THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH,
Concluding The Churchill Story
MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 1951.
7
-116-
AN ELDER STATESMAN
By Colin Frame
"He
he 35
Churchill of the
THE swiftness with which
merely the Winston
Churchill
hustings, but glimpses of the stepped from VE day to scholarly cap and gown of the case-Churchill under
old war leader taking his General Election day in universities of at least
a huge seven sombrero and two 1945 and re-entered the nations anxious to confer de-busy
umbrellas painting while Italian hurly-burly of politicsgrees on him.
police throw stones to nas written startled many people.
keep history, photographers lived history and made his-
away; Church. tory," said a professor at Oslo
ill gazing proudly at his lion Rola, which has done honour invested him with a
to its owner by siring 30 cubs; Churchill natting his race- horse; Churchill ill green trunks with pink clambering out of the ea and grumbling to those anxious to take his picture "I'm no bath- ing beauty";
Churchill, only recently, with his wife the Old Vie receiving vocifer- ous greeting.
They expected him to retire gracefully, full of years and honours, into the role of Elder Statesman, robed in ermine and crowned with a coronet.
To see Churchill stalking 1,000 miles of Britain from platform to platform was, to these people rather like wak- ing up to find Nelson had left his column to stand on
soap - box in Trafalgar Square.
doctorate in 1948.
Nearly 30 towns and cities have made Churchill their free citizen .in those five years, ranging from ancient Athens to the New World's Cuba, and most recently Copenhagen.
Nearer home, in addition to politics, he has for a man in But whatever the pros and his seventies had. an immense- cons, this return to politically busy time. Four of his struggle was in many ways lengthy books on the last war typical of one who has always have been completed. In five sought the front line of human
Churchill has
written affairs, there to exchange shot (that is figurative, for he still for shot with the enemies of
works largely by dictating his beliefs.
to secretaries) about as many words as are in the Bible.
The Garter
Sice seen him rampaging these post-war years have
the country vigorously at clec- and very few of tion times, those who vote against him would not be proud to do him personal honour.
After the victory the King offered him the Garter, the oldest order of chivalry and one reserved by the King for those he specially wishes to honour. Churchill begged to be allowed to decline it,
So it is still Mr. Churchill, just as in his teen-age days, it was Mr Gladstone. Churchill remembers
how
people used to go to the Com- mons to see Gladstone in his last masterful years. He look- ed like some great eagle, sharp-eyed, aloof, powerful. In The Commons NOWA
JOWADAYS thousands fack to the Commons just to
Churchill in that
place which still seems his home,
They
see
years
Sturdy Fitness
VER his lifetime he has had published, at a conservative
estimate, four times as many words as Shakespeare.
Since the war alone he has earned at least £100,000 with his pen.
Two short bouts of chesty illness have kept him to his bed in these years, but almost daily the news tells of his
sturdy fitness.
: Only last month he flew back from a lively visit to Denmark, flew to Newmarket to see his horse
win and then
flew off again to Blackpool to take part in the Conservative conference-a 24-hours which many younger men would regard as wearing. Of all his speeches of the post-war years the one considered most im- portant and the one that struck the keynote of all that have followed was that made at see him stumping Fulton in the United States in slowly along those historic March, 1946, corridors. They watch him as he sits, often glum and glower- ing, in his seat, the light shin- ing on that massive head. They listen as he stands to speak, and they fall under the en- chantment of his words.
All this people come to see, not that Churchill is yet so old as was
Gladstone, but be- cause he has become a legend, holding more magic in his name than Gladstone-ever did.
Honoured Abroad
6 AM a child of the House
of
In it he coined the metaphor that has become the catch- phrase of today's international politics. He said: "An iron cur- tain has descended across the Continent of Europe."
In that speech he urged for the United Nations, much as he had done ten
years earlier for the League armed force capable of asserting of Nations, an
international authority.
