THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, TUESDAY, JANUARY
The Churchill Story: 16th Instalment ABDICATION CRISIS
HROUGHOUT the years
other hand was needed to rule
1932 to 1939 Winston By Colin Frame the wand
Churchill was a prophet without honour in his own country.
He saw more clearly than anyone the unfolding menace of
the King's enemies; and just when it seemed that Parliament would rally, to his banner, he Lost their support by speaking as the King's friend.
Few people realise the effect that Churchill's championship of King Edward VIII during those dramatic days before abdication in December, 1936,
had on his own Parliamentary prestige.
Baldwin's Admission
But by then the policy of appeasement, which Churchill "Order" came from all sides had sensed was foredoomed
of the House.
*** *
he shouted, "If the
House resists my claim it will only add more importance to any words that I may use."
in
He asked his question silence and there was no reply.
and had bitterly opposed, -ħad alienated many another friend- ly ark floating upon the dark waters of the and troubled
pre-war world.
He strode out with TH
a face of thunder.
His Brains Trust
for
HIS is no place to reiterate the Churchill speeches of those seven tragic prewar On December 10, when the
years, They are all on record, Abdication was signed, he ad- speeches which by their wis dressed the Speaker in adom, their accurate analysis of quieter Commons: "Sir, in this what was happening in Ger- Prince there were discerned man arsenals, their warnings qualities of courage, of sim- of wrath to come and their de- plicity, of sympathy and above
mands
energetic action all of sincerity, rare and pre- bear the test of history. cious, which might have made his reign glorious in the annals Minister Baldwin was a dis-of our ancient monarchy." credited man. After two years This tribute is returned by of warnings, two years of
that of the Duke of Windsor statistics finng at him by
who wrote a decade later: "I Churchill on the relative states
am proud that of all English- of British and German air
men it was Mr Churchill who strengths, two years of sooth-
spoke up to the last for the ing syrup by the Government, King, his friend." he had at last admitted: "I was completely wrong. We were completely misled."
IN November, 1936, Prime
In November, 1986, Stanley Baldwin made his amazing ad- mission that if he had told Ger- electors the truth about many and had rearmament he would have
insisted
on
Seldom has so much truth been heand by so many and heeded by so few.
Where did Churchill get his information which was so much more accurate than What officially admitted? To Chartwell in those years
went a steady stream of visi- abroad--politicians, To the Duke it falls to de- tors from scribe his last glimpse of Chur-soldiers and refugees. chill at this time. (The Duke's memoirs are to be published by Cassell and Co).
Sad Broadcast
Churchill was in continuous correspondence with men like M Blum, the French Premier ("Do I have to learn about French artillery from you?” Blum asked Churchill, aghast at his knowledge) and M Flan- din, Foreign Minister at the reoccupied
lost the election the biggest on December 11, the day indictment of a party system
he made his Abdication broad- (and of Baldwin in particular).
cast to the nation, one of the of modern times.
saddest and yet most human broadcasts fr the history Cöf radio.
time the Germans HE
E mched with the ex-King
"
Consultation
and from the trade unions,
a rearmament
the League of Nations,
the Rhineland..
He formed his own Brains Trust Professor Lindemann (scientist and now Lord Cher- well), Desmond Morton (an
Churchill gave House, showed beyond the extent to which had rearmed.
died
and
doubt
ATURDAY EVENING,
1981.
EDITORE PRESS SERVICE, INC.-NUEVA YORK
Staut
"Why don't we ever have things like Boned Jumbo Squab Suvaroff at home?"
FOR THE BUSINESSMAN
Malayan Rubber Shipments To Russia Probed
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT)
London, Jan. 8. Shipments of rubber to Russia, China and other Iron Curtain countries are under discussion by high-level officials in Washington.
American criticism of Britain for allowing Malayan rubber to be exported to Iron Curtain countries has recently increased as a result of the
Y December 3, date of a He saw the broadcast in type Army Intelligence officer) and BY
and suggested two alterations. Ralph Wigram (nising star at massive rally at the Albert One, transparently from the the Foreign Office who Hall dedicated to Churchill's
Churchill whose own happy before war broke out). policy of "Arms and the Cove-home life had borne him up
at his For several weeks, nant, men from all panties amid crisis and criticism, was
City request, the brains of a dismayed at Baldwin's weak-"He has one matchless bless-lems of German finance
the reference to the new King firm tackled the statistical prob- ness, were ready to press for ing enjoyed by so many of give teeth to the Covenant of you and not bestowed on me produced figures which, when United States Government's decision to control all
them to the purchases of natural rubber. a happy home with his wife and children." But that evening at Fort
Germany American manufacturers are Although Russia bought about Belvedere,
Then the Duke watched him King Edward's
finding strong support in Gov-| 23,000 tons of Malayan rubber as he took his leave, Churchill, home, consultations and argu- stick in one hand and hat in
In 1936, refused a secret ernment circles for the view in July and August alone her ments were proceeding and the other, gazed at the young session, he led a deputation of that shipments. of Malayan decisions were being taken
through eyes man
brimming Privy Councillors to Baldwin rubber to Russia and ber which were destined to restore
to give chapter and verse of Baldwin to the highest pin over with tears.
Slowly he began to tap the German arms and intentions in satellites should be banned now
that supplies
to American in nacle of popularity-his self-rhythm of a rhyme on the floor sessions lasting six to eight
dustries are strictly controlled, assured handling of the Ab- with his stick. And, almost to hours. Little came of it, al- dication was in marked con-
he recited
facts given himself,
Marvell's though the
American manufacturers trast with his fumbling of life-lines on the execution of King hardly disputed.
have succeeded in winning over and-death issues in foreign Charles: affairs--and
an important section of Ameri- to dash a cold
Eden Resigns
can public opinion and have wave of
rebuff and criticism
| inspired a great deal of vitu-. into. Churchill's face as he rose
No
TO wonder, in phrases which
perative Press comment. in the House.
