FINESTHOUR

First Quarter 1994Number 82

Journal of the International Churchill Societies • Australia • Canada • New Zealand • UK • USA

CONTENTS;

1st Quarter 1994

FINEST HOURJournal of the International Churchill Societies Number 82

10 1993 International Churchill Conferenceby Richard M. LangworthSeven honorary members, seven ambassadors, sevenacademic papers, 150 students, 300 delegates, madeour 25th Anniversary a "Grand Climacteric"

19 1994 International Churchill Conferenceby John G. PlumptonA warm welcome awaits you in the Canadian RockiesSeptember 23rd through 26th: Save the Dates!

20 Great Contemporaries: Reith of the BBCby Ron Cynewulf Robbins"That Wuthering Height," said Churchill of hisBroadcasting House nemesis, the towering Scot whodominated British radio in its most crucial years.And of WSC Reith wrote, "I absolutely hate him."

24 A Patient Shrug:The Art of Churchill's Correspondence With Stalinby Douglas PeineChurchill, whom revisionists call an egotist, wrote let-ters to Stalin devoid of egocentricity: a selfless effort ofwhich lesser men would not have been capable.

I

4 Amid These Storms5 International Datelines9 Wit and Wisdom

34 Action This Day35 Riddles, Mysteries, Enigmas36 Churchill in Stamps38 Book Reviews43 Despatch Box46 Churchilltrivia47 Announcements48 Immortal Words

28 How Healthy Was Churchill?by John H. Mather, M.D.Aside from Lord Moran's book, there is not muchpublished medical evidence, but certainly room fora book on the subject, if more details can be unearthed.

30 The Finest Hour Reader Surveyby Barbara F. LangworthTen percent of the Friends of the Societies responded tolast year's opinion survey. Their prime message is towork harder on chapters, but they tell us much else too.

Book ReviewsAegean Adventures by Michael Woodbine ParishWinston Churchill, Architect of Peace by Steven Lambakis

38 "History with its Flickering Lamp"by Richard M. Langworth40 Statesmanship in a Grave New Worldby Patrick J. C. Powers

42 Lord Randolph Churchill's Generosityby courtesy of Peregrine S. ChurchillFrom the papers of Sir Winston's father,a heartwarming example of Churchillian generosity.

Cover: "Winnie" by Nibs, in Vanity Fairfor 8 March 1911, from the collection ofDr. Robert K. Moxon, Columbia, SouthCarolina., (Dr. Moxon also contributed

the 1900 Vanity Fair caricature on thecover of issue #69.) This is believed to be

the rarer of the two. Prints on heavypaper with white borders are availablefrom ICS Stores (address opposite) for

US$25, £18, or the equivalent. Salesassist the work of the Societies.

FINEST HOUR 82 / 3

AMID THESE STORMS

FINEST H O U RISSN 0882-3715

Richard M Langworth, EditorPost Office Box 385Hopkinton, New Hampshire03229 USATel. (603) 746-4433

Senior EditorsJohn G. Plumpton130 Collingsbrook Blvd.Agincourt, OntarioM1W 1M7 Canada

H. Ashley Redburn, OBERosemere, Hollands MeadOvermoigne, Dorchester,Dorset DT2 8HX UK

News EditorJohn Frost8 Monks Ave, New Barnet,Herts. EN5 1D8 UK

ContributorsMartin Gilbert, United KingdomGeorge Richard, AustraliaStanley Smith, United StatesRon Cynewulf Robbins, CanadaJames W. Muller, United StatesDouglas J. Hall, United KingdomJames Bell, Greece

FINEST HOUR is publishedquarterly for Friends of the Inter-national Churchill Societies,which offer several levels of sup-port in their respective currencies.Membership applications andchanges of address should be sentto the appropriate national officeson page 2. Permission to mail atnon-profit rates in the USA grant-ed by the US Postal Service,Concord, NH, Permit no. 1524.Copyright 1994. All rightsreserved. Designed and producedfor ICS United States by Dragon-wyck Publishing Inc. Printed by

' Morgan Press Inc. Made in U.S.A.

W HEN Dr. Watson told Sherlock Holmes the world was round, Holmesreplied that he would try to forget that, since the mind was not infinitelyexpandable and such information was extraneous to his requirements. I

think about this whenever I am told about the "Information Superhighway" com-ing my way over the modem line: wonderful on-line computer services bolting meinto everything from the latest Wall Street tick to the number of Burmese inAfghanistan and the entire editorial content of Time, all flashed onto my computerscreen in exchange for a few button presses and a phone call. As Holmes saidrecently, (he's 156 now, feeding on Royal Jelly at his retirement bee farm in theSussex Downs): "Alas no one has yet invented Homo sapiens 1.1: we are still fid-dling about with the same clunky 1.0 model we've had since Adam and Eve."

Whether Homo sapiens 1.0 is capable of assimilating one thousandth of the"Information Superhighway" without becoming a hopeless computer junkie is anopen question. Nevertheless, as Churchill said in his first trial run on television:"Even though we have to descend to this level, we always have to keep pace withmodern improvements." So I ask the advice of readers-

It is suggested that ICS institute a "Churchill Information Service" througha popular medium like Prodigy, posting, say, synopses of articles in Finest Hour onhot topics, academic papers or speeches to ICS, inviting rapidfire electronic ex-changes of opinions and dialogue (and, in the process, getting more people to be-come Friends of ICS). One expert even visualizes a question-answer session with aprominent historian, using the system's "e-mail" feature.

Do you subscribe to an on-line service? Which one and why? Would sucha Churchill service be useful to you? Give me some examples. I am very interested,although I notice that everybody urging this wants me to be the "system operator."That makes sense, since I have so much time on my hands...

• A REPORTER named Burns was talking the othvr night about the UN's "inspec-tion mission" to Sarajevo last year. Boutros Boutros-Ghali and Co. arrived at theairport, were driven through the streets in bullet-proof limousines, had an elabo-rate lunch while blocks away people were starving, drove back to the airport,where guards protected their luxury jet, and flew home, to abhor the ongoing hor-ror but do nothing. Which reminded me of Churchill, Greece and December 1944.

Similar situation: civil war had made Athens a killing field. Churchill senttroops, telling his generals to "hold and dominate Athens...withbloodshed if nec-essary." Then he flew in personally, stationing himself in HMS Ajax off Piraeus, theharbor for Athens, chortling "Missed again!" when ELAS rebel gunners sent shellshurtling toward the ship. He drove in an armored car to meet the opposing sideswith bullets flying, asking Jock Colville if he had a pistol—"I certainly had myown." He parleyed in an unheated room lit by hurricane lamps, reminded bothsides of Greece's fame and majesty. Peace followed in his wake. Quite a contrast.

# STAMPS were the reason ICS was founded, yet stamps are the least popularsubjects we cover in these pages (see charts, Reader Survey article); so I offer abrief defense of stamps, both Churchill and "C-R" (Churchill-related). Unless youare a philatelist, may I suggest not looking upon these as postage stamps but asillustrations, which add to our understanding of Churchill and his era. Especiallygood, I thought, was the late Dalton Newfield's stamp-studded accounts ofChurchill's 1895 visit to Cuba (FH #77 pp26-7) and of how the battleship Goeben(pictured on a Turkish stamp) altered the course of World War I (FH #78, pp32-3).Give the stamps a try. They may redeem themselves!

RICHARD M. LANGWORTHThe editor's opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Churchill Societies or their Trustees.

4/FINESTHOUR 82

-; • £ : INTERNATIONAL.OTEONES,:Quote of the Season

If Europe is to be saved from infinite misery, and indeed from final doom, there must

be an act of faith in the European family and an act of oblivion against all the crimes and follies of

the past. [Tlren] the wrongs and injuries which have been inflicted will liave been washed away

on all sides by the miseries which have been endured. Is there any need for further floods of

agony? Is it the only lesson of history that mankind is unteachable? Let there be justice, mercy

and freedom. The peoples have only to will it, and all will achieve their hearts' desire."

-WSC, ZURICH UNIVERSITY, 19 SEPTEMBER 1946

to prove what the Center can do, andhow much it is needed. Tickets will costlittle if anything, but are limited by capac-ity (120). Details shortly. If you think youmay like to attend this event, please dropa postcard to the editor.

HERITAGE FUND A SUCCESSWESTHELD, NJ, USA, MARCH 1ST— Close to$15,000 was raised for ICS United Statesin the first annual giving program, fiftypercent more than our goal, despite amailing too late for most donations to bededucted from 1993 income taxes. TheHeritage Fund was designed to helpfinance three ICS special publications in1994: a booklet describing the Conover-ChurchilJ correspondence recently donat-ed to the Society; the 1992-93 Proceedingsbook, and A Connoisseur's Guide to theBooks of Sir Winston Churchill, by the edi-tor. It is will also bring us closer to a mod-ern reprint of the two-volume River War,out of print since 1902.

We sincerely thank our many support-ers, who will be acknowledged nextissue. We want particularly to thank ourmajor contributors. The Chartwell Associ-ates (named in honor of Sir Winston'shome, designed to support ICS publica-tions): Fred Farrow; Ambassador Paul H.Robinson, Jr.; Peter J. Travers. The DaltonNewfield Advocates (named in honor ofthe President of ICS 1970-75, whosevision and leadership led to its successfulcampaign to republ ish out-of-printChurchill books and the 1940-65 docu-ment volumes of the Official Biography):Jane Fraser, William C. Ives, Parker H.Lee III, Michael W. Michelson and theMaster Charitable Foundation HI.

COVER #41 POSTED AT TEHERANDESPITE "PECULIAR LOOKS"TEHERAN, IRAN, NOVEMBER 30TH— In acombined operation that would do justiceto Lord Mountbarten, Gerald Lovell ofSilverstone, Northants., England; coversmanager Dave Marcus of Las Vegas,Nevada, USA; and the staff of the BritishEmbassy in Teheran combined to pro-

Lady Maclean and Sir Fitzroy enjoy a glass ofPol Roger Churchill cuvee: there's more to come.

LADY SOAMES, ROY JENKINS, SIRFITZROY MACLEAN, AND THELAST CALL FOR SCOTLANDLONDON, FEBRUARY 23RD— Sir Winston'sdaughter and Patron of the Societies LadySoames has notified us of her intention tojoin our dinner for the Rt Hon Lord Jenk-ins at the Caledonian Hotel, EdinburghMay 21st, during our 1994 tour of Scot-land May 19th-29th. On the 28th we willdine at the Mi cleans' Creggans Inn inArgyll and present Sir Fitzroy with theICS Blenheim Award (see last issue p27.)There are still some seats available on thistour: see page 47 for details. If you wishto attend the Edinburgh dinner only, thistoo can be arranged. Please contact theeditor (address and phone opposite).

CHURCHILL SYMPOSIUM 28-9, OCT.WASHINGTON, DC, USA— The ChurchillCenter for the Study of Statecraftannounces its first annual Symposium, tobe held in cooperation with the WoodrowWilson Center for Scholars at the Smith-sonian Institution on Friday-SaturdayOctober 28-29th next. A field of distin-guished Churchill scholars, critics as wellas praisers, is being invited to deliverfrom six to ten new academic paperswhich will, God willing, be transcribed,published, taped, videographed anddownloaded for further perusal. This isthe first formal academic event sponsoredby the Churchill Center, and is designed

duce a noteworthy variation on our forty-first commemorative cover, marking theFiftieth Anniversary of the Teheran Con-ference. Using the same ICS envelopewhich we issued as-standard at Churchill,Scotland and Accord, New York, wemanaged to get a handful of coversthrough the Teheran postal service!

Above: British Charge a"Affaires Jeffrey James,Mr & h/irs Carl Hogstrom (Finnish andAmerican), His Excellency Sergei Tretjakov,Russian Ambassador, Teheran, 30 November.Note Soviet & Russian Republic flags. Below:the cover postmarked Churchill, Scotland.

TEHERAN CONFERENCE\OVEHBEM U-DECEMMSK^IS '

"Bio TH«I«" j\e*a w W«. hwHIGH POINTOFALUEDWARTIME COOPERATION

The result (it won't reproduce) is apink Iranian meter cancel dated 30.11.93,postmarked on the very day of theanniversary. Producing such an object inthe Islamic Republic was unlikely but,says personal assistant to the Charged'Affaires Marilynn McLaren, "we man-aged to do it — with some very peculiarlooks at the post office." We are trying todetermine the fairest way of parceling outthese special covers (keep reading).

The project began a year ago whenGerald Lovell learned that the BritishEmbassy held a dinner party every yearon WSC's birthday to mark the TeheranConference, and undertook to make thenecessary connections for a commemora-tive cover. This year the Residence whereChurchill hosted Roosevelt and Stalinwas under renovation, so a reception washeld at the Russian Embassy instead. TheRussians managed to find not only theonly American flag still in one piece inIran, but a live American (wife of aFinnish diplomat) to celebrate withBritish and Russian officials. The accom-panying photo reveals another notewor-

FINEST HOUR 82 / 5

International Datelines...

thy fact: the only occasion we know of withboth the old Soviet flag and the flag of the Rus-sian Republic side by side. What a coup —er, achievement! Hats off to Messrs. Lovelland Marcus for conceiving of the mostimaginative ICS cover since Dave Druck-man postmarked cover #24 at six townsalong WSC's Boer War escape route inSouth Africa back in 1984, and the BritishEmbassy for their help.

Friends of ICS on the regular coversmailing list received the standard-post-mark covers automatically. Others mayorder one while the supply lasts for $3from ICS Stores, address on page 2.(Note: covers are free, but you must askto be put on the list; to do so, write DavidMarcus, 3048 Van Buskirk Circle, LasVegas NV 89121, or telephone 702-434-0181. Our next cover will mark the 50thAnniversary of WSC's return to France,12 June 1944, six days after D-Day.)

Parceling out the eight covers post-marked Teheran is problematic. For thenonce, we have decided not to chargemoney. Instead, send us something pub-lishable for these pages on Churchill orChurchill-philately. You might write astory-in-stamps (as on pages 36-37), orsome other squib of research or generalinterest; even an amusing letter sayingwhy you simply cannot live without aTeheran Conference cover postmarked atTeheran. The first eight people who sendacceptable written contributions will getthe cover free. If we receive fewer thaneight requests (which we highly doubt),we will keep the remaining covers for thearchives. Write 'Teheran Cover," c/o theeditor, address on page 4.

CHURCHILL THE PAINTERTORONTO, JANUARY 22ND— Merry Alberigimade the ultimate sacrifice of leaving Cal-ifornia for Toronto during the worst Jan-uary within anyone's memory, to presenther slide lecture on Churchill and hispaintings at the Art Gallery of Ontariotoday. A sell-out crowd was present atthe event, hosted by The Other Club ofToronto, a chapter of ICS, Canada."Everyone was so pleased with this lookat Churchill's avocation and peaceful pas-time that we want to put it on again,"says ICS, Canada's John Plumpton—soMerry will address an even larger audi-ence in Alberta, during the 1994 Interna-tional Conference (see page 19). The TrueNorth is now added to her list of appear-

Winston Hum lull

The Other Club's handsome announcement.

ances, which ranges from California tothe UK. Even the weather cooperated,wanning up to a balmy 20F, so you onlyneeded a windbreaker.

HUMES ON LECTURE CIRCUITPHILADELPHIA, FEBRUARY 12TH— James C.Humes, author, presidential speechwriterand communications advisor to majorcorporations, was the speaker at the orga-nizational meeting of ICS Pennsylvaniatonight, discussing his new book, The Witand Wisdom of Winston Churchill (Collins).Humes is also addressing ICS meetings inNew York City (21 March), Washington(14 April), and Omaha (23 April), andwill be in Dallas 14 May to speak to theEnglish-Speaking Union, where ICS mayalso be represented. Friends of ICS withinchapter areas have been advised automat-ically. For information, call your localchapter (page 2) or call Humes at (215)735-0640.

BOOKS FOR CHARTWELLWESTERHAM, KENT, APRIL 2ND— For 1994,

Sir Winston's home has a fine new exhibi-tion relating his life story, in the oldkitchen area formerly occupied by the giftshop (now separate). Designed by a crackNational Trust team aided by LadySoames, the exhibit concentrates particu-larly on the years after 1922, when WSCacquired Chartwell. "One of the aspectswe want to emphasize is WSC's prolificliterary output," writes administratorJean Broome, who does us the honour ofasking if ICS could create a display of SirWinston's books (nearly fifty titles, oversixty volumes) for this new exhibition."They would certainly make a very

impressive display and mean so muchmore to visitors than a list of titles."

The UK and USA Societies have goneto work on a representative collection. Tocomplete the set quickly at minimalexpense, we propose to provide mainly"first edition lookalikes" (usually laterimpressions published just after thefirsts), which we will wrap in colour repli-cas of the original jackets. This will protectthe books and give them a bright "peri-od" appearance. Colour photocopying isnow very good, much cheaper than origi-nal jackets; also, no harm is done if theyfade from sun or electric light. The majorproblem is pre-1920 titles, which are notcheap even as reprints, and jackets forsome are not even known. However,there are ways around this: we may startwith modern reprints for such titles as theMalakand. If you would like to donate abook to Chartwell for this display, pleaselet the editor know. Donors will benamed in exhibition literature.

LE GENERAL ET LE POL ROGERLONDON, JUNE 1993 — Pol Roger was servedat the unveiling of the statue of Generalde Gaulle, outside his wartime HQ, 4Carlton Gardens, erected through anAppeal inspired and led by Lady Soames..Three months later, our Patron was guestof honour at a dinner at the BritishEmbassy in Paris, attended by Adm.Philippe de Gaulle, son of the General,and some of the most historical names ofFrance, from Rhan to Rothshild. Fittingly,the toasts were drunk in Cuvee Sir Win-ston Churchill 1985.

