HOLIDAY FOR CHURCHILL

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27632, 13 April 1955, Page 8

HOLIDAY FOR CHURCHILL

DEPARTURE TODAY FOR SICILY (N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, April 11 Sir Winston Churchill will leave London by air tomorrow for a holiday in Sicily, but he will return to Britain to fight for his Parliamentary seat if a General Election is suddenly called, it was learned authoritatively today. The 80-year-old statesman is going to Syracuse for an indefinite stay. He will be accompanied by Lady Churchill, Lord Cherwell, his old friend and atomic adviser, and Mr John Colville, a principal private secretary at 10 Downing Street. Though it is too early to say whether he plans to make any key speeches in the country, a General Election campaign climaxed by polling on the widely predicted date of May 26 would certainly find him active among his own constituents. Sir Anthony Eden and the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr R. A. Butler) spent part of the Easter weekend at the Prime Minister’s residence, Chequers, Buckinghamshire, discussing Government planning and election timing. Sir Anthony Eden’s appeal for a fresh mandate will be based on what the Churchill Administration considers its main achievements.

Message from Pope Sir Winston Churchill, who is now at Chartwell, his country home in Kent, today received greetings from the Pope to mark his retirement as Prime Minister. The Pope’s message said: “At the termination of your long service as Prince Minister, we extend to you our own warm greetings and we express our prayerful good wishes for your health and personal well-being.” Sir Winston Churchill replied: “I value greatly, your Holiness’s kind, thought in telegraphing to me. Remembering with pleasure our agreeable meeting during the war, I send you my best wishes for your health and prosperity for many years to come.”