LONG CONVALESCENCE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 147, 18 December 1943, Page 8

LONG CONVALESCENCE

PREDICTED BY NEWSPAPER

LONDON, December 17

Mr. C. R. Attlee will continue as Deputy Prime Minister while Mr. Churchill is ill. Mr. Attlee, on behalf of the House of Commons and also the Government, an d\ Lord Cranborne on behalf of the House of Lords, have cabled good wishes to Mr. Churchill. The "Daily Express" says it is expected that Mr. Churchill will require a long convalescence, after which his doctors will insist on his delegating more work to his colleagues. If Mr. Churchill agrees, this will involve reorganisation of Cabinet machinery and the system of sub-committees. The "Financial Times" says that the stock markets declined today as a result of the news of Mr. Churchill's illness. The majority of the prices were marked down as a precautionary measure. . , x Not only in the British Empire, but among fighters and workers for freedom round the globe, the news of Mr. Churchill's illness will be received with profound regret, says "The Times" in a leader. The "Daily Express" says that the first news of Mr. Churchill's illness was not received till late on Wednesday afternoon. The announcement in the House of Commons came as a shock to the people of Britain. The "Daily Mail" in a leading article says that people at one time' shook their heads over the risks of strain involved in Mr. Churchill's journeys. As the purpose .and the results of the conference unfolded it was seen that such a world war could be fought and won in no other way. The "Daily Mail's" political correspondent says it is possible that the illness may continue for^some time and it. may be necessary, as Mi-. Churchill is outside Britain, for the War Cabinet to make a statement re-garding-the assumption of responsibility for the supreme direction of affairs, but nothing definite has been decided about this yet. When Mr. Churchill was similarly ill in February it was unnecessary to contemplate a question of this kind, and it may. not call for action on this occasion. Mr. Churchill in February insisted on keeping his hands on affairs and talked to members of the War Cabinet daily from his bedroom. Mr. Churchill's daughter, Mrs. Vie. Oliver, and his son, Captain Randolph Churchill, are at present- with their father.