MACMILLAN IN LONDON

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30154, 11 June 1963, Page 13

MACMILLAN IN LONDON

Return To Face Political Crisis

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter— Copyright)

LONDON, June 10.

Mr Macmillan returned from his Scottish holiday to London today to face a political crisis over the Profumo scandal.

Newspapers said today it would be his severest test since becoming Prime Minister six years ago. Ferment in the ruling Conservative Party over the sensational resignation of the War Minister, Mr John Profumo, was the top story in every national daily.

Mr Profumo resigned lust Wednesday,' after admitting having lied in a previous statement'to the House of Commons about his association with a 21-year-old model, Miss Christine Keeler.

Mr Macmillan began what is expected to be a series of meetings with Ministers by meeting the Lord President of the Council (Lord Hailsham) and the First Secretary of State (Mr Butler).

The “Daily Telegraph” reported that Mr Macmillan was returning to a situation “which will test his unflappable qualities to the utmost. Criticism among Conservative M.P.'s of the manner in which the affair was handled has mounted to the point at which it represents a real crisis of confidence in the Government." it said.

The "Daily Herald” said Mr Macmillan faced his party's most profound crisis since the former Prime Minister, Neville, Chamberlain, fell in 1940.

Other newspapers echoed

the comment that the Prime Minister’S standing was a: stake, as well as the Government.

Some political writers however suggested blame —for not knowing the implications of the Profumo affair before it burst into the headlines—might be directed at the Government's Chief Whip, Mr Michael Redmayne.

The “Daily Mail” said two new shocks awaited Mr Macmillan. These were:

(1) The threatened publication of “sensational" private exchanges between Mr Macmillan and Mr Harold Wilson, the Leader of the Opposition, on the Profumo affair.

(2) A startling drop in Government prestige to a level where Labour now was 16.6 per cent, ahead of the Conservatives in a popularity poll, taken on the ground of “how the nation would vote if there were a general election tomorrow.”

The “Daily Mirror" said next week’s debate on the Profumo affair could be sen'sational because of some material Mr Wilson had sent the Prime Minister in March —a few days after Mr Profumo’s untrue statement

about his relationship with Miss Keeler. Mr Wilson was believed to have asked the Prime Minister to have this material examined by M. 1.5 and a demand would be made in the debate for the Prime Minister’s findings to be given. The “Daily Mirror” said: “Labour’s anxiety is not tha: there might have been a security leak, but that there was a security risk—and the Prime Minister should have been told of this.” Declaring that the Government party was based on humbug and hypocrisy, the “Daily Worker" said in a front-page editorial: "Sack them all now.’' Russian Report

Soviet newspapers have largely ignored the Profumo affair since it broke last week. The most detailed report appeared in the Government newspaper. “Izvestia.’' which said: "The scandal is growing like a snowball and not everything has been said about it.”

Soviet news services have made no reference to Eugene Ivanov, the former Sovie: naval attache, said to be a friend of Miss Keeler.

American newspapers yesterday expressed doubts about the value and wisdom of President Kennedy's forthcoming trip to Europe The Washington “Post’' diplomatic correspon deni wrote: "The scene-setting foi the President's 24-hcur stop-over in Britain June 2y-30. will take second or third place to the political struggle breaking over the sensational scandal involving John Profumo "There is even an outside possibility that a . political chain reaction could topple the Government before President Kennedy gets there

“By a master stroke of miscalculation. official confirmation of the secretly arranged and repeatedly denied. Ken-nedy-Macmillan meeting came just after the Profumo scandal broke.”