1959-01-31 — Page 8

Suez Story

Disgrace?

THE CHINA

A

THERE are times when the theatre seems a drab and unconvincing affair compared to the drama of real life. And seldom have I felt that truth more keenly than when I recently attended the opening night of Macbeth at the Old Vic. The actors swallowed their words, the midnight hags were like three school teachers in a charade, and as for Macbeth himself, he swallowed so many of his words that it is no wonder he seemed to be suffering from violent indigestion.

As I sat through the interminable affair it was impossible to avoid comparing the production with the intense drama of the previous night when at Westminster an all-star cast played "The Tragedy of Suez" with Antony Head as Mercutio, with Randolph Churchill as a malignant off- stage Falstaff and Anthony Eden as an ageing Hamlet in retirement.

So intense and dramatic war the Parliamentary selling that

I would not have

been sur-

prised to And the ghost of Shakespeare walking.

on

tha rain-scaled terrace muttering to itself.

now the witching

hour of night when grave-

yards yawn .....”

The

London Letter

By SIR BEVERLEY ·BAXTER MP

fact that I dislike no humour. in his eyes nor in his

Randolph Churchill

cloes

nol volce.

lessen my admiration for him

台

a controversial journalist. flet the casualties are

To be the son of the great fined to the

not con-

men in uniform.

Winston is chrough to crush The Socialsts at Westminster

SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 1959.

The Bhat-X silli Ígye Soraya

For

by

The reasons which decided me to take this painful step of divorce have not changed. | must have an heir to the throne, and I must have one soon?

My Lonely Love

Soraya

THE SHAH OF PERSIA

Geneva.

ON the eve of his return from Genova, to his lonely palace at Teheran, the Shah of Persia—already gray-haired at 39 disclosed to me in private audience here that he would willingly remarry his ex-wife, the former Queen Soraya “if I could."

In the plainest possible words, and speaking with great emphasis, he made it clear that he is still in love with the Queen he divorced nine months ago after seven years of marriage because she could not give him an heir to the throne.

foreign countries do not draw

distisetion between the Conservative Party But as always in trmed con

and the Lubour Party, What they talk about is Britalu." It was so fair and sporting almost any man, yet Randolph Hercely attacked Prime Minister an opening to the debate that began to has made a way on his own Eden as a banglerancemy of some of the scowls

suddenly reckless gambler disappear but E

the steom und his own ability. pence and Despite his

Angurin element of high drama emerged, famous name he with human destiny.

dismissed could not get him adopted Bevan was comparatively allent antony Head, the as a Tory candidate even for a but there were Tories as well Steretary of State for

As we sat drinking orange hopeless scat, yet as a political who thought that Eden had net rose to make the opening speech

Juice in long-stemmed glasses commentator he is without 销 ed recklessly and unforgivcably, from the Tory Benches.

heavily embossed with his royal Foor Eden! On the night He had hardly been rival In Fleet Street.

on is

admitted cost-of-arms he with his foot for more than three minutes before he. few wife

Randolph's frankly that he is stil "pining to Jamales to try and when he brought

for her. recaver his broken health name into it by indirect retor2 he called me over to his code:

Therefore, no one was 17- prised when Lord Beaver- Standard re- brook's Evening cently announced that Randolph had decided to blow the gaЛe on the Sucz affair. His prin- Sir Anthony cipal target was Eden who was Prime Minister at the time of Bucz and whose under the

health Save way

tible in the members' Dining

.

Room To mock his forth.

War.

