Bermuda Prospects Discussed In Britain

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28234, 23 March 1957, Page 11

Bermuda Prospects Discussed In Britain

(Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) LONDON, March 22. Now that Mr Macmillan and President Eisenhower are meeting in Bermuda, the British press which latterly have been heavily prooccupied with strikes and industrial unrest is paying attention to the range of subjects to be discussed by the Prime Minister and the President, and their possible outcome. Generally, a note of reserve is to be detected. “The Times’’ remarks in a leading article that what is needed at the end of the talks is not a resounding communique or a string of decisions. “It is, rather, an assurance that the President and the Prime Minister have gone thoroughly over the ground together and are looking at the problems through the same kind of lens and can pass new directives down the line to ensure closer co-operation at all levels?’ The article suggests that the main subjects will be a fuller ex-

change of atomic information, a clearing of minds about the impact of the proposed British defence cuts, and a stocktaking on NATO and an agreement over Middle East policy.

“Two or three days are hardly long enough for thorough answers,’’ says “The Times.’’ The political correspondent of the “News Chronicle’’ looks at Mr Macmillan at the conference somewhat cooly. He says that Mr Macmillan has no other asset in his meeting with Mr Eisenhower than “his complete confidence in Harold Macmillan.’’ “Since becoming Prime Minister, Mr Macmillan can claim only one achievement: he has checked the demoralisation which swept through the Government and the Tory Party after the Suez fiasco —a success not to be undervalued. “He stiffened the party’s morale, and while his political marksmanship is still largely an unknown quantity, Mr Macmillan now at least has satisfied his followers that he is aiming at the fight targets. “But whether he can, as he

hopes, ride out his present troubles by the next General Election must depend for a start on what he brings back from Bermuda.

“Nothing will be left to chance, Mr Macmillan will give the Americans the full blast of his personality. “So far Mr Macmillan has been a Premier on probation, simply fighting a holding action to keep his lines intact for the moment of counter-attack. Now the moment is at hand. “Bermuda, Cyprus, strikes, ths defence paper and the Budget—the first really big tests are piling up. “He is confident that he will clear them. ‘ ‘His supporters are just keeping their fingers crossed.’’