6/FINEST HOUR 82

ERRATA, FH #81A line was dropped on p24 right col-umn: Chamacyparis lawsoniana would behappy growing in a large tub on a sunnyterrace with regular watering and feed-ing with liquid fertiliser—not "growingin a liquid fertiliser" as stated. If you fol-lowed #81's instructions you are guilty,in Sir Winston's word, of arboritide!

ICS/UKA.G.M.WESTERHAM, KENT, APRIL 16TH — UK

Friends of the Society should mark thisdate for the Annual General Meeting ofICS United Kingdom, to be held atChartwell, where the year's programmeand other business will be discussed. UKFriends will receive special invitations.Others may write to chairman DavidPorter (address, page 2).

JOHN FROST'S FRONT PAGESNEW BARNET, HERTS., JANUARY 20TH — Finest

Hour news editor John Frost has pub-lished two books, each with 200 repro-ductions from his famous newspaper col-lection, samplings of the world press dur-ing World War II. They cover respectively1939-41 and 1942-45. Copies are availablein North America from Historical BriefsInc., PO Box 629, Verplanck NY 10596 forUS$39.50 postpaid (add 6.75% sales tax ifyou live in New York State). In the UK,contact Mr. Frost at 8 Monks Avenue,New Barnet, Herts. EN51D8.

PERSON OF THE CENTURY \ANAHEIM, CALIF., USA — Friend o| ICSAndrew J. Guilford, President of1 theOrange County Bar Association, recentlyadded to the case for Churchill as "Personof the Century." Appalled by the "Personof the Century" balloting at Disneyland,where such nominees as Mark Spitz wereamong the alternatives, Guilford wrote inthe Orange County Lawyer: "His extraordi-nary impact upon history...make WinstonChurchiO the clear choice. Long ago hewas named Time's Man of the Half Cen-tury, and he remains unsurpassed. Hiscourage, charisma, eloquence and charac-

ter saved England and may have saveddemocracy...The man responsible for thedevelopment of the tank [well, not really,but he influenced it -Ed.] also 'mobilizedthe English language and sent it into bat-tle' [John F. Kennedy] with powerunmatched by any English orator thiscentury except Martin Luther King...I'mgoing to Disneyland to vote early andvote often."

We have only one question: Why isthis being decided by ... Disneyland?

REMEMBERING "THE FEW"EMSWORTH, HANTS, UK, SEPTEMBER 24TH—

Former ICS/UK chairman Tom Thomassends us photosof a wood carv-ing, found on arecent visit toSt. Luke's par-ish church inWhyteleafe, Sur-rey: anotherproof that WSC'swords are every-where. WritesThomas: "In the cemetery to the churchare the graves of a number of air pilotsand crew who were killed at Kenley,including at least one German pilot.Whyteleafe can't be more than 1 1 / 2miles from Kenley and is on the God-stone Road, near Purley."

CHURCHILL SITES INFO NEEDEDIOWA CJTY, 1A., USA, FEBRUARY 7TH - D o u g l a s

Russell, author of The Orders, Decorationsand Medals of Sir Winston Churchill (ICS,1990) is at work on a new book aboutYoung Winston's military career. Infor-mation is needed from anyone who hasvisited Churchill sites in India, the Sudan,Cuba and South Africa. He would bepleased to hear from anyone willing toshare their observations, photos,maps,publications or souvenirs. Write PO Box2416, Iowa City, LA 52244 or telephone(319) 351-5610 (office) or 337-4408 (home).

NEW CHURCHILL STAMPSAs promised last issue, we list new

Churchill stamps since 1990 (there maybe others; readers please advise). Num-bers are Scott (#) and Stanley Gibbons(sg). Celwyn Ball of Riverdale, NB, Cana-da has now completed and is checkingproofs of a new ICS Churchill StampChecklist, to be published next year. -RML

Antigua. 1990: #1380-88, souv. sheets #1389-90 WW2 Anniversary. Includes WSC & Roose-

velt at Casablanca (#1383). 1990: #1484 deGaulle Centenary souv. sheet, WSC & deG.

Barbuda. 1990: de Gaulle Centenary over-printed "Barbuda."

Barbuda Mail. 1990: de Gaulle Centenaryoverprinted "Barbuda Mail."

Cayman Islands. 1990: #622-23 Queen Moth-er, $1 showing King and Queen with WSC.

Congo Republic. 1991: #930-37 Celebrities,one showing WSC (#936).

Easdale Island (Local). 1990: Human RightsLeaders. A £5 single in gold foil showing WSC,Kennedy & John Paul II. Varieties: same stampin silver foil; singles faintly perforated "speci-men" and numbered on back, gold and silverfoil; imperf mini-sheets on white and blackcard, gold and silver foil; mini-sheets 'ascribed"Pope John Paul II African Visit."

The Gambia. October 1993: #1389 ;-d Coro-nation of Queen Elizabeth II 40th Anniversary.Mini-sheet of eight stamps to four designs,printed se-tenant with central gutter; #1389c(8D) show WSC in First Lord's uniform circa1946, not at Coronation — a gaffe by somedesigner. Also a 20D souvenir sheet.

Gibraltar. 1993: Anniversaries. Set of fourvalues, the 49p value commemorating 50thanniversary of Churchill's visit to Gibraltar.Sheets include gutter pairs.

Guinea. 1990: de Gaulle Centenary. Thesouvenir sheet (de Gaulle broadcasting) por-trays de Gaulle, his son Philippe and WSCwith a WW2 montage.

Guyana. 1990: #807-11 Locomotives. Oneshow locomotive "Sir Winston Churchill"(#810). 1990: de Gaulle Centenary souvenirsheet has background showing deG, WSC,Free French Cross. Varieties: imperf. 1992:Word Thematic Exh. silver foil, embossedheads of WSC, etc. Varieties: souv. sheets onwhite card and on city background scene; alltypes issued on gold foil; all found embossed"specimen". 1993(7): Orchids (8). Mini-sheetsof ten inscribed "World Personalities-Fightersfor Peace-Human Rights overprinted in black."Sir Winston Churchill 1874-1965" is one of ten

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names. Varieties: red & inverted overprints inblack &red,all of the above imperf. 1993(?):Orchids. Souvenir sheet, $600, overprinted inblack "In memoriam Sir Winston S. Churchill1874-1965 ... 50th Anniversary World War II."Varieties: red overprint. 26 July 1993: #2676a-lFamous People. One of two mini-sheets of nine$100 values; lower right stamp is WSC.

Isle of Man. 5 September 1990: #432-35Churchill Death 25th Anniversary. Set of fourshowing WSC in various poses with variousWW2 backdrops. 4 January 1993: #531-550 ShipDefinitives, with 4p showing training schooner"Sir Winston Churchill (#533). Also: a 4p postoffice stamp card no. 11, booklet pane of 4; boatis pictured on presentation pack for the set.

Malagasy Republic 1990: de Gaulle Cente-nary. Three souvenir sheets; one has back-ground showing WSC and de Gaulle in 1944Armistice Day parade, Paris.

Maldive Islands. 1990: #1431-40 WW2Anniversary. One shows WSC, Stalin & Trumanat Potsdam (#1439). #1506-13, souv. sheets#1514-15 Anniversaries. #1512 i shows WSC.

Marshall Islands. 10 May 1990: #259Anniversary of WSC Prime Minister. Single 45cvalue. 1993: Casablanca Conference. A 29c valueshowing artwork of Roosevelt and Churchilland map showing invasion of Sicily. Note:numerous Marshall Islands WW2 commemora-tives beginning 1989 have a Churchill speechprinted on the selvage. See FH #77, pp 18-19.

Mongolia. 22 May 1992: #2066 People andEvents. A 30L souvenir sheet shows MotherTeresa, Nobel Prize winner, and lists Churchillamong other Nobel winners on sheet border.Varieties: gold inscription and border imperf inpresentation card.

Niger. 1991: WW2 Anniversary. Two values.The 250f shows WSC, Eisenhower, Mont-gomery. Varieties: imperf and part of souvenirsheet and mini-sheet

Niuafo'ou. 1992: Pacific War Anniversary.Twelve values, each 42c showing newspaperheadlines, including Churchill's warning toJapanese. Varieties: "specimen" overprint;imperf proof sheets printed in black & white.

RcuVi.jj. 1991: #9101-08, souv. sheet #9109Nobel Prize Winners, with one depicting WSCand the Nobel Prize for Literature (#9105).

St Vincent 1990: #1550-52, souv. sheet #1553de Gaulle Centenary, with one value depictingChurchill (#1551).

Sierra Leone. 27 April 1990: #1193, sg M/S1447b Sir Laurence Olivier. Hamlet souvenirsheet contains Churchill's "The Few" quotefrom August 1940.

Solomon Islands. 1990: #543-47 Queen Moth-er. Set of two, the 12c showing the then-Queenwith WSC, V-E Day 1945 (#543).

Tanzania. 1992: #824a-j WW2 Anniversarymini-sheet of ten, center picture of HMS Exeter;one stamp shows WSC's notes on declaration ofwar on Japan (#824b).

Uganda. 1990: #781 Queen Mother souvenirsheet depicts WSC and others in World War II.

United States. 3 September 1991: #2559a-jWorld War II Anniversary. Set of ten printed se-tenant with map of "world at war." #2559dshows WSC, Roosevelt at Argentia, 1941.

Vanuatu. 1990: #530a-f de Gaulle Centenary.Set of eight plus non-denominational labelissued in se-tenant sheetlets of nine. The 55cvalue shows Roosevelt, de Gaulle and WSC atCasablanca (#530e).

DAN CLARK, R.I.P.LANETT, GA., USA, JANUARY 23RD — Robert

Dan Clark, 70, a stalwart Friend of ICSUnited States, died today, leaving his wifeJoyce and five sons. A graduate of the Uni-versity of Alabama, he retired as directorof office services for WestPoint Pepperell'sCorporate Office after forty-six years ofservice. In World War II he served in theU.S. Army Air Corps, flying fifty-one com-bat missions and receiving two PurpleHearts and five Air Medals. A friend tomany in ICS, Dan and Joyce participated inone of the Churchill tours and were strongsupporters of ICS programs. Our sincerecondolences to Joyce and the Clark family;our grief, though not as great as theirs, isdeeply felt. RML

HELP TURN REEL FILM TO VIDEOBATON ROUGE, LA., MARCH 1ST — ICS/USAsecretary Derek Brownleader has two8mm films, "Champion of Freedom" and"Sir Winston Churchill." The editor has a16mm reel by the British Ministry of Infor-mation entitled "The Unrelenting Strug-gle." We seek a Friend of ICS who mightbe willing to convert these to videocas-sertes, which we would then seek permis-sion to duplicate and sell.If anyone canhelp, please contact Derek Brownleader,1847 Stonewood Drive, Baton Rouge LA70816, telephone (504) 752-3313.

"YOUNG WINSTON" IN BRONZE

WORCESTER, UK/NOVEMBER 1ST — SculptorSandy O'Connor has created a fine life sizebust of Churchill: not as most others haveportrayed him, at 60+ years of age, but inhis twenties, when he was fighting Boersand Pathans, making a name in Parliamentand writing five books about his adven-tures. The Duke and Duchess of Marlbor-

ough allowed O'Connor to research atBlenheim. Ten life size bronze busts will beproduced. Mr. O'Connor has offered ICS adiscount price of £2200, £600 less than reg-ular'price, of which 10% will be donated tothe Churchill Society of the orderer. Any-one interested may write the editor.

"IN THE ENGLISH MANNER LTD.":A STATEMENT BY ICS/USA

In April 1993 we learned of a "Churchilltour" being offered to the University ofCalifornia Berkeley Alumni Association by"In the English Manner Ltd." — appositelylocated in Wales. To our amazement, thiswas a close copy of the ICS 1992 Churchilltour. "In the English Manner" not onlyduplicated most of the itinerary; they pla-giarized word-for-word descriptions of ourtour from Finest Hour #76. With noadvance notice, they offered as guides orspeakers many persons, such as MartinGilbert, Sandhurst and RAF Uxbridge per-sonnel, who had assisted our tour as akindness. Without seeking clearance, theynamed as destinations many non-publicplaces, such as St. George's School, SevenStones, and two military installationswhich were opened to us as a courtesy.

ICS United States Inc. took legal adviceand acquainted principals with the situa-tion. In a 27 May letter from Sarah Jones-Lloyd of "In the English Manner Ltd.," thefirm promised to reword their itinerary.They also made belated attempts to squarethemselves with people and venues whichthey had ad vertised, whose reactions hadranged from anger to incredulity. Howev-er, as of late 1993 their tour was still beingpromoted in the Berkeley Alumni travelbulletin (at $5595, twice the price of the ICSevent they were copying). We urge mem-bers of the Berkeley Alumni to protest.

ICS United States Inc. sent its file on thismatter to the British Tourist Authority inLondon and, having received Ms. Jones-Lloyd's under taking to reword heritinerary, took no further action. There isno copyright to a tour itinerary. Indeed wehave often assisted other worthy organisa-tions plan Churchill tours. Our objection isto patently rude and unethical behavior.

Finally: "li\ the English Manner,"through their US sales agent, stated at onepoint that their tour was "designed by amember of ICS/UK." Her statement wasdenied by Jones-Lloyd. We trust that this,like their published itinerary, was merely acase of unbridled promotion, since we cer-tainly believe this firm deserves no helpfrom the Friends of ICS.

RICHARD M. LANGWORTH, PRESIDENT

8/FINEST HOUR 82

In the book field, nothing is more popular than Churchillian quotes. Sprinkling tliem into"International Datelines," as we've done recently, isn't as effective as a separate column,which commences herewith. I shall concentrate on the lesser known quotes, or well-known ones which have been misquoted in popular books. -Editor

CHAMPAGNE"A single glass of Champagne imparts afeeling of exhilaration. The nerves arebraced, the imagination is agreeablystirred, the wits become more nimble. Abottle produces a contrary effect." (MyEarly Life). Now, let's get a few thingsstraight: WSC's favorite Champagne —always capitalized when it's French, andgenuine — was Pol Roger (no hyphen,pronounced "pol ro-zhay"), produced byhis friend Madame Odette Pol-Roger (withhyphen). His favorite vintage was the '47,which he hoped would be available untilhe died. There were still 2,000 bottles whenICS visited the delightful Pol-Roger familyin Epernay in 1989, but only 1,980 whenwe left.

AN ENGLISH-SPEAKING UNION"As I took my leave I said I was going backto London to speak at the English-Speak-ing Union and asked if he had any mes-sage for them. 'Yes,' he said, Tell them youbring them messages from an English-Speaking Union.' (Adlai Stevenson, in aeulogy to Sir Winston, 28 January 1965.)

"GIVE ME A PIG!""Dogs look up to you, cats look down onyou — give me a pig! He looks you straightin the eye and treats you as an equal." Thisquote is often bowdlerized. With slightvariations (this version is Lady Soames's) itwas frequently said to friends and family,as WSC scratched the back of a pig in thesty at Chartwell Farm.

CLEAN MISSQuoted correctly by President Reagan afterthe attempt on his life, but not often properly attributed: "Nothing is more exhilarat-ing as to be shot at without result." (WSCin recalling his 21st birthday in Cuba,where he first heard bullets whistle by.)

CONFLICT"Centuries ago words were written to be acall and a spur to the faithful guardians oftruth and justice: 'Arm yourselves, and beye men of valour, and be in readiness forthe conflict; for it is better for us to perishin battle than to look upon the outrage ofour nation and our altar. As the Will ofGod is in Heaven, even so let it be.'"(Broadcast, London, 19 May 1940)

Unwrapping a fresh Havana, Yalta, 14 Feb. 1945.

CIGAR AFICIONADO"Smoking cigars is like falling in love: firstyou are attracted to its shape; you staywith it for its flavour; and you must alwaysremember never, never, let the flame goout." (Good advice, but his cigars werealways going out, and being relit, with acandle, not a match. He thought Havanasby far the best; his favorite commercialbrand was Romeo y Julieta. Alas this writ-er can neither abide nor afford Havanas,and must get by with Dominicans andJamaicans.)

WERE HUNS LIKE DOGS OR SHEEP?"The Hun is either at your throat or at yourfeet." (I believe this was said — please cor-rect me — to Jock Colville. But when?)

A related line line is by Lord Mountbat-ten in his 1966 speech to the EdmontonChurchill Society (perhaps the greatestspeech ever about Sir Winston, availablefrom ICS Stores): A colleague remarked,"The Germans are just like sheep." WSCreplied, "Ah, but they are far worse thanthat: they are carnivorous sheep!"

HORSES"Don't give your son money; as far as youcan afford it, give him horses. No one evercame to grief through riding horses ....Unless, of course, they break their necks.Which, taken at a gallop, is a very gooddeath to die."(My Early Life: A Roving Commission)

BY THE WAY...Each "Wit and Wisdom" column will concludewith a "By the Way" contribution by JamesBell, an English friend of ICS living in Eretria,Greece. If you have an anecdote to share withMr. Bell, write him at "Apollo," Eretria, Evia,Greece 34008.

"ST. WINSTON"Even his most devoted admirers may

find it difficult to think of WSC as a saint.Yet,together with Victor Hugo, Sun Yat-sen and Louis Pasteur, he is revered assuch by the Cao Dai sect of Buddhism.

Meaning "High Altar" or "SupremePalace," Cao Dai arose in 1919, from aseance communication received by NgoVan Chieu, an administrator for the Frenchin Cochin, China. In 1926 it was formallyorganized by a wealthy Vietnamese, LeVan Trung. Cao Dai seeks to adopt what-ever seems best in other religions, teachingthat God communicates directly throughtrance to certain devotees. Like the RomanCatholic Church it has a Pope, who lives ina village outside Tah Ninh city, nearSaigon. An ornate cathedral was built therein 1937 at the foot of a high mountain. Inaddition to Catholicism and Buddhism, thesect combines elements of Confucianism,Taoism and the traditional cults of spiritsand ancestors. It also revived the Buddhistrules regarding vegetarianism and atti-tudes towards animals. With such abreadth of belief it has continued to havewide appeal, and is thought to have well inexcess of two million adherents.-James Bell

ICS New Zealand (see last issue, page 5) is orga-nized with Capt. Winston G. Churchill, USCG(ret.) and Gordon H.J. Hogg in charge. Best wish-es and thanks for your efforts on behalf of ICS.

