Portrait of the Week
INTERNATIONAL interest this week has been concen- trated in two main areas—the Middle East and Germany. ■ The announcement that Britain and America did not intend to finance the Aswan darn project has caused some annoyance in Cairo, and there are still conflicting reports as to whether or not Russia intends to take their place. Mr. Shepilov, the Russian Foreign Minister, is reported as having been rather cool about any such idea, while, on the other hand, Colonel Nasser and Cairo radio still display outward confi- dence that all manner of things will be well. In Germany the first result of the agonising reappraisal of NATO which has been continuing over the last few weeks is that Dr. Adenauer has held an ambassadors' conference and is reported to be alarmed about suggestions that Allied forces in Germany should be reduced. A cynic might comment that Germany is the one NATO country not yet feeling the strain of rearma- ment and that the German attitude over occupation costs was not calculated to help any British statesman in favour of keep- ing the Army of the Rhine at a strength of four divisions. It is also evident that there is a great deal of confusion about what is actually wanted in the field of Western defence. A reduction of forces in Germany might be no more than a simple bringing into line with modern conditions of a defence pattern which has become outmoded. and need not necessarily represent a reversion to the peripheral strategy periodically threatened by the Pentagon. Sir Anthony Eden's speech in the Commons debate on Monday perhaps marked a reopening of the German question. He said that a European security system was not conditional on a German adherence to NATO. This, however, has not yet received any favourable reaction from the other side of the iron curtain. The only other notable development produced by the foreign affairs debate was the Prime Minister's announcement that Great Britain would be ready to consider consultations about the best way to end or limit nuclear test explosions.
Behind the iron curtain the attitude of the Polish Govern- ment towards the post-Poznan situation has been still more clearly defined by Mr. Ochab, the Secretary-General of the Polish Communist Party, who said that the Poznan riots were due to bureaucratic inefficiency and indifference to the suffer- ings of the workers. In Hungary the resignation of Mr. Rakosi and the appointment of Mr. Geroe as Prime Minister have been followed by the expulsion from the party of General Farkas, the ex-Minister of Defence. He is accused of crimes against Socialist leiality, but in reality seems to have been associated with the more liberal approach of Mr. Nagy, the ex-Prime Minister. The latter's position is, indeed, the main question- mark on the Hungarian scene.
Elsewhere in the world the old trouble-spots keep breaking out. In Cyprus Lord Radcliffe continues to dree his weird and has, indeed, dreed it not unsuccessfully. He has met Greek mayors, which has angered the Greek Government and, pre- sumably, EOKA. In Algeria twenty-four French soldiers were killed in an ambush while drinking coffee, and the reference to Algeria in the communiqué after the Brioni meeting between Marshal Tito, Mr. Nehru and Colonel Nasser has understand- ably annoyed the French. In the Gold Coast Dr. Nkrumah has been returned to power with a considerable majority, but in Nigeria the quarrel between Dr. Azikiwe and the Colonial Office continues. The Colonial Secretary announced in the House of Commons that a commission of inquiry into the dispute was to be set up under the chairmanship of Sir Stafford Foster-Sutton, the Chief Justice of Nigeria. In America Presi- dent Eisenhower's injudicious remark about just managing to keep going has started off the old controversy about his health, while Mr. Stassen's announcement that he would support Governor Herter of Massachusetts rather than Mr. Nixon for Vice-President has put another fly into the ointment so care- fully prepared by the Republican Party bosses.
At home the strike of the BMC workers has given rise to some stirring scenes, the like of which have not been seen in the Welfare State for some time. About half the men concerned reported for work on Monday, but the unions have been doing their best to extend the strike and have declared BMC products and spare parts 'black.' Rather ironically it was also announced this week that car exports were back to thirty thousand.
Miscellaneous news includes great doings in the Civil Service. Sir Norman Brooks is to become head of the Treasury, while Sir Roger Makins shifts from being ambassador in Washington to take charge of long-term economic planning. Sir Harold Caccia replaces him there. The fourth Test sees Sheppard back in the English team. This has been the wettest July since 1856. In France more prehistoric paintings have been dis- covered in the Dordogne area.
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