THE BIG THREE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 December 1943, Page 3

THE BIG THREE

FRIENDLY & INFORMAL MEETINGS PEN PICTURE OF STALIN. MR CHURCHILL’S BIRTHDAY PARTY. (Bv Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, December 5. According to observers, Marshal Stalin seemed to dominate the threePower conference, says Reuter s correspondent at Teheran. The Soviet leader’s moods varied from vivacious merriment at the nightly banquets to moments of impenetrable impassivity. When Marshal Stalin visited the Russian Embassy to see President Roosevelt observers noted that his hair and moustache are now steel grey and that the strain of war has left lines engraved in his thick-set features. Marshal Stalin was closeted with Mr Roosevelt for an hour and a half be-

fore Mr Churchill arrived for the first meeting of the “big three." Informality was the keynote of the three leaders’ intercourse. Apart from the actual conferences they dropped in on each other for consultations whenever they pleased. Marshal Stalin was the life and soul of Mr Churchill’s 69th birthday party. He rose at every toast and clinked glasses with the person toasted, and in six different speeches he stressed his friendship for Messrs. Churchill and Roosevelt. Mr Roosevelt announced his desire that the Russian custom of toasts should be observed, and he proposed and Marshal Stalin seconded the health of Mr Churchill, to whom Marshal Stalin persistently referred to as “my fighting friend.” Mr Churchill then proposed “Stalin the Great.” The principal delegates of the three Powers attended the party.