His Idea
HE suggested that each nation should for a start dedicate of Commons" he is fond a number of air squadrons to saying. And no one can UN service.
doubt
that in these post-war Today, four years later, un- years, although deprived of der the stress of war in Korea, power, he is happy there, alert a start has been made on this to the intricacies of debate, idea.
Also in that speech he sensitive to the varying moods pleaded, as one with Anglo- of members, knowledgeable | American blood in his veins, over what may or what not be said.
between Britain and the United years,States.
may for a "special relationship"
But these post-war however buffeted he has been on the political scene
IF
Many Lives
pes
at
TF either at home or abroad,
the crowds
press
hardly upen him, who can blame them?
For we who have followed over the past Tour weeks the tale of this extraordinary human being can hardly deny to him, whether or not we agree on much that he has done, a quality of great- ness verging on the epic and the legendary.
We talk glibly about rich life" or "a full life."
Into the lifetime of this man is packed half-a-dozen lives, each rich in achievement. Somie men are well satisfied to have had the honour once of election to Parliament: Churchill has fought seventeen elections and won twelve of them.
tion satisfied if they become a
Some men,
feel their ambi-
Minister; Churchill has held every Ministry of importance
with the exception of Foreign
Affairs.
on
Some men seck a peerage. Churchill has refused one.
Some centre their ambitions sport; as a boy Churchill was unrivalled as a fencer, as a young man he played No 1 for one of the finest polo team's in the world and in his old age he has become a steward of
Colonist II. of one of the most the Jockey Club and owner in
regularly successful racehorses in the country.
Pictures In Academy COME would be satisfied If
successful
they could paint just one picture: in 1947 there were two Churchill pic- tures
on view in the Royal Academy.
Some spend their lives trying to write a best-seller: Churchill. has, quite apart from many books of collected speeches, nearly 20 original books to his
Game.
of
Old ones like his biography Lord Randolph Churchill and his studies of Marlborough will be read with delight by future generations; of
his books two world wars will be historically immortal. "Their welcomed
3,000 Speeches Finest Hour" was at home, have given Chur- MANY people read into this with the largest first impression
did
chill great honour abroad. As the European who most to woo victory and as the
man whose voice made bear- able the chains of Nazi slavery Churchill emerged during them as the idol
of the occu-
pied countries.
"I deem it a noble task," he said in his 1943 broadcast on post-war problems, "to take part in reviving the fertile genius and in restoring the true greatness of Europe" and the years 1945 to 1950 have seen him bent to that task so that there.
Europe,
-220,000-of any book in peacetime. It was sold out in a few hours.
Some men would consider career crowned with success if they were promoted to command
regiment; Somé
IV the suggestion of a treaty, and he was criticised for it, in mind was more that relation- but it is clear that what he had
and makes them superfluous- ship which goes beyond treaties their
the relationship of a family.
By such
has done so. speeches, here Churchill
a
on
and abroad, Churchill has
men live for fighting; Chur- emerged
chill has been in action in four during the five years as a great international continents and has risked his statesman, whereas
in seven before life
campaign over the war he might have been half-a-century. regarded as merely a great
Gothic Arch patriot.
a memorial SOME desire No living man has so many their death: Churchill, who now stands at full-length
thoughtfully
will Strasbourg a 'memorial to it in pared speeches to his
pre-
have his in the history the Council and
credit. books, can now pass Assembly of Biographer Lewis
daily to Broad puts the new Commons under a their number at about 3,000 Gothic arch which bears his . Delighted ́and' cheering which is more than one a week name. crowds there, in Paris, in throughout the whole of his To call his "a full life" is Oslo, in Holland, where they political half-century.
to borrow from his store strewed his path
of with tulips
understatements. In the post-war years Chur-Churchillian and in Copenhagen most
rechill has consolidated not only No wonder he told an Ameri- cently have borne witness to his place in history-even· a
can who asked him the regard the European
how he has tyrant does that-but for him and in
felt about winning a bet on the also in 1948 he wasthe hearts of his
Kentucky Derby "I have had countrymen, made President of Honour of for he has his share of personal greater thrills in my life." the Congress of Europe in admiration from Holland.
the Left
This is the last 35
chapter in well as the adulation of the "The Churchill Story." Yet. Right.
happily, it is not the end. For the tale is still being written. And on the last day of Novem- have ber Mr Churchill had his 76th shared with affection not birthday.