FINEST HOUR 82 / 9

1993 InternationalChurchill Conference

Seven honorary members, seven ambassadors, sevenacademic papers, 150 students, 300 delegates, made

the 25th Anniversary Conference a "Grand Climacteric.BY RICHARD M. LANGWORTH • PHOTOS BY MICHAEL CARPENTER

T he firstChurchillConfer-

ence was held inFulton, Missouriten years ago,with a totalattendance offive. From 1984through 1992conferences wereheld in Toronto,BostonVancouver,Dallas, BrettonWoods, London,San Francisco,Australia, andSurrey England,none approach-ing the 500 attendees we rackedup at Washington's MayflowerHotel last November. We can onlygive a taste of that conference here:it featured more honorary membersthan ever before assembled in oneplace, thirty-five speakers in morethan a score of special sessions,emotional moments at the NavyChapel, Holocaust Museum andLincoln Memorial, as well as richconversation at meals, in the hallsand after hours. We will be re-printing all major speeches in the1992-1993 Proceedings. Rec-ordings of speeches at the eventare available from ICS Stores. Fornow, we report on the conferenceand highlight of some of theremarks.

10/FINEST HOUR 82

Honored guests on Sunday November 7th. L-R: Secretary Jack F. Kemp,Winston S. Churchill MP, Minnie Churchill, Ambassador Paul and Martha Robinson.

PiPARTICIPANTS at the 1993Conference mysteriouslydefied Washington's un-

written Law of Conferences: thesize of the audience is inverselyproportional to time elapsed.Starting Thursday night, when theBritish Embassy held a receptionfor major donors and supporterswith a surprise guest namedMargaret Thatcher, the event last-ed four days: a long time, to besure, but not too long to involvefive hundred people representingall countries where ICS is formal-ly organized. Tremendous creditbelongs to conference chair-woman Merry Alberigi and thetalented committee listed at the

Together, theyall managed themost ambitious,

event-studdedtimetable in our

twenty-five-year history.We are espe-

cially grateful toour two chief

dinner speakers,Winston S.

Churchill MPand Jack Kemp;

AmbassadorJohn Loeb, Jr. of

the WinstonChurchill Foun-

dation; sevenserving or re-

tired Ambassa-dors representing New Zealand,Great Britain and the UnitedStates; and honorary memberswho gave us the pleasure of theircompany: Winston Churchill,Martin Gilbert, James Humes,Gen. Colin Powell, Amb. PaulRobinson, Lady Thatcher andSecretary Caspar Weinberger.

Everyone seemed surprisinglycheerful, considering that JohnCharmley's End of Glory was highon the New York Times bestsellerlist and the wire services were fullof speculation whether just-released British wartime archiveswould prove Churchill knew inadvance of the attack on Pearl

, , , . ,, Harbor (they didn't, and we couldend of this report, notably the ICS h a v e t o l d t h e m ) « A s } as

! 2 ! ! ? ? L e e ! by Charmley continues to write un-truths, I think we're all right," said

byRon Helgemo and John Mather.

one historian of a slightly less re-visionist bent. I replied that ifCharmley didn't exist we wouldhave to invent him, since skewer-ing him was good exercise.

Speaking of historians, as op-posed to gossip-mongers, ICSscheduled three academic sessionswhich produced no fewer thanseven new papers on Churchill —pro and con. The cons were War-ren Kimball of Rutgers, editor ofthe seminal Churchill-RooseveltCorrespondence,who thinks FDRwas the pragma-tist and WSC thedreamer, not theother way round;and ManfredWeidhorn ofYeshiva Uni-versity, whodwelled on"misjudginghistory" and theaccidents ofsame: what ifReagan had beenPresident whenAmerican hos-tages were takenin Iran, andCarter came in tofix things in1980? —what ifChurchill hadmobilized the fleet in 1914 andthere was no war? Among thepositivists were Larry Arnn, sum-marizing his conclusions onCharmley (published in full lastissue); Patrick Powers, whoexplained why Great Contem-poraries is worth reading; and RayCallahan and Eliot Cohetei, whodiscussed WSC and the military.

A final academic paper cameafter our tour of the U.S. Holo-caust Memorial Museum, whereMartin Gilbert arrived to speak, asboth a Jew and Churchill's bio-grapher. Much new inforrfTalioncame to light, not the least ofwhich was how the holocaust per-sonally touched ICS director CyrilMazansky, who had made all thearrangements at the museum, andintroduced Gilbert with wordsthat gave sad new emphasis towhat we know about Nazi

Europe.There was business aplenty,

and not enough time for it,though nobody was complaining— too much fun, learning andcomradeship going on outside themeeting rooms. The board of di-rectors completed their agenda;also, the President of ICS/USAreceived an ovation by commenc-ing the general meeting: "mem-bership is increasing, the treasuryadequate, chapters multiplying

British Ambassador Renwick invited hon. members to the Embassy November 5th:Gen. Colin L. Powell, Lady Thatcher, Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger.

and publications proliferating—end of reports." Treasurer GeorgeLewis received a Salisbury paint-ing (cover, FH 71) for his twelveyears of devoted service. Withbusiness done, Cyril Mazanskyeducated us on Churchill-era ciga-rette cards, and Frederick Woodswas on hand to discuss plans for anew edition of his bibliography.

The most emotional event wasSunday morning's reenactment, atthe Navy Chapel, of servicesaboard HMS Prince of Wales withRoosevelt and Churchill in 1941.Readers included two navy veter-ans present on that occasion, oneAmerican (from USS Augusta),one British (one of the few sur-vivors when Prince of Wales wassunk off Singapore in 1941).

I entered the chapel late as thecongregation struck up "OnwardChristian Soldiers," finding Chris-

tians, Jews, and agnostics singingthe old hymn lustily together. Twoveterans of USS Augusta and HMSPrince of Wales read the lessons.After an interval came "For Thosein Peril on the Sea" and "EternalFather Strong to Save." It was toomuch. I had to sit down, recallingSir Winston's words: "I chose thehymns myself. Every wordseemed to stir the heart. It was agreat hour to live. Nearly halfthose who sang were soon to die."

Here in Wash-ington fifty-two

years later, in-voking those

words again, onecould believe

that there ishope yet.

An importantreason for opti-

mism was the140 young peo-

ple who at-tended some

phase of the con-ference, espe-cially our five

student speak-ers, led by theriveting James

' Milner from theUniversity of

Toronto (spon-sored by ICS,

Canada) and 14-year-old CaitlinMurphy from Massachusetts.Each was asked to say what afamous Churchill quote meant tothem. I decided they'd thoughtmore about it than I had. Eachwas followed by a brilliant, entire-ly unrehearsed commentary ontheir delivery by moderator JamieHumes—the best public speakingI have ever seen him deliver,which is saying something.

Another panel convened threeAmbassadors and one Head ofChancery^ (New Zealand to theUSA, USA to Denmark, USA to,Canada, UK to USA) to discuss theAnglo-American "Special Rela-tionship" — is it still valid in the1990s? The consensus was that itstill had its place. New Zealand,said its Ambassador Denis Mc-Lean, "must be more cognizant ofAsia than in the past, but we thrive

FINEST HOUR 82/11

On Sunday, Navy Chapel reenacted 1941 FDR-WSC Services aboard Prince of Wales; Jim Muller spoke, Alan Keyes sang, at Lincoln Memorial Monday evening.

on free trade worldwide, wespeak your language, share yourdemocratic traditions." MargaretThatcher Thursday night had setdown the basic precept: "Law,language, literature and a zest forfreedom—these are what we share.These will never divide us."

Having long fantasized aboutbeing able to follow WinstonChurchill around Washington, Idid just that one afternoon, whenour guests, Winston and MinnieChurchill, took a small party tolunch at a nearby Italian restau-rant. I had wanted to ask Winstonwhat he and Lady Thatcher hadtalked about Thursday at theBritish Embassy, knowing that hehad left the shadow cabinet beforeshe was elected on a matter ofprinciple. "It was very cordial,"he said. "This is what one doesoutside the Chamber: we nod andsmile pleasantly." Political debateis the nature of his business, butthere was no doubt where Winstonstood on Lady Thatcher duringhis keynote address Saturdaynight: he mentioned the transfor-

"President Lincoln said, "Right MakesMight: That is the point, isn't it?"

mation she had wrought in Britishlife and prosperity, a change forthe better that anyone with eyescan see.

Winston was introduced thatevening by one of my favoriteladies, the Honorable Celia Sandys,his cousin and WSC's grand-daughter, who amused us with astory. Standing in one of those re-ceiving lines where, as you comeforward, a magisterial butler an-nounces your name out loud, afriend of Winston's told the butlerthat his name was George Wash-ington. "George Washington," thefactotum duly announced to theassembly. Then it was Winston'sturn, and of course he had to tellthe man to announce "WinstonChurchill." I made a note to re-member this if I'm ever in a re-ceiving line ahead of WSC, MR

I was also pleased to see Wins-ton join in the general merrimentwhen, after Robert Hopkins' rec-ollection of his father Harry (Presi-dent Roosevelt's trusted confi-dante), Jamie Humes ventured animitation. Knowing that Chur-

Lady Thatcher accepts our last copy of TheDream from Caspar Weinberger, Nov 5th.

chillian mimicry is never part ofICS conferences, Jamie asked metenuously, "Could I do Roose-velt?" Knowing what was comingI said, "sure." Humes then toldRobert Hopkins how his fatherand FDR had listened to one ofChurchill's fighting speeches overthe wireless, and how FDRsnapped off the set, leaned back inhis wheelchair and mused: "Waal,Harry, as long as that old bah-stahd's in chaage, Britain willnever surrendah—it's not likethrowing money down a rathole,like Frawnce..." The audienceroared. It was just right for theoccasion, with the son of HarryHopkins and the grandson of SirWinston present.

It was hard to follow Saturdayevening's black tie gala with Celia,Winston and ICS/USA ChairmanPaul Robinson (who responded toWinston's address), but we suc-ceeded with Jack Kemp the nextevening, introduced by Ambassa-dor Jeane Kirkpatrick and re-sponded to by Winston. The ex-Cabi-net Secretary, who likes to say he

MT, Richard & Ann Hazlett: "When youwon the third time ... that was something!"

12 /FINEST HOUR 82

Led by Alan Keyes, "O Canada" was among five national anthems sung by Mary Lucas, Terry Leveck (USA), Diane and David Boler (UK).

is in his "Wilderness Years/' gavea reasonably bipartisan speech,with nary a suggestion that wemight see him in New Hampshirein a couple of years for the first-in-the-nation Presidential prima-ry. He could not, however, helpcommenting briefly on the book-of-the-hour: "Charmley wouldhave us believe the British Empirewould have thrived under Hitler'sboot. That's not history ••— that'snonsense."

Like the rest of us, Jack Kempwas impressed by the bravuraperformance of Ambassador AlanKeyes, who once entertainedthoughts of being an opera singer.Following an ICS conference tra-dition, Alan sang all five nationalanthems of nations where ICS isorganized: "The Star SpangledBanner," "God Save the Queen,""O Canada," "Advance AustraliaFair" and "God Defend New Zea-land." And this was only the be-ginning, for he added a brilliantencore Monday night: all sjx stan-zas of Churchill's favoredv"BattleHymn of the Republic" at the Lin-

Below: Humes on Lincoln, Monday. Right:McVey's Churchill at the British Embassy.

coin Memorial, where we markedthe 130th anniversary of theGettysburg Address.

Anything as complicated as thisevent invites its share of snafus,and all of us who served—fromAlan Fitch and Pat Peschko (whoran ICS Stores at the cost of muchpersonal participation in events)— to our splendid registrationpeople (who are listed anon) hadthings we would have liked to doover. Their professionalism, andthe gentleness of our guests, pre-vented any serious disappoint-ments, but I must admit I sweatedhard at one point..

When conference cochair Sena-tor Barbara Boxer couldn't cometo introduce Jack Kemp, I askedAmbassador Jeane Kirkpatrickand, though she kindly accepted, Inever got the message. Mrs. Kirk-patrick duly arrived and room wasjoyously made, but I then had toask Humes to scrap his introduc-tion of Jack Kemp and introduceJeane Kirkpatrick instead! He is apro and he did it, but he was stillthinking about his squandered

Kemp intro, and at the end of theceremonies he launched into it,Mr. Kemp throwing up his handsfor time out, certain that he'd beenpraised enough. Thus, when I roseto present Merry Alberigi with theBlenheim Award for five years ofoutstanding service to ICS, I ad-dressed the audience as "Fellowdemocrats...I use that word in thecatholic sense, 'catholic' with alower-case 'c.'"

In case anyone hadn't got thepoint (ICS is entirely non-partisanand is composed of Democrats,Republicans, NDPers, Labourites,Liberals and the last two Tories inCanada), I ventured the followingnight to compare what Lincolnsaid about foreign interventionswith what President Clinton saidjust days before at the UnitedNations. People thought I was try-ing to provide political balance—true, but the comparisons areclose: read 'em. By the way, Billwas invited, but sent us his re-grets. When he reads our guestlist he'll think twice about missingus next time. &

WSC: "My grandfather would rejoice at thefall of the Iron Curtain he warned about."

FINEST HOUR 82/13

"You've an Iraqi edition of Savrola? MarkWeber, Avril Swan, Jim Johnson.

Mr. Bibliographer Woods with escortsBarbara Lee, Alan Fitch, Pat Peschko.

California two-generation ICS friendsRaymond and Richard Lavine.

Right Makes Might

Margaret Thatcher: We meet to-night in the capital of the greatestnation in the world and the leadingforce for liberty and freedom, whichWinston recognized and alwaysemphasized across the years, andmay I say I thank Providence thatAmerica had leaders like RonReagan and Cap Weinberger, whosepolicies were instrumental in thecollapse of the greatest threat tofreedom in history, and many lesserthreats as well.

I of course remember the Falk-lands, when many voices in thiscountry suggested that America mustnot take sides in the conflict be-tween "' . rfv and tyranny in whichBritain v.v •. ngaged. Cap Wein-berger was not one of those voices.He asked us, "What do you need?"

Powerful challenges continue toface us, not the least of which is thequite unacceptable tragedy of Bos-nia. If you consider Abraham Lin-coln's words of advice, I believe youwill conclude, as Winston concludedin earlier context, that great nationscannot remain indifferent to mas-

sive human tragedy. President Lin-coln said, "Let us have faith thatright makes might; and in that faithlet us do our duty as we understandit.

[To the Editor:] "I want you toknow how very honoured I feel toreceive the last copy of WinstonChurchill's The Dream, which waspublished by the InternationalChurchill Society some years ago. Itcompletes my collection of his workand is bound more beautifully thanany of the others. I read it in theearly hours of this morning and amtotally fascinated by the imagina-tion of the story and how much itreveals of Winston the man and theson. It was a wonderful evening ofadmirers of this great leader, madeeven more memorable by your pre-cious and thoughtful gift."

Churchill's Relevance

Jack Kemp: Churchill always swamin deep waters. The essence of hisvision was freedom. His greatestcontribution was to preserve it fromextinction by rallying people be-

hind a noble cause. Imagine if therehad been no Churchill to rally theBritish people and the West to de-fend the cause of freedom and de-feat Nazism. Some modern writerswould have us believe the BritishEmpire would have thrived underHitler's boot. That's not history —that's nonsense.

For Churchill, freedom was theorganizing principle of internation-al affairs. It was also his lodestar indomestic politics. And it found itsmost consistent expression in Chur-chill's commitment to capitalism.Churchill sought no "third way" or"middle path" between capitalismand socialism. "If you penalize thespirit of individual daring and ini-tiative," he said, "then you are, infact, abandoning the capitalist sys-tem, and you ought [to] go to theother extreme and weave the wholeindustry of the country into onevast structure under state plan-ning."

But Churchill's vision of capital-ism was not a Darwinian strugglewhere the strong thrive and theweak suffer. His model of compas-sion was the good shepherd. In his

L: John Loeb, Karen McGowan, Harold & Lillian Epstein. John and Harold represented the Winston Churchill Foundation. R: Tarah Grant, Heather Mercer,James Milner, moderator Humes, Caitlin Murphy and Aaron Pont, our five student presenters on Churchill themes, gave impressive appreciations of WSC.

14/FINEST HOUR 82

Warm welcome to Ethel Pont with her sonsAaron and Jonathan from California.

conservative philosophy, a nationcould not advance while leavingothers behind. "We want to draw aline," he said, "below which we willnot allow persons to live and la-bour, yet above which they maycompete with all the strength oftheir manhood. We want to havefree competition upwards; we de-cline to allow free competition torun downwards. We do not want topull down the structures of scienceand civilization, but to spread a netover the abyss."

These are some of the direct andvital contributions of Churchill tothe debates of today: an obligationto maintain a strong defense; a be-lief in Western leadership to expanddemocracy; a commitment to capi-talism for the sake of everyone insociety. Those who think that con-servatism only meant anti-commu-nism only know half the story. Wemust do more than just stand againstsomething. Our mission is to standfor something—to be that "city on ahill," as President Reagan said somany times. That vision of freedomis the idea for which Churchill livedhis life. All defenders of freedom

David Robinson, veteran of USS Augusta,speaking at Navy Chapel fifty-two years on.

stand on Sir Winston's shoulders.And thank God we have the Inter-national Churchill Society to per-petuate his legacy and to remind usnever to "splash in shallow waters."