сод

"I should my that I have beem approached by several 'newspapers to write.or to say

the something about

which ; trovary

hax arison around this operation, but I believe that the proper place to say anything is in this House and not in a newa- paper."

coming trip to the Caribbean the Daily Mirror had ди nounced a contest that day in which the winners would he given

free journey and week's stay at a first class betel in Jamaica, Eden, however, strain. One might have thought

was not the that the younger Churchill only polilcul casualty. After would have been restrained by a period of time Antony Head wolves. aman whose won compassion for

to tho health and political carcer, The British conscience had to crashed to cruelly but Randolph be cempletely cleared from the obviously took the view that in stigma of Suez publie

One might have thought that no man can escape contumely

the story could have ended But this drama of West- there, and Indeed Suez did for a time but today.

stituency would adopt him. minster was not concerned solely fade after a time although it with the man who was Premier mist be admitted

the Therefore he has no other plat at the time of Suez.

thrown

that

鼗

The Tories cheered

very the loudly at this thrust into

itals of Randolph but it was effective than tozlerl. niors

In Parliament Randolph

no con-

was

form but the press. What whole misadventure pinyed about Antony Head who was psychological part in the sub- Secretary of State for War and, sequent disorders and therefore, responsible for the sinations in the Middle East.. British plans to attack Egypt and selzg

Capal, from

the

Nasser's reedy hands?

Here again the theatre invades

As far as contemporary poli-

ou that

Then Hend get down to the origin of the Suez affair and the previous events Which forced it to take the character that we all know. In dear, gasy logie he reminded the House give up Suez and how our gar- how Britain was persuaded to

Не admitted too that he faces the necessity to marry again perhaps even to make a loveless marriage because that is part

of being a King.

"I MUST marry again soob.” he told me. “It là my daly to my

he people." The mine duly, made it clear, which forced him cariler last year to end his mar- riage with Soraya.

I met the Shah at the home of his Ambassador-at-Large, Gen- erni Zahed, his strong-arm ex- Premier who saved his throne from the plots of Mossadeq. I

was

EL remarkable meeting. Never has a reigning thoxarch so frankly discussed the inner- most secrets of the heart.

The haunting shadow Soraya was everywhere.

THE AUDIENCE

Wallo I waitert in on ente Shah received Khalil Efendieri; chambers, rich with flowers, the Soraya's father, in the adjoining

τυπι.

.one.

delicate

As Told To

Frederick SANDS.

words that his "Livorce from the bleakly worded Soraya produced a more than ment of divorce. ordinary sadness.

"I am a sad, sad man," he kept repeating. "A man with a heavy heart.' I had only to look into his eyes and study the deep lines on his face to sco that it was true. He has aged" ten years since I saw him last, two sum- murs ago gally dancing and swimming with Sorays in the South of France.

THE GAY DAYS

I saw the beginning of this royal romance. Soraya was my neighbour when sho lived with er parents at Zurich. I admired her beauty when the Shah courted her when he sent her valuable presents of jewellery,

I was with him, too, in the carefree days long ago ai There was a day then, I re- Antibes on the French Riviera. membered, when be waited for

more than an hour for Rita Hayworth to Iunch with him. But she never came.

announce

It had said that the Shah had

been strongly and ananimously privy counsellors, including the Prime Minister, that the heir to the Persian throne. must be b direct offspring of the present monarch.

advised by the council of royal

the

And it had added that Queen Soraya had agreed to abide by the decision of the Shah “dis- regarding her personal feelings and

bonds of Affection uniting them, to preve. the High interests of the State"

Since then, told the Shan. thousands of words, hill been written, but each story kontra- dicted the rest We had gone round in well-informed ircles.

the world

the Throughout

a divorce had been debates as moral and political ime.

THE FACTS

I asked the Shah to to me the truth. "What are the fasts?" I asked.

The Shah, who speaks fuent English, told me: "I would t-

L

She had met Aly Khan, the 1ngly remarry Soraya if I copia: must take another wile aya would

I still love her dearly and duty to my country." night before at a ball of Cannes always I long for her. and she had forgotten her ap pointment with the Shah,

reality. Antony Head was born ties are concerned Suez was a risory was transferred to Cyprus to play Mercutio. He is olim, far off and almost forgotten From the British evacuation of his voice is sheer muste, und,

in history, until the Egypt to the stealing of the he is a sentimental satirist chapler

Mr Esfandiar! and flown Everything was in his faveer repressible Randolph announc Canal by the Egyptians was an

was writing the inevitable step. The only ques- specially from Cologne-he. là when he first entered Parlament

Persian Ambassador to Western On his way to high positih in blography of Anthony Eden and tion would be the timing.

