Bage 5

?THE CHINA MATE, MONDAY, MAY 23, 11960,

The most unusual If Ike and Khrushchev

ambassador in the business

(AND THE BUSINESS IS WINE)

I role I think I would be a wine shipper.

I could live my life over again, and choose my

Not a small fry in the business, but a prince! among them like George McWatters.

I have reached this decision

after a tour with him round the

vineyards of Europe.

Geoage chartered an airplane

By

for the trip. We went to Dijon TUDOR JENKINS

for the burgundies, to Jerez for the sherry. Oporia for port and Bordeaux for the elarets.

Everywhere he went he was given the welcome of a pro- consul. Delicious meats and fabulous wines were produced.

-HIS CAREER

As a young man, McWatters

sherry. Here McWatters is him self the host. Two years ago, his firm built a guest-house at Jerez. It is called the Villa Bristol. a low white building around a patio.

The main room is big and raftered, and magnificent, with

a bar at one end; this is used for

entertainmets.

E

could

only swop their jobs!

Moscow.

FROM Washington to Moscow. From the cool, snowy_columns of the White House to the warm, rust-coloured turrets of the Kremlin.

From one pale of the Power axis of this Space Age world of ours to

the other.

That has been my voyage 'of discovery.

After Ave years of reporting the turists and turns of events

by ROSS MARK

in the capital of the United States, here I am living and re- I have found the Russian is little more patience and under- porting in the heart of the Sovlet a very human character, He standing. I feel. Union, the virtually "ustknown is as rude, as warmhearted. giant in power and machines as graceless, as charming as ar that must meet the tomorrows Américan, of us all.

This changeover, just 14 jet- smooth hours of dying has exploded many a misconception of mine.

SO SIMILAR

Probably both Russians and Americans will resent such a comparison. But it is so.

Having seen Mr K in action on his home ground, I wish the Western nations had somebody who hisses with energy as he does

I have found in my six weeks SOET LIVING

here that Russia is a dascinating middle at specgroes, backward- culture and infuriating

crassaese.

Often in America, I had the Impression of a giant that was coasting: not really trying hard grasp

had no ambition to enter the dining for conferences and for that strike one between America think it would be a tremendous enough. For instance. I could

wine trade. He was born in India, the son of a civil servant; from his early years at Clifton College his aim was the Indian Army.

This was strengthened during The war when he served with a

What are the main differences If it were humanly possible. I thing for the world if Ike and Nikita Khrushchev could swop jobs for three months.

of

The only picture is a painting and Russia, the two: mightiest

Powers on earth? of McWatters, done by a Spanish

At the personal level, in chats artist from photo-

toxi drivers, milkmaids. For. Mr Eisenhower would The painter has given with graphs. him sardonic eyes.

This is and university professor, Lave then find out what it means to wrong. They are blue and been astonished to find so few. have the driving necessity

EXAMPLE: In a laxi ride directing the future of practic- along one of Moscow's High- ally every facet of a vast nation, streets a big new Seagull Ike would find here there are no Kussia's Rolls-Royce-sped past golfing holidays, no weekend in in the white-painted lane a country mansion with prize

main thoroughfares for Russia's reserved in the middle of all black Angus cattle. top brass officials.

Punjab regiment on the North- sparkling, West Frontier.

McWatlers counted the politicians. Aullee and Mountbatten gave India away. His hopes were shattered. There was no Indian Army for him to

without THE RIGHT MAN

Join.

He felt bereft of a target. Then his family stepped in. His mother had been a Miss Harvey, member of an old Bristol sherry-shipping family. There had always been Harvey in the business, the supply of male Herveys was running out," says McWatters. So he was invited to join the

firm.

-new

"But

To this

objective McWatters applied himself with zest. He became the first scholar

of the Vintnere Company

beating 400 competitors, le worked hard in London and Bristol; and went to Spain to learn the practical vide producing sherTI!.

NEW PROCESS

of

Today, at 38, he is chairman of the enterprise, a vigorous and far-sighted leader in the wines of Spain, Portugal and

Many people meeting MaWat- ters for the first time wonder how it is that so gentle a man has become boss of a great enter. prise at such an early ige. Nepotism, they suggest.