Winston Churchill: "It would be amistake to imagine that perils donot lie ahead. The reality must befaced that the world has once againbeen made safe for conventionalwarfare ...

"For me, the most remarkableaspect of my Grandfather's life,whose memory we are gatheredthis evening to celebrate, is thebreadth of his fields of interest, therange of his talents and the potencyof his spirit, which is still with us,and indeed has brought us togetherthis week in Washington."

Reading Churchill

Patrick Powers: Great Contempo-raries, published 1937/38, is too lit-tle known and appreciated for itspolitical thoughtfulness. Churchillwas a master at writing concretelyabout modern political life in a waywhich succeeded simultaneously in

Caitlin Murphy found the Churchill kneelingpad at the Navy Chapel.

entertaining large numbers of de-cent democratic citizens and at thesame time in exploring the deeperpolitical question of whether or notliberal democracy is capable ofbeing guided by first principles andgoverned by politicians of the firstorder who can comprehend, per-suasively articulate, and effectivelyimplement those principles. [It is]directly relevant for our currenteducational and political debateabout the worth of studying deadmales (and females) .... Churchillgives an unambiguously affirma-tive response. Of course he takes itfor granted that the dead males(and females) must be outstandingin character and deeds to be worthyof our attention.

Churchill and the Army

Raymond A. Callahan: Steady, suc-cessful pressure on an ei .emy whoseultimate defeat was in any case cer-tain would give the British people aglimpse of light at the end of thetunnel — and Churchill was the in-valuable counter of victory in thegame of alliance politics. The inex-

Winston S. Churchill with students from Forestville and Parkdale High Schools, Virginia, who added so much to our proceedings and, we hope,learned something about the Man of the Century, were sponsored by ICS and individual members, and those from out of town were put up overnight.

FINEST HOUR 82/15

Left: Robinsons meet Kemps. Right: "I've never heard 'God Defend New Zealand' sung so well!" (Jack Kemp to Alan Keyes; Chris Harmon, center.)

orable shrinkage of British strengthafter 1943, however, led to an ironicdenouement. Just as the British Armyfound the commanders, techniques— and situations — that wouldbring victory, the inherent weak-ness in Britain's position meant thatthose victories would matter lessand less in the sphere that Churc-hill, a good Clausewitzian, knew tomatter most: the one where militaryachievement translates into the at-tainment of national objectives. Itmay be that the most important ofthose objectives—maintenance ofBritain's great power status—wasin fact unattainable, but no onecould ever claim that WinstonChurchill did not exert the lastounce of effort to reach it—nor, forthat matter, could anyone in the endclaim that about the British Army.

Eliot A. Cohen: UndergirdingChurchill's high-level strategic deci-sions, on which historians tradition-ally lavish a great deal of attention,are other, less visible but no lessimportant activities. They involvedecisionmaking about matters ofdetail—important detail, but detailnonetheless. Perhaps the most im-

Leading off with grace: Jacqueline Witteroffers grace on Saturday night.

portant was the continuous audit ofthe military's judgment. Churchill,as his generals often complained,kept a close eye on many matters ofmilitary detail...By no means didChurchill always have it right. Buthe often caught his military staffwhen they had it wrong. This is notto say that Churchill's militaryjudgment was invariably, or evenfrequently, superior to that of hissubordinates, although on occasionit clearly was. Rather, Churchillexercised one of his most importantfunctions as war leader by holdingtheir calculations and assertions upto standards of a massive commonsense, informed by wide readingand experience at war. When 'usmilitary advisers could not come upwith plausible answers to theseharassing and inconvenient ques-tions, they usually revised theirviews; when they could, Churchillrevised his. In both cases, Britishstrategy benefited.

Always Center Stage

Warren F. Kimball: When Roose-velt told Churchill that China did

Introduction Sunday night by former UNAmbassador Jeane Kirkpatrick...

not want Indochina, Churchill re-plied, "Nonsense!" The Presidentsaid to him, "Winston, this is some-thing which you just are not able tounderstand. You have 400 years ofacquisitive instinct in your bloodand you just don't understand howa country might not want to acquireland somewhere if they can get it. Anew period has opened in theworld's history, and you will haveto adjust to it." The President thensaid that the British would takeland anywhere in the world, even ifit were only a rock or a sand bar.Now, Churchill may have beenright, and FDR was not above tak-ing a Pacific sand bar or two him-self, but it is the American image ofChurchill that concerns us. Oneimage, combined Churchill the con-niver with Churchill the old worldpolitician seeking to play katy-bar-the-door to change, since changewould threaten the UK's position inthe world and the position of hisclass in Britain. What Churchillcalled tradition, Americans saw asreaction or at least a dangerousdedication to the world of QueenVictoria. Averell Harriman claimedthat Roosevelt saw Churchill as

...She was introducing Jack Kemp, who hadit coming, and was glad.

I!

16/FINEST HOUR 82

Left: Martin Gilbert was introduced by Cyril Mazansky at the Holocaust Museum. Right: Paul Robinson with Barbara Langworth and Celia Sandys.

"pretty much a nineteenth centurycolonialist," and Churchill himselfonce commented (happily, one sus-pects): "In the White House, I'mtaken for a Victorian Tory." InWhitehall, where one official com-plained: "With Roosevelt strainingto put the British Empire into liqui-dation and Winston pulling in theopposite direction to put it back topre-Boer War, we are in danger oflosing both the Old and the NewWorld."

These interpretations are newverses to old songs...But I can seeMr. Churchill grinning, his cigarend aimed at his accusers as hepoints out that in all their portraitsof history, it is Winston Churchillwho stands right where he knew hebelonged: center stage.

Misjudging History

Manfred Weidhorn: Writing in1916 on his daring action of sendingthe fleet to its war station two yearsearlier, Churchill remarke^ that if,instead of war breaking ouN:, peacehad been maintained, he wouldhave been accused of endangering

Langworth to Humes: "I hate to tell you thisbut I think you need to know ...

the peace, of acting in excess of hisauthority, of increasing the nation'sfinancial liabilities, and of losing hishead. It was a close call. Or supposeChurchill had been ousted in 1942,after three years of disasters? By1945 people would have said,"What a poor leader Churchill was!Under him we had nothing butdefeats. And how great, by contrast,his successor was. Under him wehad nothing but victories."

WSC and the Holocaust

Cyril Mazansky: A number of peo-ple expressed to me the feeling thatthey would not be able emotionallyto tolerate a visit to the UnitedStates Holocaust Memorial Museum.I do sincerely understand how theyfeel, but it does bring to mind anepisode, which my father-in-law,who was a lucky emigre from NaziGermany, mentioned. He had gonewith my mother-in-law to see "TheDiary of Anne Frank." Being awoman both of great intellect andemotion, in the middle of the film,she said to my father-in-law, "I can-not tolerate it anymore, I must

"... that we have our speaker, so your intro ofSec. Kemp is unnecessary ...

leave." He turned to her and said,"These people lived through it anddied in it — you can sit and watchit."

Martin Gilbert: When on 7 July1944 Churchill was shown therequest by the Jewish Agency thatthe railway line leading fromBudapest and Berkenau and thedeath camps should be bombed, hedid something which I have notseen on any other document sub-mitted to Churchill for his ap-proval. He wrote on it what hewanted done: "Is there any reasonto raise this matter with the Cabi-net? Get anything out of the AirForce you can and invoke me if nec-essary."

Two days later the deportationson the railway lines from Hungaryto Auschwitz ceased and the priori-ty of surviving Jews and of all thoseconcerned with them was the at-tempt to find someplace where theymight have a safe haven. I supposeit is a great tragedy that all this hadnot taken place on the 7th of July1943 or the 7th of October 1942. Forwhen all is said and done, the 7th ofJuly 1944 was too late.

"...well, sure, if you want you can say somewords about Jack Kemp after dinner!"

FINEST HOUR 82/17

GUNARD LINES

Conference chairwoman Merry Alberigi presents Terrence Leveck with his raffle winning first class tickets for two on the Queen Elizabeth 2. Bon voyage Terry!

"Greatest of all pathways for Britain is the sea—the sea that has been our highway to Empire and to wealth, andacross which we draw, from the four corners of the world, the daily bread by which we live. And once more asthe Queen sets out, we feel confirmed in our ancient dominion over the wide waters—that dominion whosepeaceful purpose she is again a symbol. May she win back the Blue Ribbon that the Mauretania held for over ascore of years—and may she retain it against all comers as long as did her great precedessor."

WINSTON S. CHURCHILL, "SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS/' STRAND MAGAZINE, MAY 1936

ICS THANKS CUNARD LINES FOR ITS SUPERB GENEROSITY TO OUR 25th ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE

ICS SINCERELY THANKS

British Airwaysfor the generosity which brought

Guests of Honour

Winston S. Churchill, MP

Minnie D. Churchill

Dr. Martin Gilbert, CBE

and

The Honorable Celia Sandys

to our

25th ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE

WASHINGTON, DC, NOVEMBER 5TH-8TH

The Navy ChapelDavid Robinson, USN, USS Augusta: Be strong and of agood courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for aninheritance the land which I sware unto their fathers togive them. This book of the law shall not depart out of thymouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, thatthou mayest observe to do according to all that is writtentherein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous,and then thou shalt have good success. Have I not com-manded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be notafraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord thy God iswith thee, whithersoever thou goest. (Joshua 1:6,8-9)

Raymond Goodman, RN, HMS Prince of Wales: Saveand deliver us from the hands of our enemies; abate theirpride, assuage their malice, and confound their devices;that we, being armed with thy defence, may be preservedevermore from all perils, to glorify Thee, who are the onlygiver of all victory. Stablish our hearts, O God, in the dayof battle, and strengthen our resolve, that we fight not inenmity against men but against the powers of darknessenslaving the souls of men, till all the enmity and oppres-sion be done away and the peoples of the world be set freefrom fear to serve one another as children of our Father,who is above all and through all and in all, our God forever and ever, Amen. (These were the identical prayer andlesson offered aboard HMS Prince of Wales at ArgentiaBay, 10 August 1941.)

Note: The editor did not have transcripts of student presentationsat press time. If these have been received in time for next issue,they will appear there. Also Finest Hour #83 will contain all let-ters received on the conference, including the enthusiasticresponse of students.

18/FINEST HOUR 82

GRATEFUL THANKSConference Committee: Merry Lee Alberigi (chairwoman), MarianneAlmquist, Michael J. Altenburger, Bruce Bogstad, Derek BrownleaderWalker B. Comegys, Donald & Irene Corn, Fred Crouch Shirley Graves'Robin W. Grover, Fred Hardman, Dorothy Hartland, Caroline Hartzler Ann& Richard Hazlett, Ron Helgemo, Jon Holtzman, William C. Ives James LJohnson, Barbara & Richard Langworth, Raymond Lavine, Posey & RichardLeahy, Victor B. Levit, George A. Lewis, Dr. John Mather, Dr Cyril Mazansky, James W. Muller, Gordon L. Ness Jr., DeEtta & Marvin Nicely Charlotte& Earl Nicholson, Ann Novick, Jay Piper, John G. Plumpton, Mary Rummer-field, Harvey Sarner, Michael Schaengold, Aida Schoenfeld Jonah Triebwasser, Jacqueline Dean Witter. Conference Photographer: Michael CarpenterConference Videographer: James L. Johnson. Especial thanks to ICS Stores AlanFitch and Pat Peschko.

Displays: Organized by Shirley Graves from the collections of Merry Alberi-gi, Fred Hardman, Robert Hartland, Richard Langworth, Marvin Nicely JerrvO'Conor, David Perkins, Kenneth W. Rendell, Jonah Triebwasser and MarkWeber

Benefactors: Jefferson & Shirley Graves, Hon. Paul & Mrs. Diana GutmanAmb. John L. Loeb Jr, Ethel Pont.

Patrons: Mr & Mrs Parker H. Lee, Mary Lucas & Terrence Leveck Mr & MrsMichael W. Michelson.

Supporters: Mr. & Mrs. Michael J. Altenburger, David & Diane Boler, GeraldM. Kirke, Cyril & Harriet Mazansky, William C. Robinson, Norman ShaiferSaul P. Steinberg, Wylma Wayne.

Friends: Ronald D. Abramson, Mr. & Mrs. Walker Comegys, Richard & RhodaGoldman, William C. Ives, The Hon & Mrs Proctor Jones, Richard & RuthLavine, Raymond Lavine & Barbara Hammerman, Mr & Mrs Richard LeahyMichael T. McMenamin Jr, Earl & Charlotte Nicholson, Peter J. Phillips'Michael J. Schaengold, Reese Taylor, Janet T. Wilson. '

Sponsors: Ian Aitchison, Bennett Archambault, Mr & Mrs William Beatty DrJames S. Benedict, Dr James B. Bennett, Donald E. Best, Franklin M. BuchtaDonald & Irene Corn, Drs Ruth & Martin Cousineau, Clark W Fetridee'Edward W. Fitzgerald, Dr Herbert A. Goldberg, James H. Heineman, Jon &Sharon Holtzman, J. Willis Johnson, D. Lukin Johnston, Mr & Mrs Gerald DrakeKambestad, Barbara & Richard Langworth, Ronald & Margaret Lebowitz JWilliam Lovelace, Richard & Molley Lowry, Jack Moseley, Dr John B. Na'n-ninga, Helen Newman, Marvin & DeEtta Nicely, John G. Plumpton, RichardS. Raffauf, Amb Paul H. Robinson Jr., Douglas S. Russell, Dr. Stephen MSaravay, Hon George P. Shultz, Jonah & Ellen Triebwasser, Celia & ClarenceTurner, Dr. William G. Underhill, Kathleen & John Utz, Edward C. Wilson JrStanley H. Winfield, Dr H. William Winstanley, Malcolm & Jacqueline Witter'John D. Woods, Sr.

Gifts: Glen & Merry Alberigi, Adm & Mrs. John W. Bitoff USN, Daniel HBormsky, Mr & Mrs William N. Boyce, John W. Churchill, Edward R. Flenz!Mollie Frank-Jones, Harry J. Hart, George A. Lewis.

Corporate Supporters: Atlantic Richfield Co., British Airways, Cable & Wire-less Inc., Champagne Pol Roger, Churchillbooks, Cunard Line, Land RoverNorth America, Patton Boggs & Blow, Stouffer's Mayflower Hotel.Student Delegates: Rabbi Bruce Aft, Matt Altenburger, Laith Al-Nouri, FloraAnders, Kendra Baity, Thomas J. Baker III, Tamara Baldwin, Christina Bel-lucci, Thomas J. Brady III, Jumarr Brooks, Dorothy Brown, Ayesha BurkelyAdrian Burton, Rhonda CampbeU, Shaunikka Chapman, Linda Coates, ShaylaCoates, S.F. Crawford, Duane Cross, Fred Crouch, Sean Dailey, Ross Daniels,Erin Delaney, Dana C. Dobson, Lynn Dubin, Ted Eagles, Tameka Evans,'Meredith Fascett, LaTanya Feggins, Elizabeth Bield, Tina Fitzgerald, Tira'Floyd, Kurt L. Foster, Ryan Garvey, ChristinaJ.Gilbert, Janet & Ra'shadGilchrist, Lauren Golden, Jenna Goodrow, Tarah Qrant, Jennifer GreeneElizabeth Gutierrez, Sabina Haderlein, Jonathan D. Hanretta, Venetta LaVelleHarris, Sean Havard, Cecilia & Tiffany Hawkins, William Hay, Mia & NeeestHayes, Ruth He, Renee Henderson, Vernon Holleman III, Cheryl HollowayAmy & Dan Howard, Ena Inesi, Demetrios L. Irvin, Carlita & Eugene Jack-son, Esther & Tricia James, Jowan Kirby, Jennie Kneedler, Sabina Kook, Char-lotte Karenzie, Anthony Latta, Akeisha Ledwell, Pamela Leftricht, ChristinaLytle, Andreen Mullings, Delica Matthews, Jehan Maynie, Ben MeekerHeather Mercer, Rahsaan Miller, James Milner, Jason Minock, Kevin Mont-gomery, Sidaya Moore, Jeff M. Morneau, Keisha Moms, Caitlin Murphy BenNoble, Gillian Pachter, Jean Perkins, Cheryl & Randolph Perry, Greg PeterSharuka Pettaway, Aaron M. & John B. Pont, Tory Redmond, Keffi Robinson'Arthur H.F. Schoenfeld, Robert Schwarzwalder, David Scruggs, Daniel Serene'Jessica Sherman, Chivonda Smith, Anna Tabor, Charles Tate, Rende Taylor'Elizabeth Lakiya Teshome, Harriet Thomas, Ryan Thompson, Karen Toles'Dawane Andre Trent, Joan Trumps, Harriet Underwood, Cora Vandecar'Carnitta De Vaughn, Nicole Wall, Kareemah Weans, Lakia M. & MichaelWhitehead, Kara & Kareem Williams, Lauretta & Nida Williams TravellWilliams, Clifford Wong, Candyce & John Wood, Alfred Young, Tina Yount

Randy BarberPres., ICS Canada

Canada '94: Sept. 23-26th

Although he was personally reelected in the1929 election, Churchill soon parted com-pany with the Tory Party over the India

issue, and there was no place for him in theConservative shadow cabinet. The "WildernessYears" had begun.

Money had to be made by writing and lectur-ing. WSC had just published The Aftermath, hadbegun work on Marlborough, and had contractedfor a series of articles in the Daily Telegraph. Healso planned a trans-Atlantic journey to NorthAmerica, which he had last visited in 1900, with"no political mission and no axe to grind."

Approaching what he called a "vast labyrinth of mountains" on24 August 1929, Churchill and his son Randolph reached Calgary,-where they stayed at the Palliser Hotel, which he thought should becalled "Hotel Sahara" because the "dry laws" forbade it to sell alco-holic beverages.