Then he dealt with the Germany-to see the Shah. the State he tred the Primrose that it would first appear serial-

in Lord Beaverbrook's Lon subsequent ly

attack by 'tho Path Ho went to Elgh, then

talked. For 15 minutes they Nor British which, after all, don Evening Standard. to the Royal Military College at should there be any

was thalli Esfandiari's position as a criticism the substance of the debate. Persian, diplomats a

Those were the gay days and Sandhurst, married the daughter of his Lordship in connection, The first task of the RAF.

I was not prepared for the shock of the Earl of Shaftsbury, and with, the publication.

Ran was to eliminate the Egyptian

I received on meeting the Shah entered Parliament in 1945, dolph is the famous son of. & Air Force. That, he told the As I reported two weeks ago again. We are the same age, yet where ho spoke th an

famous father even though House, was brilliantly carried Soraya's mother has asked her he seemed to me to have aged tractive ironic melancholy that was immediately and immensely many people would prefer out and the Egyptian Air Force daughter not to see the Shah far beyond his years.

word "notorious" as applied to was duly destroyed.

upon any prelente til her Here, written on his face, was effective.

Churchill Junilor.

Then he furned to the next | father'al position is mintie clear the legacy of that solemn word 'that Thus

it cameto

So the articles duly appear item of military attackin

Prince Sadruddin "daty||—le Inheritance et a Then Nasserized the Suez in the Standard but oddly assault on Port Said when Canal, and the Government of enough Kandolph chose to a minimum damage "I went to

with younger son of the late Aga man and a King who had de- Britain and Free decided tack the conduct of the Sicze Gene Kelchficy hot to rived to pay hila respecti

King and himself & Persian at BESTCSRive Beton, it was left Invasion and not its morality the reason | reported, G thit When the line came for me to Antony He's the Minister According to him the attacks very and Imaginave writes, to enter the Shana heavily War to produce the plan was badly conceived, bedly - Mr Randolph Churchill -- whỏ chipeled room I had a shock. At which was to strike down Nas-ganised and bedly carried out can be bracketed with || Edgur once he made it piiri to me in ser and seize the Canal tétore in fact the whole plan stanki, Allan Poe for Imagination Russia could intervent.

There were immediate and but to see whether the hitborne clamorous demands by the so- drop could be made earlier, lo cialists for

overcome the beach fences Parlamentary

was on and eliminate the naval bom asdebate. And since It

which would in- Prime Minister had to take the very eve of the adjourt bardment

and inent what could be better for evitably cause inore destruction supreme responsibil!iy as an ex-officer in the it the Socialist/ Opposition than to at Port Sald That was dond world war, he was no amateur, reveal not only the wickedness an

Sir

Anthony

M

pass

Eden

but the incompetenci

the airborne drop went of the absolutely without in hifce and

in military affairs. Therefore Tory Government? Noren was 100 per cent successful. The these two old EtoniansEden and Head-barned the mid anyone take exception to that landing went in lexictly on time Parliament and the objective was coined as The VITY word night oil as they perfected

comes from parier: (to peak) planned. The follow-up went as me the Socialists planned. The debouching from bad forgetion of and believe

were ready to speak very loud the bottleneck of

their plans. But Eden

Port Said

had decided to ignore one man, and clem. Unfortunately only was going according to plan..."

a very imporunt man-General an hour and a half could be Eisenhower who was on

eve

the given for the debate which

: of a Presidential election. meant that only the top liners Antony Head 'pausid tar a Knowing Eden ai Ido-lą bril- were likely to be called Haut tactical politician am

moment. Then in slow, krim The Charriber was crowded worth he anished the sentence: convinced that he had decided and there was tenseness in the "when the operation vas, top- to present Eisenhower with air yet once more wo saw that pod "

fait

decency of British

nightly or inherent accompli. Į

Antony, Head, although near- wrongly Eden believed that the

politics. The Socialists wantcu Ing the end of his keech was French and the British could go to score against the Government not yet anfthed with Randolph it alone. Once they had seized but they did not want to injure Churcfull. He had come to the

· the Canal and

overthrown the good name of Britain her- Inat few words and there Nasser Ameries could hardly đo se. Thus the first Sodallet not a moverfient or a bound in anything else but support 1:0 Western Allies.

