Macmillan 'Shaken'

Press, Volume C, Issue 29681, 27 November 1961, Page 17

Macmillan 'Shaken'

(N.Z.P.A. -Reutet—Copyright) NEW YORK, Nov. 26. The British Prime Minis ter (Mr Macmillan) had his "customary imperturbability’’ shaken by the uproar in British political circles over the leakage of the speech of the Lord Privy Seal (Mr Heath), the “New York Times" reported today. A London dispatch from Drew Middleton giving an account of the cun-ent talks between Mr Macmillan and President De Gaulle, also said that as a result of the talks, prospects of East-West negotiations on the future of Berlin had “improved measurably.” Turning to the Common Market aspect of the talks, Middleton wrote: “Mr Macmillan’s customary imperturbability has been shaken, it is understood, by the leakage of a speech made by Edward Heath to the European Economic Community . . . the damage was done by leakage of the speech to the United States Government. Qualified sources say the speech was given to both the United States and Canada by a French source. The agitation arising over the Government’s supposed secrecy over Mr Heath’s speech, and the damage caused by the leak, reliable sources suggested, could help Mr Macmillan in the secondary theme of his talks with President de Gaulle.