After visiting a ranch owned by the Prince of Wales, Churchill'sparty moved into the heart of the Rockies and the Banff Springs Hotel.From there he wrote Clementine: "I have made up my mind that if[Neville Chamberlain] is made leader [of the Conservative Party] oranyone else of that kind, I clear out of politics and see if I cannot makeyou and the kittens a little more comfortable before I die. Only one goalstill attracts me, and if that were barred I should quit the dreary fieldfor pastures new ... I am greatly attracted to this country. Immensedevelopments are going forward. The tide is flowing strongly." Thepastures new were Canada and the world of business.

This September you will have an opportunity to relive those dayswhen Churchill visited the Canadian Rockies. You will also be greatlyattracted to Canada. "Immense developments are going forward" toprovide memorable experiences during your visit.

Many arrangements are still maturing but we will join the Rt.Hon. Sir Winston S. Churchill Society of Calgary's annual dinner atthe Palliser Hotel. Our speaker will be the Hon. Celia Sandys, grand-daughter of Sir Winston, who enthralled everyone who met her inWashington, D.C. last November. Celia will speak on her new bookon the youthful Winston, based on previously unavailable sources.

There will be opportunities to explore the delights of Calgary, afoothills city with great civic pride, including the Calgary Symphonyand a visit to the Museum of the Regiments.

On the way to Banff, via private auto or bus, we will stop for agood old-fashioned western barbeque amid glorious scenery. Dinnerat th j Banff Springs Hotel will feature a revisit to the music of WorldW j II with 'Hits from the Blitz.'

Sunday will include a visit to Lake Louise where Churchill paint-ed one of his most famous pictures. Merry Alberigi who has receivedrave reviews for her presentation on 'Churchill: The Painter/ mostrecently at the Art Gallery of Ontario, has been invited to share herwealth of knowledge and keen insights on that subject.

Papers prepared expressly for this conference will be presented dur-ing the ever-popular academic symposia. Several academics, includingICS Academic Advisors, are publishing books on Churchill and we hopeto hear from them on their progress.

Many other topics are being planned and details will be announcedin the next issue. We are pleased and honored to announce that SirWinston's daughter, Lady Mary Soames, will be present to meet hermany friends and admirers from around the world.

She will also make many new friends at this conference. You can dothe same. ICS Conferences have been described as 'friend-raising activi-ties' and one of the joys of attending an ICS Conference is the mingling ofpeople from all over the world who share a common interest and admira-tion for the achievements of Sir Winston Churchill.

The interest in Sir Winston is strong in Western Canada and we anti-cipate extensive participation from Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.

Plan your annual vacation around attendance at the conference.Many people from Eastern Canada and the United States plan auto toursacross the continent. Why not follow Churchill's route through all thegreat cities of Canada? Some people, particularly from the WesternUnited States, plan to fly to Vancouver and take the train to Calgary.Churchill wrote his wife that "the panorama of the Rocky Mountainsrises along the Western horizon in endless serrated ridges to grey bluepeaks nine thousand feet above the sea."

However you plan to get there, "the tide is flowing strongly" towardCalgary and Banff, Alberta Canada. They are indeed the places to befrom September 23 to 26, 1994. For information contact John Plumpton(416-497-5349) or Randy Barber (905-881-8550) or write ICS Canada, 130Collingsbrook Blvd., Agincourt, Ontario, Canada M1W1M7.

FINEST HOUR 82/19

Great Contemporaries:Reith of the BBC'That Wuthering Height," said Churchill of hisBroadcasting House nemesis, the towering Scot whodominated British radio in its most crucial years.And of WSC Reith wrote, "I absolutely hate him."BY RON CYNEWULF ROBBINS

CHURCHILL was at his alliterative best when hecondemned Hitler and Mussolini as: "Men ofmurder and the microphone." The dictators,

combining vile propaganda with incessant lying, maderadio a servant of totalitarianism.

Out of government office in the middle 1930s,Churchill had few opportunities to broadcast. He feltfrustrated because he could not talk regularly and di-rectly to the people of Britain about the ever-increasingmenace to peace and freedom posed by Germany andItaly. He also felt his criticism of the British group thatsought to appease the dictators was being muted.

Tohn Reith, an unusually tall Scot who was head of;r ish Broadcasting Corporation, relished thepower he had to exclude Church;'! from BroadcastingHouse in Lonc!i,-:\. Radio at that time was the monop-oly of the publicly-owned Corporation, so it is easy tounderstand how Reith incurred Churchill's displea-sure. Churchill claimed that for eight years Reithbarred him from radio but this, with good reason, isgenerally dismissed as Churchillian hyperbole.

The mutual antipathy of the two men is a strangeand somewhat sad chapter in British politics. How-ever, it is clear that the fault lies heavily on Reith's sidedespite the tendency of certain authors to sum it up asa collision between one big ego and another. Impishlyand memorably, Churchill stylized Reith as: "ThatWuthering Height." The paths of the two men criss-crossed frequently in the years preceding the SecondWorld War and fate decreed that Reith would spend aperiod in the war cabinet.

Reith was endowed with many talents but lackedgenius; he never forgave himself for that, and irra-

Mr. Robbins, a journalist, was a founding director of theSchool of Journalism and Communication at the Universityof Regina, Saskatchewan. He is a regular contributor to FinestHour and resides in Victoria, B.C.

tionally developed the hideous habit of blaming hisinner deficiency on those who held any office higherthan his own. To Churchill, he Seems to have been anirritant slightly akin to another giant of a man, Generalde Gaulle.

Ebullient, and driving himself and everyone elsehard on to victory, Churchill was not to be divertedfrom his central purpose by irritants. For Reith, it wasvastly different. A dark-minded introvert, he was inca-pable of establishing a rapport with a thunder andlightning extrovert of Churchill's historic stature.

Reith's spleen is written large in his diaries, whichrun to over two million words. His criticism of Church-ill often dribbles on quite absurdly and finally hedescends to this: "I absolutely hate him." But it has tobe said that Reith had a remarkably long hate list dat-ing from his early days. Churchill's genius and mag-naminity were beyond Reith's reach and comprehen-sion. Reith was handicapped by an off-putting, austerenature that contrasted too starkly with Churchill'swarm friendships which had the hallmark of loyalty.

There was no primrose way to the top for Reith,who was born in 1889. His father, a minister of the FreeChurch of Scotland, had charge of a church in Glasgowbut never had much money. A large family drained hissmall resources. John in his boyhood was extremelybad-tempered and failed to show his parents properrespect. When he was fifteen he was sent to Gresham'sSchool, in the hope that his conduct would improve.He was unhappy at first, but soon settled down to hisstudies. He out-distanced his classmates in the school-room, and on the playing field shone at rugby. Whenhe became seventeen, family finances were insufficientfor him to remain at the school and, to his unendingdisappointment, he lost the chance of receiving a uni-versity education. A five-year apprenticeship wasarranged for him at a locomotive company. Before em-

20 / FINEST-HOUR 82

barking on that, he spent some time at GlasgowTechnical College and later reinforced this by attend-ing night classes which enabled him to gain certificatesto launch him on his career with a London company.He served in the First World War in the front line andwas wounded. Having proved his courage and dis-played engineering expertise, he discovered he had a

_ well-spring of determination along with a capacity forleadership. His organizing and administrative quali-ties were strongly apparent. Nevertheless, his fatalflaw could not be hidden: he confessed to "intensehatred" for a couple of the officers above him.

Leaving hospital after recovering from his seriouswounds, he had the ingenuity to take advantage of hisprewar engineering contacts to get an official Britishappointment at an arms production plant close toPhiladelphia. His American experience was a crucialfactor in shaping a future that was to be crowned witha peerage.

From 1916 to 1917 he was a tremendously effectivesupervisor of arms inspection. He spared time to speakpublicly on the war and attracted attentive crowds. Hefound Americans outgoingiand sympathetic. He couldfire unwanted employees While continuing to hold theallegiance of the remainder di the staff. Wealthy andinfluential industrialists opened their doors to him andhe learned to walk beside them with an extraneousshow of ease that was to convert him into acceptablecompany for kings and bishops. He believed that, atlast, he had come face to face with his true self. Imbuedwith a sense that he was destined to achieve greatthings, he realized his resolution and ambition werenow twin strengths. Eventually he was replaced byAmericans and headed home convinced he was morerounded, more confident, more the man he dearlywished to be. But he failed to take several of his impor-tant American lessons permanently to heart and paid

Especially during the early Thirties, Churchill had easieraccess to American airwaves than the BBC. Here he broad-casts in the US over NBC, 1932 (Wide World).

the penalty psychologically. Hostile circumstances ofhis own making might have engulfed him without thetherapeutic support of his diary.

Peace, and his impending marriage, emphasized thenecessity for him to make his mark quickly. Compelledto lower his sights, he became general manager of aprovincial factory. He was outstanding at his job butthe firm's defects, and the renewed stirring of his polit-ical aspirations brought disenchantment. Privately, hedesignated the firm "filthy" and labelled head officeexecutives "skunks." He was glad to leave and yield tohis yearning to be in London.

At no period of his life was Reith hesitant aboutwriting to, or approaching, anyone of leading rankwho might favour him with advancement. Resorting tohis customary technique, he steadily probed a varietyof possibilities and was rewarded by proving himself afirst-class general election aide to a key CoalitionConservative unlikely to forget Reith's role in workingall-out for party interests. Reith was elated at his entreeinto political circles where he rubbed shoulders withLloyd George and other statesmen. A seat in the Houseof Commons was his goal.

What happened next was totally at variance withanything he had foreseen for himself. That scientificinfant named radio ("wireless" in Britain) was squall-ing into existence. Reith saw an advertisement for ageneral manager of the British Broadcasting Company(forerunner of the British Broadcasting Corporation)and applied. Undoubtedly, he was given what theEnglish term "a nod and a wink" that his candidacywas well-timed. He was appointed and thus won apower base with ramifications that escaped his imme-diate notice because of his complete ignorance of radio.He did not attribute his appointment to political pull.His intensely held Christian beliefs had prompted himto pray before he was interviewed. Obviously, thiswould not be very remarkable in his generation and,indeed, he is justly credited with ensuring that theChristian ethic was not neglected by the new medium.

The upheaval of the 1926 General Strike consolidat-ed an alliance consisting of Stanley Baldwin, who wasPrime Minister; Neville Chamberlain, Minister ofHealth; and Reith. They were a triumvirate of futureappeasers already suspicious of Churchill's bold andrestless temperament, Churchill was Chancellor of theExchequer and the post was his for two major reasons:Chamberlain had rejected it and Baldwin was shrewdenough to prefer Churchill inside the boat rather than

FINEST HOUR 82/21

outside where he would be free to sink it — and thenbuild and steer his own vessel.

The ultra-cautious Baldwin had the cooperation ofChamberlain and Reith in keeping Churchill in checkand off the air during the strike. Churchill, drafted tothe British Gazette — an official paper deemed neces-sary in the crisis — exhibited his life-long mastery ofjournalism and thoroughly enjoyed his editing andpublishing duties. It would be simplistic in the extremeto conclude he was unaware that the triumvirate hadconnived to fill his days with anything but a radiospeech.

Although the British Gazette was too robust for somecabinet members, Chamberlain confirmed in privatethe worth of its contribution. He added that the advan-tage of its publication was more than doubled by theability to control the radio outlet through which Bald-win had spoken soothingly to sixteen million listeners.

Reith preened himself on what he considered to beradio's part in warding off downright panic, but hadto concede that the independence of the growing net-work had been dented by the government's backstagecontrol.

The pioneer British Broadcasting Company wasowned by manufacturers of radio equipment. In 1927there was no noisy accompaniment of controversywhen it was transformed into the British BroadcastingCorporation, with reliance on public funds fromlicences for radio sets. Reith was its director general,the seal was set on its monopoly and headline writersdubbed it "The People's Network." Later on there werecritics who complained Reith was treating it as his feu-dal estate.

The impact of radio, especially before the advent oftelevision, was dominant. Britain had a fresh and excit-ing form of entertainment interspersed with knowl-edgeable broadcasts on the arts, and lessons by expertsrelayed to schools. Reith's programming was coatedwith religion, and this endeared him to ecclesiastics.

Politicians had rapidly recognized the significanceof radio in moulding public opinion. Reith stood in thecentre of an arena where (given his disposition) sword-play with Churchill was inevitable.

The pervasiveness of radio, and his impressive con-tribution to the structure and constitution of the BBC,turned Reith into a powerful figure. He was at the sideof monarchs, prime ministers and church leadersadvising them about their radio speeches. The splen-dour and pageantry of national occasions saw himcarefully orchestrating every broadcast and doing hisutmost to avoid a slip-up or a flop. The participantswere grateful. He was the recipient of a knighthoodand honorary degrees, but that did not stop him being

peevish. He thought he deserved higher recognitionthan a knighthood. At a formal ceremony, he glancedat decorations worn by his companions and afterwardsegotistically recorded his comparison: he was con-vinced he had striven harder than they had for thesame type of medal. Disgust overwhelmed him.

As the years passed, Reith continued to blockChurchill's access to the BBC whenever he could.Rarely was Churchill allowed on the air to talk aboutIndia, a subject of enduring concern to him. He was notkeen on rushing Home Rule for India. His prescientfear was that the subcontinent would be plunged intobloodshed; he also foresaw the aftermath of a riven ter-ritory doomed to be fertile breeding ground for recur-ring problems. The issue widened the gap betweenChurchill and Reith.

The two had contrasting roles in the 1936 Abdica-tion crisis. Reith, depressed and bewildered, joined theranks of pessimists in wrongly assuming that chaos —not a monarch — would reign in Britain. Churchillblazed with defiant loyalty for King Edward VIII, who

THE VOICEiiOF BRITAIN

preferred the twice-divorced American, Wallis Simp-son, to his throne. Reith stage-managed the Abdicationbroadcast for the King, whose new title, Duke of Wind-sor, was granted by his more worthy successor andbrother, George VI. Edward's farewell speech was em-bellished by Churchill; no Sherlock Holmes was need-ed to detect his inimitable style.

Since admiration for Hitler was Reith's blind spot,he was contemptuous of Churchill's early rallying cryurging Britain to prepare itself to meet the comingassault by the Nazis on free countries. His diariesexpress his approval of Germany. He was positive theNazis "would clean things up." It is not surprising thathe went on to extend his admiration to include Musso-lini. Chamberlain had taken office as Prime Minister in1937 and Reith eagerly obeyed him by denying Church-ill adequate opportunity to rouse the British by speak-ing to them over the radio as they sat in the threatenedsecurity of their peaceful homes.

By 1938 Reith was weary of his workload. In-fight-ing at bureaucratic meetings, as well as entrepreneurial

22 / FINEST HOUR 82

sniping at the BBC monopoly, were demeaning in hiseyes. Chamberlain manouevred him into the chairman-ship of Imperial Airways. It was a desert far removedfrom the political sphere and his super-ego did notwelcome the readjustment. Of greater moment was hisrude and late awakening to the tyrannical intentions ofHitler. His patriotism, never in question, went to thefore with the sturdiness that had characterized him inthe First World War. The trouble was that his shiningpeacetime accomplishments gave him a grandiosenotion of the place he should occupy to help defeat theenemy.

He floundered for a while following the outbreak ofthe Second World War in September 1939, but when1940 dawned he was Minister of Information underChamberlain. In the House of Commons he represent-ed Southampton; the seat was uncontested when hedecided to seek it. Churchill was already in the govern-ment as First Lord of the Admiralty, a portfolio he hadalso held from 1911 to 1915.

In May Germany invaded the Low Countries andFrance. The British had had enough (cynics said: "toomuch") of Chamberlain; Churchill succeeded him asPrime Minister. Emerging from his wilderness years,Churchill could now broadcast without hindrance.From Reith's standpoint, the irony was that the radioban had the effect of lending extra force to Churchill'smessage: his magnificently inspiring voice, hithertounfamiliar to listeners, was commanding and refresh-ingrorrTpared with Chamberlain's dreary tones.

Unfaltering determination and abiding faith in vic-tory were Churchill's clarion calls. The British respond-ed instantly and heroically. Because of his broadcasts,the English language had become part of the armouryof freedom.

Reith's rage at Churchill's premiership bordered onapoplexy. "Heaven help us" was his verdict on learn-ing that Churchill would also be Defence Minister. Itwas "awful" that Churchill would be empowered tohave direct dealings with the chiefs of staff. His ani-mosity was mingled with apprehension that he wouldbe downgraded or tossed aside. It cannot be over-looked that no less an authority than Sir John Colville,private secretary to Churchill, has listed Reith as a fail-ure in the Ministry of Information.

After France fell, Germans on the French coast werevisible from Dover. Britain was an island fortress,pounded night and day by guns and planes. Anyonebrilliant and courageous was sure to be recruited atonce by Churchill. Reith had ample qualifications.Churchill, ever averse to harbouring a grievance, ap-pointed him Minister of Transport. His apologistsmaintain that the short space of time Reith spent in the

information and transport ministries impeded him. InOctober 1940 he was appointed Minister of Works andelevated to the House of Lords. Churchill's hand in thisis scarcely indicative of deep-rooted prejudice againsthim.

Reith ceased to be a minister in February 1942.Genuine departmental success had eluded him. At-tracted by planning reconstruction he did much thatwas useful but nothing to justify retaining him in gov-ernment.