Made History
IN
the past
five years
the
Taking His Ease dunce's cap of 60 years ago PEOPLE everywhere has been. exchanged for
the
Cy The American Magazina by Hey Dolina
COITORS PANDO SanVICE, INC.-NUEVA YORK
"John ***
FOR THE BUSINESSMAN
Defence Stockpile
Buying Dominates
The Wool Market
Sydney, Jan. 14.
United States buying to build a defence stock- pile of wool is dominating the Australian market, a wool trade authority said here today.
this competition,
He said that because of market prices are expected to soar beyond the
present record level.
Textile Display At BIF
The
Londen, Jan. 14.
complete ground floor at the Earl's Court section of the 1951 British Industries Fair is to be devoted
the biggest textile display ever staged in this country.
Textiles are expected to be the big attraction at the Fair which will be attend- ed by thousands of over- seas buyers, many of whom will stay on to attend the Festival of Britain.
The BIF opens on April 30 and lasts till May 11.- London Express Service.
STANDARD BRIDGE By M. Harrison-Gray
0004
Dealer: South North-South game
W.
4000
3 2
N.
උපස
742
◆ K 10 8 5
07654
J 10 3
7 3
3.
VKI 75
◊ J 6 3642
AK 10 8
.942
K 10 8 5 3 9 A
In a duplicate pairs' con- test this deal was played by North-South at most tables in a hopeless contract of Three No-Trumps.. In one case however. South bid One Diamond. West One Spade. and North's raise to Three Diamonds led to a well- Judged bid of Five Diamonds by South
West leds to East's J and South's & A, and declarer was in trouble when West failed on the lead of a trump to Dummy's A South came back to his hand with K. cashed K, and followed up with 8. which West care- lessly failed to cover, although South was marked with 10 after East's play of J at trick 1 6 was discarded iri Dummy and East had to ruff with his winning
South's trump contract was now safe.
London Express Service.
Buyers abroad were being told that they would have to raise their offers if they wanted wool. Normally, the United States demand is only for fine spinning wools, suitable for a high-class civilian trade.
in
Now, they are buying heavily coarser types which are undoubtedly for defence pur- poses, the authority said.
He added that Japan was also buying cross-bred topmaking wool of a similar quality and paying for it in Australian cur- rency. It was almost certain that when this wool was treated, Japan would make most of it available to America, he said.
Brokers here said
it was impossible to estimate how much wool was going to Rus- sia. Ships leaving Australia for Odessa were always filled with wool, but there were boats on this run now than a few years ago.
fewer
Australian wool prices reach-. ed a new peak at Sydney wool sales last week. Figures gen- erally were 20 per cent higher than in last December-Reu- ter.
Grain
Price
In Chicago
Chicago, Jan. 14.
Prices in the grain futures market here closed today as follows:-
Wheat-price per bushel.
Spot
2.4315
December
2.4346
March (1951)
2.422-2.4316
Moy
2.30%
July
2.37-14
Corn
Spot
1.70
December
March (1951) May
July
Rye December
May (1951)
Oats
December
March (1951)
1.7434-1.75 1.7034-36 1.744
1.7374-1.74
3.7616-36 1.7854-1.79
95 954-35
New York flour-per 200 lb. sack, $14.16.-United Press.
New Orleans
Cotton
New Orleans, Jan 13,
Spot
∙March (1951)
May July
October
44.05
43.08
43.46 bie
December
March (1952) May
43.00
$9,99
39.54 bid 39.07 bid
$8.18...
-United Press,
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