Portrait of the Week
'WORRY, WORRY, WORRY, money, money, money,' complained the Tristan da Cunhans when asked why they hated Britain and had decided to return to the South Atlantic. After an earlier vote of 148-5 in favour of returning, the islanders set out for home, carrying transistor radios and record- Players, but tired of our materialistic attitudes. This was a week of worry, worry, worry, money, money, money—though hardly enough to make anyone else emigrate. Worry over the economy, with the trade gap widening and expansion as far round the corner as ever. Worry over universities, when facts and figures over the inadequacy of Places were revealed. Worry over teachers, not only over teachers' salaries but also • over the news that last year 13,000 women took up teach- ing, and 9,000 under thirty left. Worry -over the two journalists who are to have no remission of sentence: over 'sensational' new evidence for the Vassall Tribunal, though the Radcliffe Com- mittee had already heard this gossip: over the restrictions on the freedom of the press, which The Times blamed on the apathy and political irresponsibility of the middle class. Money, money, money : deadlock in the London busmen's claim, which may lead to token strikes; rises in the cost of telegrams, parcels and phone calls; rises in rate demands, and the prospect of rises in rail fares after Dr. Beeching's report next week.
WEEK OF RUMOURS: of black masses in Bedford,. of Britain's space plans, of Blue Streak being ;tested (for space purposes), of a Consumers' Coun- cil being set up, as promised by the Prime Minister the week after the Cabinet sackings last July, of Mr. Prof umo's 'imminent' resignation 'for personal reasons,' and of Commons reform. A week of legal conundrums: of Chief Enahoro, wanted in Nigeria on a charge of treason, and—shamefully —liable to be extradited from this country under an 1881 Act, of Mr. Ridge, who won his appeal for wrongful method of dismissal against the Brighton Watch Committee after four years, and of prominent witnesses in court cases and inquiries Who had just disappeared. Also doing a disappear- ing act have been Scots Guardsmen, complaining about excessive bull. At Pirbright their wives threatened a similar walk-out, complaining about excessive electricity charges.
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rkr.EDOM FROM HUNGER WEEK, and M. Couve de Murville refused Lord Home's invitation to luncheon. In addition to frostiness with Britain, the French Government found itself with several crises on its hands. Miners continued their strike, and showed no inclination to return: the French A-test in the Sahara enraged Algeria, and the NATO conference opening in Paris seems bound to embarrass the French. Somalia broke diplo- matic relations with Britain, after some delay : not remembering how to break off relations, the Somalis had to borrow a copy of the Guide to Diplomatic Practice to find out how it should be done. Mr. Wilson is to visit President Kennedy (and Mr. George Brown will be hot on his heels). M. Bidault was offered asylum in Germany, if he gave up politics—though he gave up politics long ago. The New York paper strike goes on after all, Mr. McNamara annoyed Congress bitterly, and Dr. Adenauer avoided defeat over trade with Russia by a constitutional quibble.
Lom(no OVER JORDAN and what did I see?' Whatever it was, the Court of Appeal did not like it, and decided Colin Jordan'should serve his two- month sentence for inciting to racial hatred. Colne Valley went to the polls, and the number of can- didates at Rotherham shrunk from 498 to 3. Eng- land won the Calcutta Cup, and showed she can beat New Zealand at cricket, even if she can't beat Australia. Mrs. Dale returned from her holiday in America a completely changed woman, and Mr. Khrushchev said that after his trip to America he developed a craze for potato crisps.
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