Whatever the pros and cons of.. the Abdication
drama, Churchill's part in it was sim ple, straight-forward and com- pletely typical of him.
H
Old Friend
He nothing common did or
mean
"Finest Hour” ·
WHEN he spoke to the House after the fall of France in 1940 he used it in the speech in
were
the news Churchill could mot
purchases in five months from July to November showed slight reduction on the rate of her purchases for the first hat. of last year. Even so Russta bought some 66,000 tons of Malayan rubber in 11 months to November. At average prices **were Worth these shipments about £20,000,000.
SHIPMENTS TO H.K.
Malaya exported nearly 37,000 tons of rubber, worth £14,000,- 000, to Hongkong between Jan- uary and November last year.
Hongkong also Imported nearly 2,000 tons of Indonesian rubber in the same period.
Upon that memorable scene,
as might stand
a cruel Four years later that same
Chur-epitaph to the Baldwin Go-
Since July China has entered Americans are also very · côn= quotation sprang from chill's lips
called to girdle the free vernment, Churchill
it the rubber market as a large cerned about the amounts of world and to gird its loins.
"decided only to be undecided, buyer. Malayan export figures rubber which are being shipped resolved to be irresolute, ad-show that Chinese purchases to Hongkong. They fear these amant for drift; solid
for expanded from about 20 tons in shipments will find their way fluidity, all-powerful to be im- the first half of 1950 to over into Chinese Communists hands. poterit.”
30,000 tons between July and Within a year of Chamber-November. The value of these E had known King Edward
lain's arrival at No 10 Down- shipments based on average as. la boy. Twenty-five which he urged Britons so to ing - street Anthony Eden re- prices was over £3,000,000. years earlier he had stood on boar themselves that men signed. the battlements of Carnarvon would say always: "This was That night after receiving Castle as Home Secretary while, their finest hour." with ancient ceremony, a ¡Conscious that what was sleep. In the years to come golden-haired Prince of Wales done could not be undone, and throughout the war he been welcomed to bis faithful to the principle of a never had difficulty in sleeping Principality.
monarchy, awed
but not and walking refreshed. But When this boy, now King, frightened by. the gathering then, from midnight till dawn had to face almost alone the clouds of war, Churchill swift- he lay awake. problem of giving up a throne ty leapt to the support of the "There seemed," he writes or the woman he loved it was new King and
"The once in
Gathering Storm," natural he should turn to an more to the task of warning "one strong young figure old friend.
his countrymen of the dangers standing up against long, dis- abroad,
of mal, drawling tides drift
surrender, The day after his Corona- and
of wrong tion, King George sent him measurements and feeble im-
friendly and encouraging pulses... Now he was gone.' letter which, in his first
had
Publicly Churchill pleaded with Baldwin and the nation for time and patience. He. felt the King was rushed into a decision. Privately, by & quiet side in Fort Belvedere, pleaded with the King not to abdicate; certainly not to ab- dicate in a hurry,
1
turned
being
volume on the last
war
fire- he
The Gathering Storm"
Co)-Churchill describes as
(published by Cassell and M
On December 7 he rose in the House to repeat his plea that no
step should be taken until Parliament had been con- sulted.
:
Munich
"
[UNICH followed-and Chur- chill's "We have sustained
a "gesture of magnanimity a total and unmitigated defeat" towards one whose influence rang
harshly
above
Chamberlain's
the
at that time had fallen to hysterical cheering which fol-
lowed zero." There Churchill does himself in our time.", am injustice. At that point the battle for rearmarment which
Inome
**Peace
August, 1939, found Chur- chill on holiday taking his His old friend Sir George since 1932 he had fought al- last look at the Rhine for Lambert, who sat beside him, most single-handed was as
than five years. He tried to stop him" entreat good
heneve
nevar met Hitler, although won, although “he as you not to
cannot would have liked to have seen
in all those years he had re- you feel the temper of the more urgency. Where his in-
ceived several invitations to House?"
fluence had fallen, partly be ag so. Distance Tent dis-
enchantment to his view.
intervene;
"I am not afraid of this cause of his championship of
House grunted Churchill
through clenched teeth. "When
the ex-King, was in advocating firm collective action.
a
I see my duty I speak out Baldwin retired clearly
The minube he was on his Prime Win
of disapproval hit de
whose ark
In the House
Fant
STANDARD BRIDGE By M. Harrison-Gray
Dealer: West. North-South game.
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6
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This freak hand from a duplicate pairs' contest of eight tables shows the defen- alve value of the triple raise. Although Six Clubs is a cast- fron contract, not one North- South pair obtained a plus
Ecore.
West opened One Heart and Hast scorning the approach bid of One Spade which is pointless on this type of hand, jumped to Four Hearts South's - Five - Die- mond call was doubled by West and passed out, 88 6 retreat to the shorter. Club -suit might have proved even Znare expensive with the danger of being, forced and Coritrol At most
The British view is that ban- of Malayan ning shipments rubber to Iron Curtain countries them from will not prevent obtaining supplies from other sources notably Indonesia and Siam.
United States officials see this argument but they are under strong pressure from their own manufacturers who must now obtain Government Licence to get the rubber they need.
The - prominent. Democrat, Senator Herbert O'Conor, Maryland, who is heading senatorial committee vestigating exports ∙to Irad Curtain countries, told the London Daily Express respondent in Washingtan that his Committee is to make la strict examination of British exports and re-exports Russie.
has ev
"Sit dow
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