August displeasure
Sir Solly Zuckerman's elevation was to be expected. I have been bemused for ,everal years that a man of his age, whatever his earlier scientific expertise, should have re- mained for so long chief scientific adviser to the Government; and I suppose, official secrecy being as it is, that it will be many years yet before we know the true quality of the advice he has tendered to successive governments. Last week, over lunch at Imperial Chemical House, Michael Clapham, ices civilised and (to me) unex- pectedly relaxed and unconventional deputy- chairman, some other ict directors and Dr Weissner. the president-elect of MIT, all surprised me with the strength of their ex- pressed regard for Sir Solly. He is a man who reacts very unfavourably indeed to criticism—he is extremely thin-skinned, and throws his considerable political weight about whenever he takes offence.
I discovered this when I wrote about him, very much in passing, in the Daily Mirror in 1967. The powers-that-then-were at the International Publishing Corporation were made swiftly aware of Sir Solly's august displeasure at my impertinent remarks.
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