HUMAN DYNAMO

Evening Star, Issue 23831, 11 March 1941, Page 8

HUMAN DYNAMO

DAY IN CHURCHILL'S LIFE TREMENDOUS DRIVE Prime Minister Winston Churchill is giving full measure of the “ blood and tears, toil and sweat ” which he told Britain were all he had to offer when he became the Empire’s war leader, wrote the London correspondent of the American Associated Press recently. Ho bends every moment to war service, wasting hardly a minute or a thought on anything but that paramount object to which he is devoting the wide experience, great talent, and contagious energy with which he seems able to endow the whole Empire. Ho works an average of 17 hours a day at this task. .Mr Churchill keeps ten secretaries on the run, confers daily with the War Cabinet and other key Ministers. As his own Defence Minister, he keeps in closest touch with developments and strategy in every corner of the Empire, every phase of the imperial war effort. Erom the time he arises—usually about 7 a.m. —he expends his prodigious energy without a let-up until he finally gets to bed, generally about midnight, but sometimes as late as 3 a.in. There is no time in his crowded day for amusements. Even his enjoyment of the Parliamentary give-and-take in the House of Commons has been curtailed. Frequently he is absent, leaving his deputy, Mr Clement R. Attlee, Lord Privy Seal, to answer questions on his behalf. Mr Churchill has little time for ordinary family life, but he sees Mrs Churchill every day and the rest of the family “as much as possible.” There are frequent family dinners. Since even a Prime Minister must eat, he makes use of luncheons and dinners to see many persons he otherwise could not accommodate on his calendar. Many people, however, see him every day—“ too many to remember,” a secretary says. The War Cabinet meets before luncheon, and a parade of generals, admirals, air marshals, and intelligence officers lasts throughout the afternoon and often into the night. Mr Churchill gets no regular exercise except that of striding about Whitehall or walking tirelessly on tours of inspection of fighting commands, defence areas, and bombed sectors. He wants to see for himself. To sum it up, an aide says, “he works like a beaver; duty gives him no alternative.” As First Lord of the Admiralty—the post he held during the World War and resumed at the start of the present hostilities—Mr Churchill lived at Admirr alty House, a few steps from the Admiralty itself. A telephone stood beside his bed so that he could be informed constantly of anything extraordinary. Ho still keeps a. telephone at his bedside—but where that is has been kept a State secret. His day begins with the usual hearty English breakfast—porridge, kippers or kidney (both of which are nnrationed), and eggs, topped off with toast and marmalade and coffee. Then he reads the morning papers, digests despatches, and correspondence. Some sifting is done by his confidential secretaries, but he keeps this to a minimum, because he likes to know everything that is going on. A voracious reader in peace time, he now confines his reading to these chores, perusing nothing beyond official communications and newspapers. He disposes of an immense mail with lightning rapidity. A master of organisation, he tackles the stacks of papers systematically, dictating terse general instructions to two women secretaries and leaving secondary matters to subordinates. On matters involving major policy he digs to the bottom himself, evolving minute instructions which he insists must Fe followed to the letter. Mr Churchill employed as many as half a dozen secretaries during his private life, so it is easy to see why he would need 10 of;them now-—all'of the kind President Roosevelt was looking for when he sought men with “a passion for anonymity.” , Mr Churchill generally is considered easy to work with,, but'flares awesomely when he is displeased. ■ He is ordinarily conservative in routine matters, but liberal in outlook,' aud likes to slash “ red tape ” when it hampers direct action. In an effort to speed tedious Government machinery, he instituted a system of stickers bearing the label “ for actionthis day”—which are exactly that. And woe to those who fail to act at once on those bearing this urgent command. The two women secretaries take turns in keeping up with his dictation, which is apt to erupt any time. He has been known suddenly to call them at a late hour and start a rush of work. He speaks rapidly, meanwhile breaking match sticks into bits and throwing them about on the floor. Sometimes he jumps to his feet to emphasise a point, then bounces back into his chair. At table he eats “ what he can ” and his taste is broad. One of his favourite dishes is famous “ roast beef of old England.” He also enjoys a thick steak, rare. At luncheon with a group he slouches comfortably in a chair, eats and talks at the same time. He generally monopolises talk during a meal if he is interested. If bored, he often squirms in silence, alarming to dinner partner or hostess. But his quick smile always wins forgiveness. He seldom sees the Press.He made an exception for one, American correspondent, -with whom he talked for 30 minutes off the record, and the subsequent uproar from the Empire Press representatives in London caused him -to grant an off-record luncheon for all. His secretaries are almost as inaccessible as Mr_ Churchill himself, for they respect his wishes and fear his displeasure. Although as a professional journalist Mr Churchill has written about many personalities, he dislikes personality items about himself. As for hobbies which might lighten his day, he has none in war time—unless war strategy could be called a hobby. It has been his lifetime interest. He showed such talent as a lad in playing with toy soldiers that his father.sent him to Sandhurst, Britain’s West Point,- as the first step in the fabulous Churchill career as soldier, war correspondent, historian, and statesman.