Wrong again. McWatters is the right man in the rivit place, Look at his mouth. It shows courage and determination. His colleagues all say he has the brain to envisage expansion and. the driving force to carry the plan through. There is tragedy in his life, too. His wife died childless last year. Now he works harder than ever, has ro hobbies. He keeps his Bristol home going. But he spends a good deal of time in London; he stays at the Dorchester,

McWatters. tells me that after two defeats he has no intention of Gghting another election.

"You would have been bored in Parliament," I suggested.

"Perhaps," he says. "In any case I am too busy."

We visited a bodega ooned by Don Zoilu Ruiz Mateos probably the greatest living France his business has a stake sharry maker. It is in the

approaching £40 million.

by

With a cheery grin my driver said as he pulled over for the V.IP. There goes the work ing class."

This is the sort of WTS humour I used to get from my New York and Washington taxi-

drivers.

For Mr Khrushchev, dull ap- /preciation of the nagging res

traint of a jealous Congress and a snappish Press would be a rand thing. He would see just what trouble Ike hag in formulating policy.

Such an appreciation of each other's troubles might lead to a

why the American steel industry never worked at more than 70 per cent of capacity.

Here in Russia I get the fool- Ing of a giant pounding ahead.

Even though money, power, and treasure are being poured into space and capital develop

would tick off this ment, I

nation of sut country as ficiency. It will be quite some time before it is a nation of plenty in terms of social furni, ture.

That is how Ross Mark, our new

resident reporter in Moscow, reacted tto Russia after working for five years in America. And Christopher Dobson, who exchanged assignments with Mark after 15 months in Moscow, reported how similar is life for people at the two poles of the Power axis

women

It is the sort of thing America ship is a time waster, outmoded I stil have not got used to by Russia's Emergence and seeing old Russian ladies carry? lacks in its leadership today.

But after America I found accaplance as a front rank ing hods of bricks and yout any thines lacking in the Power.

women shovelling hot asphalt Soviet Union, I find it frustrate Mostly they agree. And my and

sweeping ing as a foreign reporter not tip is that one day, quite cigarette butts from between being able to discuss Russian studienty, this Press restriction railway sleeper miles out in the

counkyside. policy with Russian officials, will end. Here there are no briefings by One thing I envy ther Huslans Butethe impressive thing here - experte fot foreign

corres- Mr Khrushchev'sisuhisa ensopisthatmoxone pepitelands thirt pondents.

coftdrive and viste ejuffelengenopstof) Humdan today the complete Frankly, I don't think that affairs. I wish that President society. And that was SOKOM It is quite apparent at all the imderhings in the Foreign Eisenhower and his addes had thing that got under my skin in much grasped, as the Kremlin men did, America the inclination to turns here that it is Mr guidance to pass along, even if that world prestige rides the think that America: had reicheil Khrushchev's personal, vibrant they wanted to. For foreign flame-plumed 'space-rockets. direction which is the spur to policy, like most decisions taken Russia's bounding economy,

His Humalayan self-confidence permeates the atmosphere here.

And just 14 hours

ride

jet

away...

by CHRISTOPHER DOBSON

Washington.

I AM back in the United States after 15 months in Moscow. Back in the land of plenty from the land where they say they are going to have plenty. First impressions? The same as they always are, coming to America: elegant women, chrome and plenitude, bounce and hurry.

CENSORSHIP

suburban home, These are the rewards of success. The search for culture too is another parallel. Both nations And what are culture hungry, about the will to win?

THE URGE

Avenida Dr Fleming at San In Bristol. McWatters is

Lucar; a four miles from Jerez. Compare the Britain of Sir I can take a plane where I split-level known 2s an unassuming

"The Spanish people have Stafford Cripps's austerity days. want and when I want without business men with political

Britain of today. permission of the secret police. ambitions. He has been a City great veneration for Sir Alex-with the councilor. Twice he has fought ander Flemmg." Don Zoilu's son magnify the difference 50 times,

the dif- And yet despite all these you have There are streets and there told me. parliamentary elections In

between the Soviet differences I am far more fas- named for him in many of our ference Bristol South as a Tory.

