Portrait of the Week
THE Suez debate was duly carried to the Security Council last week and came to its appointed end on Saturday when Russia vetoed the Anglo-French resolution. The Coun- cil, however, agreed to six principles, the most important 01 which said that the operation of the Canal should be insulated from the politics of any country, but baulked at an additional clause re-stating the principle of the Users' Associa- tion. After that there was nothing for it but for the delegates to , go home and begin private negotiations again. So far these 'e consisted of talks between the French, British and , gYptian foreign ministers, and a surprise visit by the Prime MiniSter to Paris where, no doubt, the Association was dis- cussed. The French Assembly has not shown itself as ready as M. Pineau to believe that the 'insulation' clause meant inter- national control in an acceptable form. Arab reactions to the large-scale retributive attack by Israel °i1 a Jordan frontier post last week, in which forty-eight Jordanians were killed, have been explosive. They consisted first of a request from Jordan for Iraqi troops to enter the country. Israel stated that she would regard such a move as a threat, and the British Foreign Office warned Israel that this country would go to Jordan's aid if she were attacked. Israel in turn warned Egypt and Jordan that if she was attacked she would carry the tight beyond the borders. It was later decided that the Iraqi troops would remain on the Iraqi- .] Ord r, -an frontier, presumably at the instance of the pro- c.gYptian faction in Jordan. Syria has been supplying Jordan with arms. and Egypt has been making promises of support. Mr. Dulles, cornered at a press conference, said that the US would aid `the victim of aggression.' but was forced to add that 'aggression is not always easy to define.'
This is certainly true in Hong Kong, where forty-two were killed in riots on the Kowloon peninsula and where respon- sibility has been variously ascribed to Nationalists, Communists and British maladministration. The Chinese Government has not lost the opportunity of striking an outraged attitude.
News at home has been rather more cheering. Exports in the first half of the year rose by £168m. and the Conservative Party conference turned out to be almost as jolly an affair as the Labour one had been. The delegates came in like lions and went out like lambs behind the Government—a firm attitude on Suez, and the abolition of rent control were easily agreed upon, and only the question of capital punishment caused much of a row.
The Convocation of Canterbury has also been in session and has discussed marriage and divorce; it aimed at systematis- ing the present practice of admitting divorced people to the sacraments at the discretion of their bishop and saying prayers in church for them on their remarriage, but put off a decision till next year.
Chief topics of ordinary conversation have been Nina Ponomareva, the Russian athlete, who finally appeared at Bow Street forty-four days after shop-lifting hats in Oxford Street and was discharged after paying costs, and Tatiana Chwastov, a small Russian girl whose American mother is preventing her from being taken back to Russia by her father. Nina has now departed, but Tatiana is obliged to stay.
The usual autumn rash of statistics has produced some interesting results. Many fewer people die of tuberculosis and many more of cancer than ten years ago; 25 per cent. of deaths of young people are caused by accidents; 30 per cent. of graduates go into industry; they are paid the highest starting salaries by the oil industry and the lowest by the Church.
The Queen has opened the first atomic power station at Calder Hall, Princess Margaret continues her triumphant tour of East Africa, and the Duke of Edinburgh has set off for Australia and the Olympic Games. Prelone won the Cesare- witch, and Pakistan has beaten Australia in a Test Match. Other international contests have ended in victory for an Irishman in the world ploughing match and the election of , Miss Germany as Miss World 1956.
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