EUROPE PLANS... AND SO DOES CHURCHILL

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25249, 30 July 1947, Page 6

EUROPE PLANS... AND SO DOES CHURCHILL

LONDON MISCELLANY

(SPKCIALLY WRITTEN FOB THE PRESS.) [BY SYDNEY BROOKES.]

London, July 19.—The European Committee of Co-operation, formed from the delegations which attended the Paris Conference on General Marshall’s offer of aid to Europe, is now at work preparing a budget for the Western States. London opinion is cautious about the prospects. It has been thought that only some dramatic proposal, possibly involving some surrender of national interests, would win public opinion in the United States. The conference, however, produced more caution than drama. ... In one week, the Paris Conference discussed Europe’s economy, the Cereals Conference discussed Europe’s economy, and the Economic Commission for Europe discussed Europe’s economy. At the same time the Trade Conference was discussing the world’s economy. All the doctors knew what was wrong, but it did not seem that they could agree about the remedy.

There must be an organisation in London to deal with all human needs, moral or material. Outside politics, there are societies for the assistance of everybody from penurious gentlewomen to overweight jockeys. There is the society for the abolition of gin traps and the society for the provision of drinking water for cart horses. Under the spire of St. Brides is the office of the Society of Crossword Analysts; and in Lincolns Inn Fields there is the Society for the Conversion of Jews to Christianity. Some watchers of the skies have lately seen signs of a. trade recession. Theatre managers have reported a lessened demand for the expensive West End shows. Public houses say that customers no longer say “Give me that” but ask, instead, “How much is that?” Tobacconists, autocratic controllers of a scarce coirfmodity in February, now caifhot do enough for customers. But the ordinary observer, not gifted with this expert insight into the shape of the prophesied recession, still finds it difficult enough to find what he wants, and more difficult to find it at the price he wants. Theatre seats are a little easier to buy, but not below 15s. It is still necessary to keep a note of delivery day at “the local,” and every firm dealing in commodities continues declaring huge dividends. Eut the amusement trade has allowed standards to decline. Most of the popular theatrical shows at the moment are American, in origin if not in cast. A public which had been prepared to accept anything for diversion is beginning tp discriminate. For six years it had been sufficient if a revue were coarse. It is now necessary that it should be witty. The American revues are lively and brilliantly staged. American drama has form and workmanship. Londqp’s own theatre has tended to be impossibly clever or too obviously broad. The time has come for a renaissance, such as the English film has enjoyed. The smut which entered the Queen’s eye during the Royal train journey to Edinburgh this week caused more of a sensation than it proved to be worth. The first news that the Royal train had been stopped and specialists called in left out the reason. Only after three or four news bulletins had been issued did it become clear that Her Majesty was in no danger, although suffering some discomfort. By this time every newspaper had begun preparing new editions. Most changed their minds when the whole truth became known. Only one, the “Daily Mail,” kept its headlines. That morning’s issue proclaimed the news in a full-page headline which would have done justice to the relief of Stalingrad. The incident reminded the “Yorkshire Pokt” of another occasion when a foreign body entered a royal eye. A squadron of Life ’Guards escorted Queen Mary and King George V to the Leeds Town Hall in 1933, over streets sanded to keep the horses from slipping. A particle of sand flew into Queen Mary’s eye and caused her no little pain. The late Lord Moynihan was present. He personally telephoned

the Leeds Hospital, instructing an official to send two nurses and the necessary materials, at qnce. Remembering the mischievous ways of medical students this sceptic replied coldly, “And you’re the King, I suppose,” and rang off.

Rationing of clothing was slightly relaxed last year, not only By the issue of a few more coupons, but also by advancing the date on which they could be used. A man who buys a suit still has no coupons left for a handkerchief, and a woman who buys a set of underwear and stockings has to giv® up a new frock. Since numbers of women continue to be smartly dressed, one* admires their powers of adaptation. their husbands’ spirit of selfsacrifice, or the efficient arrangements of the unofficial market in clothes or coupons. A private importing system helps some people. The Board of Trade has just released figures showing the value of clothing brought into Britain by travellers. It included £50,000 worth of fully-fashioned stockings. Most of this private importing came from America; but France and Belgium were prolific sources. Clothing in France is unrationed but expensive. British travellers frequently bring back from Paris silk stockings which have been made in Britain and which carry double duty as well as additional trade profits. They sell in Montmartre for 800 francs (about 30s). Parisian retailers are notably clever at disposing of their spoiled stock to innocent males buying presents.

Czechoslovakia’s withdrawal from the Paris conference represented a victory for the Communist Premier. Mr Gottwald, over the non-party Foreign Minister, Mr Masaryk, according to private information from Prague. Mr Gottwald was supported by the Social Democrat Ministers, Vice-Premier Fierlinger, and Minister of Industry Laussman. Doctor Benes and members -of the former National Socialist Party, Trade Minister Ripka and Minister of Justice Drtina supported Masaryk. The Communists are strong in Czechoslovakia, but not strong enough to trust themselves in a real trial of strength with the parties of social democracy. British and American journalists, recently in Prague, described to your correspondent hdw they watched a great procession marching through Prague in lines of 12. for several hours. They assumed it was a typical Communist demonstration; but in fact it was a parade of Social Democrats, and was watched unwillingly, but enviously, by the party’s guides, who had been supplied by the Communist-dom-inated Ministry of Information.

Mr Churchill has made a brief reappearance in the House of Commons. He is said to be fully recovered but taking life a little easily until he can be confident of throwing himself back into politics with his usual vigour. He has no thought of retirement. His political programme is a heavy one, and he clearly hopes to develop it into an election campaign in 1950. And he has a heavy commitment to his publishers. as readers of “The Press” will soon be able to see for themselves. The legends of* an historical figure are already gathering about him. His status as a public figure tends to dwarf him as a political leader. But although he mby write history, and although he made history, he has personally no immediate intention of becoming historical. It is-said that he takes some delight in reminding Mr Anthony Eden of Gladstone’s age when he formed his last Cabinet. The Royal Mint is undisturbed by the imminent change in the Royal title. It will be necessary to omit “IND. IMP.” from coins when the King gives up his title as Emperor. But the Mint is in no hurry. When Queen Victoria assumed the new title in 1877, the Mint did nothing about ft. The engraving for the coins was not altered until 1893.