Men who come late to politics in Britain are apt toleave early. The parliamentary fray baffles them andthey get lost in the Whitehall civil service maze. Reithwas a classic example. The word compromise did notfit comfortably into his vocabulary and that completedhis undoing. His behaviour in office was most curious.He gloated over the fact that he declined to attend ameeting of ministers summoned by Churchill. Yet, hestopped by 10 Downing Street to walk to the Com-mons with the great man. At night, his diary vitupera-tion was indulged in to the grossest extremity. Church-ill was "essentially rotten," a "swine," a "cad" unfit togovern. Conversely, it is necessary to recall that R. V.Jones, the noted British scientist, has said his meetingswith Churchill produced in him the feeling of "beingrecharged by contact with a source of living power."

Churchill was not cold towards Reith. In chats, andon the phone, he attempted to jolly him along, as theEnglish would put it. But memoranda from Churchill,or an inquiry from a Downing Street assistant askingfor news of progress, upset Reith, whose description ofsuch routine was that it amounted to Gestapo meth-ods.

Reith dithered on being offered excellent opportuni-ties by Churchill and his associates to employ his giftsin various areas in the wake of his dismissal from gov-ernment. He thrashed about in limbo until he hit on hisown solution. He joined the Royal Navy and discov-ered the Admiralty could use him at full stretch. Heattained the rank of captain and handsomely redeemedhimself by his dazzling organization of the supply ofmaterials for D-Day and beyond.

Churchill's gratitude manifested itself in the form ofa decoration: Companion of the Most HonourableOrder of the Bath (Military). Admirals, not captains,are the more likely recipients of that award. Any glean-er of Reith's diary would be forgiven for standing upand cheering on reading he was very pleased withChurchill's action.

Reith had injudiciously strayed from the confines ofdiary pages in his attacks on Churchill. He did not dis-parage him in print but poured his diatribe into everyready, or half-ready, ear. It was odd of him to think he

FINEST HOUR 82 / 23

could re-enter government burdened with that tactlesspropensity.

Attlee's Labour Government in 1945 were not in ahurry to single him out to assist them. But the postwaryears brought him honour after honour and rewardingcompany and public corporation work. In the field ofCommonwealth and Empire telecommunications anddevelopment he was preeminent. Intractable to theend, he refused to let the sunshine of praise dissipatehis innate gloom. His theme was that Churchill hadruined him — demonstrably untrue. Reith's misfor-

tune was that a cankerworm of hate deep within himdestroyed his peace of mind. It is appropriate to cite bycontrast what Sir John Colville has stressed. Churchilltold him during the Second World War: "I hate nobodyexcept Hitler — and that is professional."

Sir Edward Grey (Foreign Secretary, 1905 to 1916)declared that Churchill was a genius whose faultswould be forgotten in his achievements. Let us hopeReith's achievements will not be forgotten in his faults.It is a hope Churchill, in his infinitely generous heart,would surely have shared. 1$

A Patient Shrug:The Art of Churchill'sCorrespondence With StalinChurchill, whom revisionists call an egotist,wrote letters to Stalin with a selflessnessof which lesser men would not have been capable.BY DOUGLAS PEINE

CERTAINLY not the least of literary genres mas-tered by Churchill is the letter. Had the man notwritten histories or biographies, it is unlikely,

to borrow Churchill's own phrase from The WorldCrisis, that "students of today and tomorrow wouldbe; 1 over different history books and different maps";although impoverished, certainly, the world in its as-pect would likely remain otherwise unchanged.

Yet had he not been a skilled practitioner of the epis-tolary arts, particularly as they were put to use in forg-ing and sustaining a difficult alliance among self-inter-ested nations, there persists the very real historical pos-sibility that the defeat of the Nazis would have been, towhatever degree, a more close-run affair.

It is a subject worthy of a book-length study. For ex-ample, what part did the expression of vigor, capabili-ty, and confidence in Churchill's letters to Rooseveltplay in FDR's fateful conclusion that support forBritain was in fact not futile? It was the nation as exem-plified by the man to which Roosevelt responded —and the great artistic achievement of Churchill's corres-

Mr. Peine is an attorney practicing in St. Paul, Minnesota,USA. Letter references are from The Second World War,American Edition, Woods A123(a).

24 / FINEST HOUR 82

pondence to Roosevelt is its irresistible expression ofthe hopes and fears of both.

Perhaps even more interesting than his wartime let-ters to FDR, and for entirely different reasons, arethose Churchill wrote to Stalin: the allied head of gov-ernment whose fundamental philosophies of life andpolitics, let alone civility, could hardly have been moreinimical. Yet common ground had not only to be locat-ed but shared for several years. Here was a challengefor the written word, and it is this surface of theChurchill correspondence that this article will scratch.

This undertaking is not simply academic. For any-one who must rely on the letter to pursuade or to mol-lify — the lawyer tusseling with hard-bitten opposingcounsel, the disgruntled consumer seeking satisfactionfrom the imperious corporation, the business executiveor soldier struggling to dissuade an obtuse superior,the college student wondering how best to break thenews to his parents that he flunked physics — a studyof Churchill's letters to Stalin can be an enlighteningexercise. It puts the petty, transitory disputes of one'sown daily commerce into some perspective: the mis-communication of the business executive, banker or at-torney may well result in unwelcome exchange of

money, but for Churchill there was at stake a portionof the civilized world. It is an angle on life that helpsease our own burdens, while at the same time enhanc-ing our respect for Churchill's stalwart assumption ofhis.

But there are also specific techniques to be learnedfrom a look at Churchill's correspondence with theHard Case of the Twentieth Century.

"A Little 'Swing' Music in the Kremlin," by Zel in the DailyMirror, 11 October 1944. Churchill visited Moscow thatmonth for conferences with Stalin, who was singing in har-mony at the time, thanks to WSC's ministrations.

KNOW YOUR FACTS AND STATE THEM WELLIt is an elementary — but no less grudgingly admit-

ted — notion that to argue matters in dispute compe-tently requires knowing what one is talking about.Homework, preparation and the resulting mastery ofthe facts, although tedious and time-consuming, brookno shortcut.

Has any political leader of history known so muchas Churchill — historical, political, geographical, eco-nomic, military — and then, on top of it all, been socapable when giving written expression to that knowl-edge? The measure of his skill at marshalling and syn-thesizing the detail of a subject so vast as world warrests in the fact that even the grand champion grum-bler, Stalin, was on occasion compelled to concedeChurchill a complex, disputed point.

Churchill's letter of 11 March 1943 is an example.Stalin had carped once more about what he perceivedto be the unjustifiably slow progress of British andAmerican troops in North Africa, as well as the delay

in opening the western front. While Churchill wasrecovering from illness Roosevelt sent his own brief re-sponse, seeking to pacify Stalin by vague assurancesthat "every possible step" is being taken and that "weare making a maximum effort." Despite Roosevelt'sletter, Churchill, when he had regained his strength,"thought it right" not to rely on Roosevelt's perfuncto-ry note but to "present our whole case in my ownwords."

The result is a magnificent ordering of complex factsin simple sentences. Whereas FDR required Stalin totrust in his "assurances," Churchill sought to conveythe "details of the story." (IV-748) Harsh weather con-ditions, terrain impediments, logistical problems anddaunting enemy numbers are woven into a persuasiveexplanation of, among other things, why the "attemptto get Tunis and Bizerta at a run was abandoned inDecember." Notice that even Churchill's definition ofthe task — to take the ground "at a run" — itself im-plies its difficulty and its unwisdom, yet at the sametime conveys the confidence that it will be taken in thefuture. (IV-747)

Similarly effective are, for example, his detailed let-ters of 30 March and 6 April 1943, giving Stalin the badnews of the postponement of monthly convoys due tothe inability to provide them adequate protection. AsChurchill himself observed, "My full explanations andaccounts were not wholly unrewarded. The answerwas more friendly than usual." (IV-757) If nothing else,Churchill's frankness and thoroughness bought forhim a credibility with Stalin that subdued some of theSoviet leader's demons of distrust.

ON THE OTHER HAND, SOMETIMESSILENCE IS MORE EXPRESSIVE

After Stalin, in his letter of 23 July 1942 (IV-270), vir-tually accused the British Government both of perfidyfor failing to send convoys through impossible seas, aswell as cowardice for not immediately opening up asecond front in France, Churchill chose to "let Stalin'sbitter message pass without any specific rejoinder."(IV-272) The matter ended there without further esca-lation of tensions. It was a technique Churchill was touse effectively on several occasions.

Stalin's letter of 8 November 1941 was not only "bit-ter" but, also in Churchill's word, "chilling." In light ofBritain's practical reluctance to declare war on Finland,Rumania and Hungary, the Russian leader unloosed apetulant indictment of Britain's "war aims," its "plansfor the post-war organization," its insufficient "mili-tary assistance against Hitler in Europe." Neither washe in the least abashed about complaining that Britain'sgenerous and risk-laden supply convoys to the Soviet

FINEST HOUR 82/25

"are arriving inefficiently packed, that sometimes partsof the same vehicle are loaded in different ships, [and]that planes, because of the imperfect packing, reach usbroken." (111-529-30)

To such "hysteria" Churchill again would not re-spond. "The silence," he observed in The Grand Alli-ance, "was expressive." (III-530) It was also effective.Twelve days later the Soviet Ambassador requested ameeting with Foreign Minister Eden at which heassured Eden that it "certainly had not been M. Stalin'sintention to cause any offence to any members of theGovernment, and least of all to the Prime Minister."(III-530)

Churchill added variations to the theme in Octoberof 1943. Again in dispute was the suspension of theBritish convoys to Russia because of the U-boat men-ace. Molotov went to the British Embassy in Moscowand "'insisted' upon the urgent resumption of the con-voys, and expected His Majesty's Government to takeall necessary measures within the next few days." (V-261)

To such breathtaking presumptuousness Churchillagain chose not to respond. But this time he informedStalin of the fact:

I have received your request for the reopening of the con-voys to North Russia. I and all my colleagues are mostanxious to help you and the valiant armies you lead to theutmost of our ability. I do not therefore reply to variouscontroversial points made in M. Molotov's communica-tion.(V-263)

But Stalin had seen this trick before, and this time hewasn't going to succumb. "Concerning your mentionof controversial points allegedly contained in the state-ment of M. Molotov," he telegraphed to Churchill, "Ihave to say that I do not find any foundation for such aremark." (V-268) Indeed, insisted Stalin, piling impu-dence atop Molotov's presumptuousness, the volun-tary convoys by Britain "cannot be considered other-wise than as an obligation." (V-267)

In his turn Churchill simply gave the telegram backto Soviet Ambassador Gousev in London:

I said very briefly that I did not think this message wouldhelp the situation, that it had caused me a good deal ofpain, that I feared any reply which I could send wouldonly make things worse. ... I then handed it back to theAmbassador an envelope. Gousev opened the envelope tosee what was inside it, and, recognising the message, saidhe had been instructed to deliver it to me. I then said, "Iam not prepared to receive it, and got up to indicate in afriendly manner that our conversation was at an end.(V-272)

It was, as Churchill admitted, "an unusual diplomaticincident, and, as I learnt later, it impressed the SovietGovernment." The next day a contrite Molotov

"Whereas FDR required Stalin to trust

in his 'assurances,' Churchill sought

to convey 'the details of the story.'"

visited Eden in Moscow and "said that his Govern-ment greatly valued the convoys, and had sadly missedthem." (V-272)

DICTATE THE TONE OF THECORRESPONDENCE

Churchill was always vigilant to grab the moralhigh ground when corresponding with Stalin andnever, never to give it up. He understood two elusivefacts: if you successfully maintain a civil tone, yourcorrespondent, no matter how grudgingly, will sooneror later be forced to adopt civility himself; and, while acivil tone does not necessarily dictate friendly acts, in-civility provides a ready excuse for unfriendly ones.

One of the methods by which Churchill accom-plished this was, again, silence in the face of Stalin'srudeness. But that was really no more than a refusal toplay the game by his correspondent's rules. It did littleto set his own moral tone.

To that end, Churchill hardly let a cable or letter goby to Stalin, no matter now sharp the current tensionsbetween them, without paying some tribute to his ally.Again and again, from 1941 all the way to the bitterend in 1945, he made repeated reference to the "brav-ery and tenacity of the soldiers and people" of Russiaand their "splendid" or "grand" or "valiant" or "conti-nued magnificent" or "continued marvelous" or "glo-rious" feats and heroisms. Particularly in 1941 such sen-timents close Churchill's letters so frequently that sin-cerity gives way to ritual.

The significance here is not the degree of spontaneitybehind each expression in each missive but in the factthat Churchill was willing to make the dogged effortnever to end discussions of their differences without areaffirmation of their common interests. He was, inshort, simply practicing civility, i.e., accentuating theircommonalities while at the same time dissemblingthose other truths that might work as solvent on thesocial glue.

On more occasions than one could have hoped for,Stalin's own letters in response began to sound (in toneif certainly not artistry) as though they could havebeen written by Churchill himself. The contrast be-tween the typically tactless and demanding prose ofStalin's earlier communiques and his cable of 6 May1942, approaches the comical:

26 / FINEST HOUR 82

I have a request of you. Some ninety steamers ladedwith various important war materials for the U.S.S.R. arebottled up at present in Iceland or in the approaches fromAmerica to Iceland. I understand there is a danger thatthe sailing of these ships may be delayed for a long timebecause of the difficulty to organize convoy escorted bythe British naval forces.

I am fully aware of the difficulties involved and of thesacrifices made by Great Britain in this matter. I feel how-ever incumbent upon me to approach you with therequest to take all possible measures in order to ensure thearrival of all the above-mentioned materials in the U.S.S.R.in the course of May, as this is extremely important forour front.

Accept my sincere greetings and best wishes for suc-cess.(IV-260)

"Incumbent upon me" indeed. As Churchill washimself to remark (IV-341), if properly stroked evenStalin could be made to "purr."

NEVER ALLOW YOUR PERSONAL FEELINGSTO DISTRACT YOU FROMYOUR ULTIMATE GOAL

Perhaps the most valuable lesson to be learned here— and the one that is the true measure of Churchill asstatesman — was his absolute refusal in his correspon-dence to take his anger for a walk at the expense oflong range aims. There is no question that Stalin's re-peated disparaging of British war efforts and strategy,his astounding thanklessness, his arrogant blindness tothe fact that until the Nazis invaded Russia he wasmore than willing to sell Britain up the Rhine — thereis no question that these things rankled deeply. Angerstill seethes from the pages of Churchill's commisera-tive letter to his long-suffering ambassador in Russia,Stafford Cripps:

They certainly have no right to reproach us. Theybrought their own fate upon themselves when, by theirpact with Ribbentrop, iheyi let Hitler loose on Poland andso started the war. ;\

... We were left alone for a whole year while everyCommunist in England, under orders from Moscow, didhis best to hamper our war effort. If we have been invad-ed and destroyed in July or August 1941, or starved outthis year in the Battle of the Atlantic, they would haveremained utterly indifferent.

... That a government with this record should accuse usof trying to make conquests in Africa or gain advantagesin Persia at their expense or being willing to "fight to thelast Russian soldier" leaves me quite cold. If they harboursuspicions of us, it is only because of the guilt and self-reproach in their own hearts.(III-472)

Indeed, ten years later when he wrote his history ofthe period, pique could still be spotted pulsing beneath

the veil of sarcastic understatement:

The Soviet Government had the impression they wereconferring a great favour on us by fighting in their owncountry for their own lives. The more they fought, theheavier our debt became. This was not a balanced view.(III-388)

But Churchill rigorously stifled his own fury infavor of the longterm goal. The alliance between GreatBritain and Russia was indispensible if the war againstGermany was to be won. Churchill was determined tokeep it intact even if Stalin did everything he could tothwart the effort.

There is no question but that Churchill knew whathe was about:

Two or three times in this long correspondence I had toprotest in blunt language, but especially against the ill-usage of our sailors, who carried at so much peril the sup-plies to Murmansk and Archangel. Almost invariablyhowever I bore hectoring and reproaches with "a patientshrug; for sufferance is the badge" of all who have to dealwith the Kremlin.(III-388)

It was the same wisdom he had recommendedtwenty-five years earlier to Sir John French when theCommander in Chief was at odds with War MinisterKitchener. "Above all, my dear friend," Churchill hadwritten to French, "do not be vexed or discouraged.We are on the stage of history. Let us keep our angerfor the common foe." (The World Crisis, 1916-1918, Pt.II, Ch. 3, pp. 505-06.) It is a remarkable achievement onChurchill's part that in the face of Stalin's provocationo.ver the long haul of World War II he succeeded inabiding unflaggingly by his own advice;

Churchill's correspondence with Stalin does much torefute charges of egocentricity. That a man who couldso successfully keep his own personal emotions andagenda in check could yet be perceived by so many oftoday's historians as essentially self-centered is irk-some. In truth, Churchill's was a selfless effort whichlesser men would not have been capable of making.Certainly it stands in pointed contrast to those worldleaders who feel they must rattle swords, if not burythem in pulmonary cavities, to prove they are notwimps.

Perhaps the greatest of lessons Churchill teaches thehead of government, or anyone, for that matter, bur-dened with responsibility: first, to gain such scrupu-lous insight into one's own psyche that one is able todistinguish personal concern from duty; then, to makethe oftentimes Herculean effort of self-control neces-sary to deny the former from ever compromising thelatter. On "the stage of history" there are few who suc-ceeded with more integrity, or artistry, than WinstonChurchill. $

FINEST HOUR 82/27

How Healthy Was Churchill?Aside from Lord Moran's book, there is not muchpublished medical evidence, but certainly room fora book on the subject, if more details can be unearthed.BY JOHN H. MATHER, M.D.

OVER THE past three years, I have been research-ing material for a book which will documentand explore the status of Sir Winston Church-

ill's health throughout his life. The final title for thebook is yet to be determined. It will attempt to place inperspective and historical context, the maintenance ofhis health notwithstanding some of his habits which,by today's medical knowledge, would have been inim-ical to a predicted life span of ninety years. The variousserious medical problems he experienced, such as abad automobile accident in New York in 1931; his"heart" attacks; a serious bout with pneumonia inNorth Africa; and his "strokes" will be discussed asthey might have or did affect the pace of historicalevents.

