accepted, Would result in the biggest merger in British in- dustrial history, and one of the biggest firms in the world. The Government said it would intro- duce decimal coinage--unless, of course, the difficulties proved overwhelming. which it was to be left to a committee of inquiry to determine.
THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANISATION
t, Council, meeting in Paris, displayed a degree of disunity by the members of the Western Alliance rarely, if ever, achieved before. There was dis- agreement about Katanga, nuclear policy and Berlin, all more or less openly arrived at. Little Nikita laughed and laughed and laughed. Mr. Macmillan went to Bermuda to talk with President Kennedy about this and that. They were expected to discuss a wide range of matters affecting Western relations, including nuclear tests and Berlin, and probably the Congo. But Mr. Macmillan was showing no sign of con- fusing his destination with Canossa.
A GANG TRIED TO STEAL £100,000 in wages from 4 bullion van, after ramming it, and were much Put out to find themselves being shot at, and in ?ne case hit, by the guard in the van. It transpired later that there had also been a policeman in the van, but that he had not been armed with a gun, °illy with an Alsatian dog. Alarm was expressed at the implications of the incident.
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itliE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE ran into trouble when he presented a supplementary Estimate for his department of £78 million, accounted for by 4,11 increase in support guarantees for farmers. wir. Stanley Evans, who once said, to his political cost, that British farmers were feather-bedded, Was not called on for comment, but loud laughter was heard, and it must have come from some- 'vne re.
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