How old, sick leaders have brought disaster

Press, 1 April 1980, Page 9

How old, sick leaders have brought disaster

NZPA London Too/old, too ill, too fond of food and drink, too vain to, wear their glasses, sometimes overdrugged or just plain mad — that'is a medical verdict on some of the world’s political leaders. British leaders, even as eminent as Churchill, do not come unscathed from the diagnostic study by Dr Hugh I’Etang, editor of the “Practitioner,” in his book “Fit to I Lead.”' I Harold MacMillan, in 1963, carried on as Prime Minister through a series of Government crises complaining of fatigue and le- ■ thargy but putting it down to “approaching disease.” .In fact, disease, was al- , ready with him — prostate ■ trouble. ~ ~/ ■ ■ Only when he reached the : stage of being unable to pass urine was he hustled out of 10 Downing Street , and off to hospital. i In that case a disaster for « his party rather than for the ■ country, comments Dr • I’Etang. Even Cabinet Ministers often fail to recognise the > signs of decline in national ; leaders. i The Downing Street offi- ; cial who guided Churchill to : a Cabinet meeting in June, • 1953, was certain his coli leagues would realise he had had his second stroke the

previous evening, but they did not. Perhaps, comments Dr I’Etang, they were just relieved that he was quieter than usual. Among the most far-reach-ing in its effects of all political illnesses was that of President Franklin Roosevelt. At Yalta, where the map of Europe was re-drawn by the Big . Three, mainly according to Russian blueprints, the sick Roosevelt hardly realised what the conference was about. Not only was he dominated by Stalin, but he obstructed Churchill in his attempts to get ■ better terms for the West. The American President too vain to wear his glasses in public was John Kennedy, who also suffered from Addison’s 'disease, a serious glandular deficiency. The disease. was treated with. steroids, which could account for his enormous appetite not only for food but also for sex. The drugs available in his day had psychiatric effects ranging from mild disturbance of mood to mania.

He 1 was given another stimulant and yet a third by an unorthodox jetset doctor be consulted. Nobody knows the combined effect of the three.'

Many statesmen are fond ■of a drink, and despite

knowing the dangers of Russian. hospitality seem, to deliver themselves up as victims. Even one so seemingly prudent as Hugh Gaitskell, the leader of the British Labour Party before Harold Wilson, had to be carried away from one party supported between Denis Healey and David Ennals. While visiting politicians collapsed across Kremlin tables among broken glass, Stalin carried on drinking what was generally accepted as a mixture of one part Georgian . wine with , two parts “special vodka” poured from his own decanter. Not even his chief of , staff knew that vodka was ice water, until he sampled it one day alone in the room., Churchill, fond of his drink, was also fond of his food. Dr I’Etang disapproves of! the statesmen’s modern habit of working dinners, working lunches, even work-! ing breakfasts as preventing; full concentration. But he admits that, Churchill’s enormous break-i fast, consisting of salmon,! steaks, chops, etc had one good effect — by 1 p.m., when everybody else was anxious for lunch, the Prime Minister could happily carry on, and get his own way. ,