I have read many books and papers, and there arenot very many which focus predominantly on SirWinston's health and medical infirmities. Of course,Lord Moran's Churchill: The Struggle for Survival,(London: Constable, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1966,Redburn A237) is a good source; but as the late SirJohn Colville, Churchill's private secretary for manyyears after 1940, said, "Lord Moran was never presentwhen history was made, but he was sometimes invitedto lunch afterwards."

Even so, Lord Moran's account gives an intriguinginsight into a dedicated physician's recognition of SirWinston's taciturn nature when ill. Although whenfirst published the book was considered a breach ofphysician-patient confidentiality, it shows Moran'swillingness to do whatever he could to restore SirWinston's health, thus returning his patient to his cru-cial role in world affairs.

Another book, Simply Churchill, (London: Hale; UStitle Churchill's Last Years, N.Y.: McKay, Redburn A207)is by WSC's personal nurse-attendant, Roy Howells.Mr. Howells writes with care and, while feeling

Dr. Mather is a physician executive and an otolaryngolo-gist who serves as the Chief Medical Director, Social SecurityAdministrator, Department of Health and Human Services,United States. He is also the secretary/historian for theWashington Chapter, International Churchill Society.

Winston Churchill being moved from a London nursinghome during his recovery from paratyphoid fever, 1932(Keystone press photo, Newfield Collection). A year earlierhe'd been badly banged up by a New York taxicab.

"abused" by Sir Winston on certain occasions, doesevince in the reader a sense of the highest admirationfor Sir Winston's tenacity of spirit during his lateryears. Apart from psychiatrist Dr. Anthony Storr'sessay, "Churchill: The Man" which appeared inChurchill: Four Faces and the Man (London: Allen Lane;US title Churchill Revised, N.Y.: Dial Press, 1969, Red-burn 265; later reprinted in Storr's Churchill's Black Dog,Kafka's Mice, N.Y.: Grove Press) I can find no otherbooks that seem to have a predominant interest in thestatus of Sir Winston's health during his lifetime.

There are many individual articles that have incon-clusively approached various issues such as Church-ill's "speech defect," his reckless spirit that apparentlymade him prone to physical injury, the effects of usingtobacco products, his possible over-indulgence in alco-holic beverages and the continued (dubious) specula-tions about his father's terminal dementia. Otherwise, Ihave found only scattered references in other books.

28 /FINEST HOUR 82

An illustration of one issue I will explore in my bookis the oft-debated question whether each of us is morea product of "nature" or "nurture." Robert LewisTaylor, in his 1952 book, Winston Churchill: An InformalStudy of Greatness, (N.Y.: Doubleday; reissued as TheAmazing Mr. Churchill, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill, 1962, Red-burn A110) makes the point very well:

Eminent physicians have decreed that energy is born andnot made, that humans, through the secret formulas ofheredity, receive an impetus at birth which sets the pacefor their bumpy journey across the moral span. In a gener-al way, then, the life-force is influenced more by ancestorsthan by vitamins. Churchill has been fortunate in bothdepartments: his ancestors could hardly have been select-ed with greater profit, and his successes with nourishmenthave been a source of international amity.

During his lifetime, Sir Winston had several hospi-talizations including an extended stay for a broken hipwhen in his eighties at the Middlesex Hospital andMedical School, London, which is where I completedmy medical training in 1967. When he was muchyounger, WSC had an appendectomy at the LondonClinic on Harley Street, London. In his book, GreatContemporaries, Sir Winston writes, "I had undergone afew days before a severe operation for appendicitis,but I could not let this pass. So I wrote at large to say..." The matter of dispute related to Churchill's conster-nation with an individual reneging on a "cordialpromise to us all" to support his colleagues in somepolitical maneuverings. (Do you know of whom hewas writing?*)

My preliminary conclusion concerning Sir Winston'shealth and medical problems is that, while he wasoften "unwell" throughout his life, he was unwilling toaccept the "sick" role and was able to overcome. He

demonstrates on occasion an impatience with, almost adisdain for, physicians who purvey "pills and po-tions." He always seems willing to return to the regu-lar activities of his life as soon as possible and not to beside-lined from major events because of illness. Hedevised, whether consciously or unconsciously (I donot know) "therapies" for himself, such as his long-standing engagement with painting. This absorbingactivity may have done much for the maintenance ofsanity, and helped ward off his "black dog." Except forthe few instances when he was seriously ill duringtimes when he had heavy ministerial responsibilities,his zest for life and indomitable spirit were paramount.

As the reader may discern, I am well into my re-search and I am now beginning the more difficult taskof crafting the words, integrating the collected materialand seriously putting "pen to paper"; rather, fingers tothe keyboard. I believe I have accumulated some veryuseful information which, when completely organized,will tell an enriching story. Even so, I am not con-vinced that I have covered all bases of inquiry. I wouldbe most interested to hear from any reader of FinestHour who could give me information on sources, per-sonal reflections, or observations he or she would liketo share. Some information may duplicate material Ihave accumulated, but please do not let that deter you.I will be pleased to acknowledge your contribution inmy book, which will probably take a couple moreyears to complete.

Please direct your contribution to me c/o "Church-ill's Health," 12144 Long Ridge Lane Bowie, Mary-land 20715 USA. &

The answer is George Nathaniel Curzon.

Last Visit to CommonsILLUSTRATIONS SENT BY TOM CAWTE

CENTER & LEFT: These fine sketches by Juliet Pannett, furnished to us by the ChurchillArchives at Churchill College Cambridge, show the toll of age during Sir Winston's final visitto the House in 1964. RIGHT: A detail from Graham Sutherland's 1954 80th birthday portraitshowing one of WSC's delicate hands. Our thanks to Mr. Cawte.

s*~

FINEST HOUR 82 / 29

Interests

Military Leader

StatesmanVideos

Curios

Records, tapes

Speaker

Writer Painter

Printed Matter

Stamps

Books

The Finest Hour Reader SurveyTen percent of Friends of the Societies have responded

to our opinion survey. Their prime message isto work harder on chapters, but they tell us much else too.

BY BARBARA F. LANGWORTH

I'VE BEEN going through hundreds of ICS question-naires for the last six months — it has taken so longbecause so many other things interrupted this proj-

ect. There are certain distinct observations I have madethrough all of this: (1) the publications hold the Societytogether, and (2) most Friends of ICS are pleased withthe content of same. However ...

The really unerring finding is that individualFriends of ICS have no feeling whatsoever for thescope of the membership in the Society, especiallyabout "Chapters" — how meetings are arranged, howlocal events are planned or funded. Some obviouslydon't really care. They are the ones happy to get FinestHour and pay their subscription and answer an occa-sional plea for money. But the survey has unearthed, Ithink, a longing — a strong desire — among many ofthe others to get together with "like-minded individu-als."

In the last year a dozen or so mostly new Friendshave asked me for lists of local people they could con-tact. Typically I find 8,12, 21 names — maybe in a 300-mile area! (ICS will soon publish a very compressedlist of where our Friends are, maybe even dots on amap.)

Take John Doe who wants to get together inColorado. In Colorado we have seventeen Friends (andhopefully their spouses) who reside in eleven cities.How on earth are we going to get these people togeth-er for any kind of local event? (This is another justifi-cation for the current advertising push for more

Mrs. Langworth contributes the "Churchilltrivia" columnand drives the ICS computer system in New Hampshire.

30/FINEST HOUR 82

Friends; in many ways, higher membership will allevi-ate this problem.)

Some Friends of ICS feel slighted because they arenot being invited to local events. I suspect this is onereason for the complaints about the cost of internation-al conferences, since they are the only events many cancontemplate attending to meet with other "like-mind-ed people."

In a way we can feel very satisfied that our image isso big. But in another way, since we are so small, wetend to disappoint Friends who expect better of us.

Obviously the strongest need identified by this sur-vey is to enlarge our rolls in a big way: not onlythrough advertising, but through a follow-up mailingof the new brochure to lapsed Friends of ICS who mayhave forgotten, or don't know how much we now offer(which ICS/USA plans on doing this year.) Rememberthat one of the most-cited "regrets" in the survey is:"I'm sorry I didn't learn about ICS sooner."

I have still to enter and check the database informa-tion provided with the questionnaires. When this iscompleted I can prepare more statistical information. Iwill also supply to Society officers the names, address-es and phone numbers of any individuals who volun-teered to help, what they offered to do, and all themany "quotable quotes," some of which are quitegood. Perhaps they ought to be published in one place.

OVERALL RESPONSEThe questionnaire was included in Finest Hour #79

and mailed in June 1993. New members received theform until it ran out at the end of the year. The formwas only recently distributed in the U.K.

LENGTH OF MEMBERSHIP AND AGEPeople answering this question numbered 281 to

date. Eleven percent of those listing a date for joiningthe Society were Friends for a year or less. Most of theresponses were from people who were Friends lessthan five years (73%); 5-10 years was 17%, and morethan ten years 9%. The average age of the 281 peoplewho answered this question was 50.

ADVERTISINGSuggestions on where to place advertisements were

broad, including general recommendations for publica-tions concerning museums, veterans, military history,history, food & wine and "scholarly politics." The fol-lowing publications received more than one vote (inparenthesis) and those marked with an asterisk arebeing used for advertising presently.

British Heritage (25*), American Heritage (25*), Smith-sonian (22*), New Yorker (13*), National Review (12*),National Geographic (7*), Atlantic (7*), The Economist (7*),American Spectator (6*), Foreign Affairs (6), History Today(5), Realm (5), Reader's Digest (4), Newsweek (4), NewRepublic (3*), Time (3), N.Y. Times Book Review (3), ThisEngland (3), Canadian Military History (3), AmericanHistory (2), Architectural Digest (2), Town & Country (2),Commentary (2), Harpers (2), Historic Preservation (2) andMilitary History (2).

The following publications received one vote each:American Philatelist, British Life, Business Week, Cable TV,Civil War Times, English Speaking Union, Finance World,Forbes, Highlander, Insight (D.C.), Modern Maturity,Saturday Review, Scientific American, T. Roosevelt Journal,U.S. Naval Alumni Bulletin, Union jack, USA Today,Vanity Fair, Wall Street journal, Washingtonian, WilsonQuarterly, World Press Review and Yankee.

One Friend suggested that we ask people what mag-azines they read. I believe that the answers we receivedreflect the reading preferences of the membership.

ORIGIN OF FRIENDSFriend/RelativeWSC book reprintBritish HeritageChurchillbooksPress coverageNational ReviewICS FriendSmithsonianStamp publicationsMeetings/ToursGiftAmerican SpectatorEncyl. of AssociationsWestminster CollegeChartwell

17%16%13%11%7%7%5%4%4%3%2%2%1%

<1%<1%

CHAPTERSI do not believe that the general membership has a

clear idea of the number or location of other Friends.With few exceptions Friends would partake of a chap-ter if one was in their area and many assume one existsbut they just don't know about it. (A list always ap-pears on page 2 of this journal. -Ed.) There is also a feel-ing that A) new Friends are not told about local chap-ters or B) local chapters are not notified of new Friends.

It is assumed that Friends will look at Finest Hourand locate their closest chapter. This doesn't seem to bethe case. I suggest we ask all the people listed in FH ifany new members have contacted them regardingchapters. I don't think this is at all clear and I don'tthink the members are sure what constitutes a chapter.

Friends would like to have small local meetings,perhaps only one a year, casual and not too expensive.Some suggestions were: dinner meetings with speak-ers, academic symposium with speakers, and videos ofChurchill tours. Unfortunately; the first two entailspeaker and dinner spending and tend to be expensive.

High and moderate interest is shown in most ICS publications and all Finest Hour features except stamps.

ICS PUBLICATIONS

Finest Hour

Bibliography

Calendars

Chartwell Bui

Dream

Boer Conspiracy

Weinberger

Hyde Park Gate

Orders, Deco, Med

Proc 88-89

Proc 1987

Newfield/Siamps

Level 01 Interest

I High DModerate H Slight • Nil

FINEST HOUR FEATURES

About booksFeature articles

Book reviewsImmortal words

New book service JAs others saw himReviewing Church. _j

Action this dayDespatch box

ChurchllltrlvlaAmid these storms

Events coverageRiddles, etc.

Inter'l datelinesWoods cornerBric-a-brac

CR cornerChurchill in stamps

Level 01 Interest

• High OModerate B Slight • N i l

FINEST HOUR 82 / 31

INTERESTSThe pie chart says it all. It is interesting to note that

stamp collectors do not necessarily rate stamp featureshigh (or even moderate) interest! There seems to be con-fusion about getting ICS commemorative covers. I personal-ly answered anyone who mentioned a problem, but I suggestthis information be given to new Friends as well as a men-tion in the next issue of Finest Hour. (See page 5. -Ed.)

PUBLICATIONSI believe we made an omission in this category by

not asking people to comment only on publicationsthat they have seen. Even though a person might havejoined after a particular book was mailed out theycould have purchased it through ICS Stores. So wedon't have a handle on the product, just the title con-cept.

The graph on page 31 succinctly portrays the inter-est in the twelve publications listed in the survey. Ifind it difficult to believe that there is so little interestin the Proceedings. Some of the most fascinating materi-al appears in them!

FINEST HOURThe bar chart on page 31 gives a good feeling for the

general interest in the eighteen categories listed. Thesolid black/white areas demonstrate that the journalpleases the readership, except for the last three itemswhich have minimal (which is not the same as no)interest, but we shall still serve them.

I have the feeling that "Churchill in Stamps" is not read,perhaps merely glanced at. Its accompanying text provides athumbnail sketch of history which, you would think, wouldbe just the kind of "quick facts" some readers like.

Suggestions for inclusion in Finest Hour ...tJepartments: Full-length speeches; Ongoing work

of chapters; New WSC stamps (2); WSC's views appliedto current affairs; Profiles of WSC's associates, col-leagues (political, social);

Titles: "Behind the Scenes in WWII"; "Chartwell —an Architectural & Horticultural Perspective"; "SocialWelfare Legislation of WSC"; "Bedrooms Where WSCWorked" (photo-story); "Soviet/CIA Subversive Paral-lels of 1920's/30's to 1980's/90's"; "WSC vs SamuelHoare (India)"; "The Effect of Religious Life on theSpeeches and Life of Sir Winston Churchill"; "WSCPolitical Role as President of the Board of Trade";"WSC as Home Secretary" (Ireland, Coal Strike, etc.);"WSC's Home Office Effectiveness as ConstituencyMP"; "WSC's Youth in India"; "An Analysis of WSC asOrator" (See FH 69 -Ed.); "The Norwegian Campaign";"WSC's Relationship with Mountbatten, Eisenhower,de Gaulle and other Leaders During WWII"; "WSC's

German Intelligence Sources"; "Churchill's Heraldry";"The History of Jennie and Randolph"; "WSC's MilitaryHistory"; "Churchill College, Cambridge"; "Churchillas Air and War Minister after WWI"; "Churchill meetsMussolini"; "Churchill's Influence on the U.S.A.";"Current Political Leaders Inspired by Churchill";"The Cartoon Churchill"; "Churchill's Interest andContributions to the Middle East"; "Churchill RelatedPlaces in England"; "Into the Mind" Churchill's forma-tive years; "Churchill's Early Years in Politics";"Churchill's Menu: cigars, foods, recipes"; "The Un-derground War Headquarters"; "New DeclassifiedMaterial: US, UK, USSR"; "Churchill's Views on Jews:What He Did To Combat Their Persecution."

Please note: any reader interested in writing on any ofthe above topics should please contact the editor.

Topics: More on military; More personal vignettes/anecdotes: life/home/personal habits; Merry Alberigi'sChurchill Paintings transcript (personal request); Thepresent Churchill family/post-1965; Youth-pre 1939;Historical happenings with WSC; More of WSC's writ-ings; More serious objects, less hagiography; Rare (orunpublished) photos and stories and frameable photos;Essay contest for Jr. & High School Students; Paintings:reprints with discussions about; Polo (see FH 72 -Ed.)In depth articles on specific events: Dardanelles, India,Ireland; Transcripts of oral histories; Special featureson career; WSC's political ideas; Update previous fea-ture articles; Too much on curios; More on collectiblesand how to get videos and tapes; One person com-mented on reprints — don't they know back issues areavailable? (See ICS Stores catalogues. -Ed.)

Considering the diversity of interests we seem to be satis-fying almost everyone. But I do wonder why the few peoplewho seemed to have little or no interest in the subjects cov-ered in Finest Hour maintain their membership.

FUTURE MEETINGSWith only a few exceptions the hundreds plus peo-

ple who suggested a location for a Conference allwanted it in their nearest big town. The biggest excep-tion was for a meeting in Fulton which has no conven-tion facilities and no interest in ICS. There is also a lotof interest in a Canadian venue, including many of thelocations visited by Churchill. Top of the list wasToronto followed by British Columbia with Victoria,Vancouver and the Empress Hotel. Other places men-tioned by non-residents were Banff, Ottawa, Quebec/Montreal and Calgary. I hope this bodes well for themeeting in September. There was some interest in DC,but this questionnaire was sent before the November

32 / FINEST HOUR 82

meeting.The four cities most frequently mentioned, with one

exception, were also those best represented among re-spondents. New York City had eleven votes from resi-dents, none from anyone else. San Francisco pulledonly two from non-locals; Philadelphia, Atlanta andChicago, one each. Why, someone even suggestedBretton Woods, site of the 1988 Conference (greatevent, dreadful hotel rooms).