Union and the United States. cinated by · the tremendous He is now a 5-stare six- towns."

That evening wwe were footer, the type you will see in

And for a reporter the digimilarity between the Ameri

cans and the Russians. ference is even greater, any rugby clubhouse on a win- joined at the Villa Bristol

Start with the fact that so ter's Saturday night. MeWatters the Duke of Primo de Rivera,

many Americans are in fact The urge not to play a game used to play for Gloucestershire, At 55, he is thicker in body

to crush But around the vineyards of and more florid of countenance

Russians. Hundreds of thou- for fun, but to win, Europe he is welcomed as than when he resigned his

sands of families from coun- the other side is the motivating sport In both greal trade ambassador. Every embassy two years ago on being Divorce in a London meal is a banquet, the wines named

tries which are now part of the force behind Court case. His present job is

Soviet Union have made their countries.

There poems.

is too the stranger last hundred years.

desire to be liked by everyone. Our first coll was for lunch as trouble-shooter for Harveys

way to the United States in the

Neither the Americans nor at the Chateau de Chambolle- in Spain, Musigny, in Burgundy. The "If there is any difficulty, we menu included local trout, roast write to the Duke and lamb, and April strawberries, Among the four. wines there was a magnificent Richebourg 1953 from the private cellar of the host, M. Grivelet.

be

straightens it out” I was told. He is a man of great influence in Madrid. Soon a new Harvey company will be formed Spain Tho: Duke

the

will

in

In Russia what the Com- munists call "control", and what we call censorship still prevails. Pertinent questions can lead to a request to visit the Foreign Ministry and a ticking off.

HERE, one is deluged with information. All day long the flood-tide of handouts pours through my office door.

STATUS SIGNS the Russians can really under-

They

And then look at the patterns of behaviour of the two peoples. arc both maleria list countries dedicated to

the machine, to the concept of the biggest and best.

stand

·why other smaller They countries dislike' 'them.

learned the still have not lesson that power brings envy. There are other things too.

the The drive for knowledge, preoccupation with gadgets. dove of children, song and dancing. love of country, extreme ensi- You have only to see the way tivity to lasul, suspicion of the Russians gather round the foreigners...the list is long But I am not grumbling for biggest, most glittering Ameri- and I think conclusive-the from it. I think that only hand-

can cars outside the Hotel Metro Russians and the Americans pole during the tourist season are alike. oul sent to me in Moscow came to realise that if they had their seven from

I have probably annoyed my the North Korean choice of car they too would Russian friends with this ergu- Embassy-in Korean.

and most meat, and upset my American buy the biggest

friend's too but, then I don't There are many other differ- glittering. ences of course. There is no

Success in both countries is really care. for even if I am an polloman at my door here to measured in monry and posses- ex-Muscovite in Washington. I book me in and out, there is signs. The Russian factoryam British, nobody listening to my telephone director with his status symbols And of course there is no one! calls to London ready to cut me of car and country house is the like a Briton. off when I talk about forbidden equivalent of the American Or is there?

executive, with his car and his

Before the meal we drank a appointed president.

Ask a question here and you But it con- After dinner in champagne-cassis.

Villa will be called to the State lained champagne. It was Bristol that night a group_bf Department, not for- a wigging made from sparkling white flamenco dancers came in, The but to be loaded down with burgundy with a touch of black-chain-smoking Duke presided forts and figures. currant wine.

aver the entertainment, -called for dances and ordered drinks At the chateau I heard of a new process that the Bur- for the troupe. gundians call sensationelle. It We talked about his hastens the speed of maturing years at the Embassy in Bel- wine so that it can be grave Square. It was a very bottled and drunk only 18 gay place when the Duke was months after the graves are there. "It has never been the harvested. This will be dong same since," I told him. for the first time with the 1950 We returned to the hotel harvest: The wines should be together, We shook hands, cheaper, too.

