DEALT WITH STONES

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30062, 21 February 1963, Page 18

DEALT WITH STONES

No Offence To The Sultan

(Special Crapdt. NJtJ>Jt.) . LONDON, February 19. The dilemma of a New Zealander, Air Chief Marshall Sir Charles Elworthy, new Chief of the Air Staff, when he was talking with a sheik and found his mouth “stuffed full with two obstinately large date stones” was related by the “Daily Express.” Sir Charles Elworthy was dealing wtih the Sultan of Oman and Muscat Sweetmeat "Judge his horror when, while squatting in the Sultan’s palace, he took a bite ait some sticky sweetmeat, and found date stones in his mouth. “What to do? "To spit them out might be construed as an insult to his host; to swallow them, even if feasible, might be dangerous. “To pull them out with his fingers might make a nasty mess and he had to shake hands with the Sultan. “Then Sir Charles Elworthy clapped his hands tor a slave and handed* him the stones with a flourish—and called tor water to wash his hands. "He was later assured by the Sultan’s political adviser that he had done the right thing. “Had he swallowed the stones, the Sultan would have taken it as a mark of cowardice.”