So there came the famous

Franco-British serial EWOOD with the Israeli. forcas ready 10 give support if they were want- ed. Nothing stood in the way but a poor, Tagged Egyptian Force, yet the invading army stopped short of their objective.

Why? Why? Why?

That was the question which I put to General Keightley the Commander of the British vading force when he returned to London and I mol Ali ntn private huncheon, · His reply wis ime: complete' as it was laconio, A**The politicians blew the whirile

too soon." He enlied as he attend the worda hốt here will

Экст Fp

wę

opened with

as there, the Chamber as, quietly and T

without emphasis, het 'kaldJATI *I believe that

the truth bellove

that history. {lookiiht about Bir Ankeny Eden in back, will tegard this coltode

– that he was.and ramston in in -Mr....Faridolph -Churchill'à honourable man. What Ran- journalistic career as a disgrace dolph Churchil wrold about to the proud nano bài họ him that he did not know bears. I believe it what ne bại should have known. Bir ham said about effe forces anes Anthony gave great servies to the Incompetence ha incapacity: his country, and sit of va send of the writica pot to set will him a memago of hope that he cœndernnadi but know also, his health will be restored and that nothing will bie spirite rogained, We were than năm h should clear the good nime Anthony" Elen half" of Bir Anthony Edlen, bat Chis That was an

“SE ONLY DRAS DÍ she nicer. The apicuval from the⠀ zamenika star la ta dear tre tudi not a pokurki name of this sountry boostas: the... Söcialista, ja "Trem all skins is vrtićum shoes aine verduide die somamne moer man ku had bin AGE**

condemner. Bir

40.

ront of

Kent-from

"But you know your self that the very re- Bons which decided me so take this painful step of divorce have not change I must have an hoir the throne, and I must have one 8000,"

we

Kuture

п

Soraya-the ex-queen the Shah pines för. /

have automatically solved his problems. Was there, I wondered,

The Shah hedged at the word already chosen to be, "automatically." woman come Persia's

queen. The Shah said "no."

He had no one firmly in mind as his third wife and Queen but even as he said this he again made it plain that his only true love still belongs to Soraya... the_equally lonely woman who

"This," he said, “would have required basic changes in our will only constitution-which recognise a direct mile descend ant of the Shah as beir to the throne.

there But * Tenst would have been a chance.

"As it turned out, the Princess

the immediate problem did not father's house in Cologne.

arise. liberally sacriford his private word came upon the now lives the days out in her gave birth to a daughter so that contentment for his Dublla re- "The

reasons are the sam I mentioned the story which "I look forward with impat- sponsibliliilės.

now as they were then.” he originally emanated from Cairo enco to seeing my grandchild. Until now the only official went on. "They were fate rea- that the birth of a son to the yet as rouch for my daughter. statement was the unhappy sons, and I had to choose be- 18-year-old daughter of his firat kako se for my own, x with it document of nine months ago

tween duty and love. Now, I marrlage-Princess. Shipnoz could have been a boy."

MIKOYAN'S NEXT DATE-BY JAK

As our talk, ended a fleet of sleek, black, latest model Chrys- ler limousines drew up outsido the window. It was time for Shah to leave for the dentist. whom he has visited dally during his Geneva stay.

the

THE MOMENT

On the last day of his two wécks holiday in Europe ha went to a hospital for a .com- plete check-up. He saw the same doctors to whom he submitted or a ter days' examination:two Fears ago when he tried to de- ermine whether or not he was ip blame for the childlessness Cof ide matxingo With Sóreyn.

The doctors had to tell him Jhen that they could and no evidence that the resions lay with the Bhati.

é That was the moment, when Ne kasaw that divorce was in- "avitable, ⠀

# That, I believe, win when be realised the private price its would have; to pay for divorce.

But our new dona att tank. who constaŋily talks of "MY loneliness” hilly relise how great a price that wast