"Those were my happiest days" From Dijon we dow to Seville, zaid the Duke nostalgically, then on by road to Jerez for the "Very happy days."

the

subjects,

Candon Express Service).

NEEDED: first-class divorce laws...

W should be so forms of marriage 1 coully feel that THEN a judge gets around to suggesting that there

the faw has at last lost its way in its own labyrinth.

But Lord Kilbrandon of the not meant to be taken too

By J. D. POTTER

own hands to gain their free A private pye discovers them together at various places over

surprise, surpriseda an

do

of A. girl from one of the more ::plush-lined chibs may change up to 2200+ This will probably guarantee that you are seen period. This makes what they Scottish Court of Session has seriously, But obviously he They tell."lies, "give false hobel bedroom together. He call a safe association" and suggested to the Marriage realises his iden is no more evidence only because they adults his guilt, supplies the is reckoned to be judge-proof. Guidance Council that there

know that without this the law "giri's name, and the case goes,

Some of the girls regularly should be "accond-class mar- farcical than the present will bildly, Creasmoly, tin forward.

"oblige"" several divorce climis rlager in which divorce could divorce laws.

them together for ever."

There are scores of in a week. They are on the Although the yearly divorces have been cut since the 50,000 agencies in London who will agency's list like film extras. And they regard it as easy money,' arrange this sort of thing

be obtained on demand,

He said: "It would do away

with

Outmoded

the continual perjury The Mdge is using this postwar peak, more than 100 which is committed in crunch starting sugation as a weapon people every day are divorced at a price. They are often avery time people get married to try to hair through the in Britain. And many of them and take an oath which they archale jungle of laws which have not the least intention of are based on outmoded moralis- Ekeeping"

* Then he added: “But I don't

Helass murringe,"

manage it by trand.

stic ideas,

He knows that perjurynda nót

Answer hidden under the guise of

As long as the law insists that private investigators. Some one party must be "guilty" in a “are run by struck on law-, divorce case, this charade will continue.

Yet divorce is accepted in the

{Dummy (a yan.

sordid

Hancy the chances of a young only committed, in shuncha. It How Idolthegio HI Like They ans la tomb wili West - šapars" jeho÷ ways: Let's get mats the ommonest extrrency of Chia; 111foryou.candid vigour wwiła 5 Bhadana ibabƐ encotiradhe modern world. It no longer bears ized, derling, · Ilove you - the divorce courts. And that decide to part you'wili prob- drink singing hostesses driven a stigma for the other party:: Fmuch but let's have a second does not mesa-people-site-ably need to, and a dummy of the, streets by legialition Lord Kilbrandon", knows

wicked jars,ANITA

companion, It can be an expensive way as well as anyous slae that: But reputable citizens who what is a dummy come of agrounding layur ♬ freedom, second class marriagea nre. have had the misfortune to panion? She is a girl who is Rock bottom price in £10 for not the answer. marry unhappily are prepared, willing to spend be night with the fand probably £30 to 13But fast clase divoren – Lawa

and have the forced long a stagne do kipip in cheat the gatacy's story: Misooveriziget pla time to take the law, into their the divorce laws,

ber

Neither do I-inless it is hid tahances of helng physically

the

(London Express Biválós),

Ministry would have

here in the Soviet Union, is very much in the hands of Mr Khrushchev and his close

associates.

same halcyon state withere no

And I think there is where NO PRETENCE improvement was necessary

the Russians have the-edate on For the Russians accept the the Americans at this Home, eanquest of space as a good

For the Rudans are trying There are many other dreari- thing. Sometimes a little riling. their damnedest. some things here. There is this perhaps. One hears remarios "We can build lumiks, business of censorship. I have such as; fold

Russian why can't we build good sult- ahead from the vodka circuit. many of MY friends that I feel their censor- cases and "shoe?"

"They're one of the olden families in the county,”

REPUCTION

All in all, I look forward to reporting during the months

~London Asprin SAVING).

ASTOUNDING

OFFERS!

"He keeps making me astounding offeri!“

Share This Page