Only 47 (18%) had been to any of the nine confer-ences listed. With few exceptions, Friends want meet-ings in the area in which they live. The US memberssent FH#79 break down according to the following dis-tribution (not included are APOs):

100+ 50-100CA FLNY IL

MANJPATXVA

20-49AZCTDCGALAMDMIMNMONCNHOHTNWA

10-20ALCOIAKSKYMENEOKORSCWI

1-9AKARDEHIIDINMINDNMNVRISDUTWV

0MTVTWY

I think the above comments reflect that membershave little idea how or why a location is selected andshould be made aware that, with the exception of theWashington DC conference, all previous Conferenceshave been held where members volunteered to host ameeting in their area.

TOURS (and possible meeting sites)The answers were pretty standard (besides "time"

and "money"): wherever Churchill had gone! England,Scotland, France, Norway, A\frica, Austria, Italy; Chart-well, Harrow, Blenheim, House of Commons, West-minster, Cabinet War Rooms; Yalta, Berlin, Marrakesh,Paris: places Churchill loved, spent his youth in, andpainted at.

"WHAT BUGS YOU?"Our favorite "bug" was "not knowing about the so-

ciety sooner." "Not to be rich," although a frequent re-mark much sympathized with by the compiler, doesn'treally reflect on the interests of the Society.

THE SOCIETY: (From a French Canadian) ICSseems to limit itself to the English-Speaking world and

Churchill's example cannot be so limited; Friendsdon't encourage friends to join; ICS sometimes appearselitist; Not enough people know about ICS; It remainsan introvert Society; Adoration overdone; Tendency toturn ICS into a business.

FINEST HOUR: The glossy cover stock keeps chang-ing (not anymore. -Ed.); Publication time is erratic (tootrue; we keep trying); Much later than cover date; Somuch space is devoted to stamps; Only four times ayear; Too much "inside" chattiness.

PROJECTS: Smaller Carlton Club prints; Calendarsare out too late; Doesn't receive commemorative cov-ers; The River War has not been reprinted; Wants moresweatshirts; Painting reproductions are not available.(Most are copyright, though we will investigate avail-ability.)

EVENTS: ICS events in black-tie are funereal;Doesn't hear about conferences early enough to plan inadvance (This year's was publicized one year in ad-vance; so was last year's.); Wish they were less expen-sive (4); Would like smaller/dinner speaker meetings;Would like more regional meetings; Would like moreacademic symposiums with speakers; Couldn't get tomore conferences.

CHAPTER: There is no local chapter; My chapterdoesn't invite me to events; I didn't get chapter infor-mation with my new membership; Not enough chaptermeetings (California).

GENERAL BUGS: The editor doesn't get enoughcredit; WSC is becoming less of a hero in his owncountry; People who thoroughly dislike WSC; Can'tlocate a quote.

Most of the Friends commented that the things theSociety does best are all the things the Society does,from Finest Hour and other publications, to confer-ences, to "keeping the memory green," to tours, togood value for money. $

WSC and CSCs 50th Anniversary, 1958 (Newfield Collection).

FINEST HOUR 82/33

ACTION THIS DAYJOHN G. PLUMPTON

100 YEARS AGO

Cavalry and Horses

First Quarter 1894 • Age 19It was intended that Winston would

join the 60th Rifles Infantry Regimentupon graduation from Sandhurst buthis fervent desire to join the cavalrywas expressed in a letter to his mother:"Promotions much quicker in Cavalry;Obtain your commission in Cav muchsooner; 4th Hussars are going to Indiashortly; Cavalry regiments are alwaysgiven good stations in India and gener-ally taken care of by the Government; Ifyou want to keep a horse you can do itmuch cheaper in the Cavalry. Senti-mental advantages: uniform, increasedinterest of 'life among horses', advan-tages of riding over walk, advantages ofjoining a regiment some of whose offi-cers you know. i.e. 4 Hussars."

The love of horses remained withhim throughout his life. In My Early Lifehe wrote: "And here I say to parents,especially to wealthy parents, 'Don'tgive your son money, give him horses.'No one ever came to grief — excepthonourable grief — through ridinghorses. No hour of life is lost that isspent in the saddle. Young men haveoften been ruined through owninghorses, or through backing horses, butnever through riding them; unless ofcourse they break their necks, which,taken at a gallop, is a very good deathto die."

75 YEARS AGO

Intervention in Russia

First Quarter 1919 • Age 44Upon assuming the twin portfolios

as Secretary of State for War and AirChurchill inherited what has beencalled "an odious situation." He imme-diately faced riots among the soldierswho were demanding immediatedemobilization. From his window heobserved the arrest of disaffectedTommies' who were demonstrating onHorse Guards Parade. The decliningmanpower supply caused Field MarshalHaig to worry that the loss would be so

50 YEARS AGO

serious that "the Germans will be in aposition to negotiate another kind ofpeace."

Churchill's response was to createarmies of occupation and to increaseremuneration for the soldiers. To winthe support of Lloyd George for hisproposals he journeyed to Paris wherethe British Prime Minister was attend-ing the Peace Conference. Churchillwrote his wife from the French capital:"I was taken by the PM to the Confer-ence this morning and placed in a seatof honour among the great ones of theearth ... It is a good thing to get in touchagain. We [he and Lloyd George] werediverging a good deal. I think I influ-ence him in a considerable degree andthere is no one with whom he talks soeasily..."

One area in which Churchill andLloyd George diverged was aid to theanti-Bolshevik forces in Russia. Theintensity of their disagreement isreflected in the remark that Churchill isreported to have made to Lloyd Georgethat "one might as well legalize sodomyas recognize the Bolsheviks." While heacknowledged the genius of the Bol-shevik leaders, he also recognized theirpernicious impact. Most importantly,Churchill wanted a clear Governmentpolicy which would either order with-drawal or authorize him to organize aproper intervention strategy.

In February Churchill spoke at Man-sion House: "If Russia is to be saved, asI pray she may be saved, she must besaved by Russians. It must be byRussian manhood and Russian courageand Russian virtue that the rescue andregeneration of this once mighty nationand famous branch of the Europeanfamily can alone be achieved." How-ever, he agreed with his Prime Ministerthat British assistance should not

.include British manpower. —In early March the War Cabinet

instructed Churchill to.prepare for theevacuation of British troops fromRussia in June. Despite his distaste forthe decision he began to implement it.Later, he lamented that "I feel quitepowerless to avert the grave develop-ments I see approaching."

Preparing for "Overlord"

First Quarter 1944 • Age 69Churchill entered his wife's room on

New Year's morning and exclaimed: "Iam so happy. I feel so much better."They lunched in bright warm sunshinein an olive grove. Montgomery was vis-iting before he left to assume commandof the Allied land forces preparing forOverlord, the invasion of Normandy.Montgomery was overheard comment-ing that his chaplains were more impor-tant to him than his artillery and that hethought the 8th Army would follow hisinstructions in voting in an election.

Lord Beaverbrook also visited andafter an evening of reminiscences abouttheir experiences in two world wars,Churchill turned to CommanderThompson and said, "But, Tommy,you will bear witness that I do notrepeat my stories so often as my dearfriend, the President of the UnitedStates."

Exiled Czech President Benes cameto lunch and expressed his belief thatRussia would have come to the aid ofCzechoslovakia at the time of Munichand that he could reach an accommoda-tion with Stalin on the border betweenthe Soviet Union and Czechoslovakiaafter the war, which he thought wouldend this year.

Fitzroy Maclean and RandolphChurchill visited while they awaitedtheir drop into Yugoslavia to meetTito's forces. Colville noted that theYugoslavian situation was next toAnzio in Churchill's attention while inMarrakesh.

Commenting on the Polish situation,Churchill made it quite clear that theAllies were not prepared "to begin anew war with Russia for the sake of thePolish Eastern frontier."

After General de Gaulle's visitChurchill commented: "Now that theGeneral speaks English so well he"understands my French perfectly."

After a review of French troops withde Gaulle the British party flew toGibraltar where they boarded the bat-tleship King George V for Plymouth.

Shortly after their return an amusingincident occurred. Churchill had en-quired who wrote political summaries

34/FINEST HOUR 82

ACTION THIS DAY...which arrived from the WashingtonEmbassy. He was informed that it wasMr. Isaiah Berlin, Fellow of All Soulsand Tutor of New College (who subse-quently wrote Mr. Churchill in 1940).When the famous song writer IrvingBerlin arrived to entertain the troops,the Prime Minister confused him withIsaiah and invited him to lunch — andconversed with him as if he had beenthe academic, asking such questions as"When do you think the war will end,Mr. Berlin?". Irving Berlin enjoyed theoccasion and confidently forecast thereelection of President Roosevelt.

Churchill was not so pleased partic-ularly when Berlin told him that hismost important piece of work was 'I'mDreaming of a White Christmas'. ThePrime Minister was quite amused laterwhen he learned of the mistaken identi-ty. On meeting Isaiah Berlin, Churchillsaid: "I fear that you have learned ofthe grave solecism I was so unfortunateto have perpetrated."

On other occasions Churchill's fa-tigue and stress were evident. JohnColville found him reflecting that "withthe great events pending, [it] was thetime when national unity was essential:the question of annihilating great stateshad to be faced: it began to look as if

. democracy had not the persistence nec-essary to go through with it, howeverwell it might have shown its capacity."On another occasion he said that "thisworld (this dusty and lamentable ball)is now too beastly to live in."

Attention focused on Anzio in Feb-ruary and Churchill's feelings weresummed up in his remark that "wehurled a wildcat on the shores of Anzio— all we have is a stranded whale."

On February 15 the Allies unsuccess-' fully attacked German forces at MonteCassio and on February 16 the Germanscounter-attacked at Anzio. The war wasbogged down by Napoleon's fifth ele-ment — mud. The hope of capturingRome in January was now distant.

The lessons of Italy would be ap-plied in Normandy. Bordeaux wasrejected as a suitable port for landing.Churchill directed that planning keepcasualties to a minimum. Meanwhile,Rommel was busy strengthening theAtlantic wall.

On February 21 bombs hit HorseGuards Parade, damaged Kitchener'sstatue and shattered windows of 10Downing St. The March 14 dinner withKing George ended in an air raid shelter.

Also in March Churchill was deeplyupset by the death of Wingate whom hecalled a man of genius "who might wellhave been a man of destiny."

On February 26 he broadcast to theworld with extensive references to theGovernment's social services and post-war plans. But there was much to bedone before victory was achieved. "Thehour of our greatest effort and action isapproaching. It will require from ourown people here, from parliament,from the Press, from all classes, thesame cool, strong nerves, the sametoughness of fibre, which stood us ingood stead in those days when we wereall alone under the blitz." His messagewas not well received.

No one had given more to the causethan Churchill but the cost to his healthwas great. Brooke noted in his diary:"We found him in a desperately tiredmood. I am afraid that he is losingground rapidly. He seems quite inca-pable of concentrating for a few min-utes on end, and keeps wandering con-tinuously. He kept yawning and said hewas feeling desperately tired." His boxwas accumulating a "monstrous pile ofurgent and unsettled matter."

At times of stress Churchill oftenreverted to his encyclopedic knowledgeof history and literature, sometimes tothe chagrin of his associates. John Col-ville: "At dinner he spent most of thetime repeating the Lays of Ancient Romearid Marmoin, which was a remarkablefeat of memory but rather boring.". |$

t\ RIDDLES; MYSTERIES^GMAS;:Q: May I bother you for fur-

ther references about "the ges-ture," i.e. the "V-sign" as noted onpage 29, FH #79? I have quotedyour explanation of it having orig-inated at Agincourt to skepticalfriends, who press me for moredata. Is there an authpritativesource? -Robert R. Hunt \

A: Our source was a Q&A columnin one of those Sunday newspapersupplements, which are never docu-mented. We have referred your queryto the greatest expert on Agincourt weknow, Robert Hardy.

Q: Please comment aboutChurchill's alleged involvement inthe sinking of the RMS Lusitania,whose wreck we are featuring inan upcoming issue in a piece byDr. Robert Ballard. -NationalGeographic (to the editor)

A: There can be no quarrel withDr. Ballard's representation of thecharges and denials involvingChurchill and RMS Lusitania. I onceengaged in a colloquy in the journalof the Titanic Historical Society(which Mr. Ballard will know), whichsupported said charges, made in a sen-sational book on the subject.

Usually, the charge that Churchillcontrived to cause the sinking takestwo tacks: (1) That he issued sailingorders from the Admiralty that sent theapproaching liner directly into thedanger zone;... (2) That he. encouragedGerman attacks on liners as a generalpolicy to get America into the war.

The answer to (1) is that, on May6-8th, Churchill was in Paris, negoti-ating with the French and Italiansabout Italy's entry into the war. Thushe could hardly have been in theAdmiralty initiating the fatal sailing

orders; and because his talks weresecret, he was not in touch with theAdmiralty.

Theory (2) simply strains credulity,asking us to believe that Churchillloaded every British liner with tons ofcontraband, hoping that this wouldcause the Germans to torpedo one withlarge numbers of Americans on board.But Americans weren't traveling ingreat numbers because of the danger(the 123 aboard Lusitania was afraction of typical peacetime numberson crack liners).

The best source on all this is Harryfaffa, 'The Sinking of the Lusitania:Brutality, Bungling or Betrayal?," in"Statesmanship: Essays in Honor ofSir Winston Spencer Churchill, "Durham: Carolina Academic Press1981. -RML

Send your queries to the Editor.

FINEST HOUR 82 /35

/ • . .

Pearl Harbor:Churchill in Stamps

BY RICHARD M. LANGWORTH

PAGES 187-192: AMERICA AT WARThe Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought America into the

war, but Hitler's immediate declaration of war on the UnitedStates made it possible for Roosevelt tomake Germany the high-er priority target, as Churchill had hoped. Scores of recent WorldWar II commemoratives make it easy to illustrate this part of ourstory. "'C-R" (Churchill-related) stamps do not depict WSC butare relevant to the subjects covered.

Catalogue numbers are Scott (#) and Stanley Gibbons (sg). Aslash mark (/) indicates a set with a common design from whichany value may be used. ; '" ' '

187. The 1991 set of American commemoratives noting eventsof fifty years before are useful in this page describing Churchill'sattitude toward the USA's entry into the war after his meetingwith Roosevelt. They show the draft, Lend-Lease shipments,tank production and civil defense mobilization. The note at thebottom mentions USS Reuben James, which did not bring the USinto the war despite being sunk by.a U-boat in October. BurundiMinkus 332 (sg MS307) is :a souvenir sheet overprinted for the"Lions, a prominent institution in America and elsewhere. •,-„.,

188. The 1991" US stamp (center left," taken from'the photo. below) depicts the height of .the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. ;'less well known is the Japanese version (center right) #353 (sg410), showing the scene from an attacking aircraft. Stamps .from. ,

: Japan #325/36 (sg 391-407) set the mood for the aircraft'attackon a sunny tropical morning, launched from Japanese vessels.; "•.; '\

, 189,. President Roosevelt's! speech to Congress requesting.a->5decalartion of "war "is. documented by! another,, 1991 USA; WW2' •'

: commemorative,'and by Nicaragua #697/C273 (sg 1074-)'!. Papua//-" ' &New Guinea #245/8 (sgVl 17/20) help illustrate the!,war there*^

along with a Japanese stamp from the period (center left). El <; ' .Salvador#610,C113 (sg 969, 973) and USA #1235,(sg. 1217)!^i. depict US Secretary of State Cordell-Hull, who had been dealing \v

-with Japan./,' •*.-.- •---,-•,.-"•= /h'-̂ .* " r/'-vt'-l,-;-'"-*'-'%'"?.':. 7- £•:,-•-. TS-£;*!I:'

" , 190. British Virgin Islands #279a "(sg MS324)'.is' a 'nice.US/UK "'. theme for the Grand Alliance. A 1963 USA Civil War commem- •.*.-1" orative recalls Churchill's knowledge of American fighting qualr "".-

ities. Two more 1991 WW2 USA commemoratives show the..American industrial war effort with Liberty ships and vehicles."' -

191. The USA 1991 war commemoratives came with a good •map showing the Japanese-German aggressions. To this can beadded any number of stamps from British colonies, China and

"Iirdo-China"representing the occupied territories.

192. Nicaragua C241-43-46-47-50-51 all show Somoza address-ing Congress, but it could just as easily be Churchill. USA #992(sg 989) depicts the Capitol while #1161 (sg 1160) portrays iso-lationist Bob Taft. USA #1264 (sg 1246) is my favorite stamp.

(To be continued)

187.

' "•- •' 'X

188.

Apogee

PRELUDE TO PEARL HARBOR

In the aftermath of the Atlantic Charter, many on Churchill's side expected momentaryAmerican entry Inlo the war. Churchill, in a letter to Smuts, felt otherwise: "We must notunderra te | the President's] constitutional difficulties. He may take action as ChlerExecutive, but only Congress can declare war. He went so far as to say lo me. "I may neverdeclare war; I may make war. If I were to ask Congress to declare war they might argueabout it for three months..."

The Draft BUI withoutwhich (he AmericanArmy would have gonelo pieces passed byonly one vote."Churchill continued.[Roosevelt) has nowcarried through theSenate by a smallmajority the virtualrepeal of the NeutralityAcL This must mean. Ifendorsed by the otherHouse, constantfighting In the Atlanticbetween German andAmerican ships. Publicopinion in the UnitedStates has advancedlately, but withCongress it is all amatter of countingheads... In themeanwhile we musthave patience and trustlo the Ude which Isflowing our way and toevents.' [9 New 1941).

The Reuben James wastorpedoed In theAtlantic by a Germanvessel on 31 October.But the biggest turn ofthe Ude was not tocome until December.

PEARL HARBOR |1)

"It was Sunday evening, December 7. 1941. IU.S. Ambassador John G.) Wlnant and AvercllHarrlman were along with me at the table at Chequers. I turned on my small wireless setshortly after the nine o'clock news had started. There were a number of Items about thefighting on the Russian front and on the British front In Libya, at the end of which some fewsentencrs were spoken regarding an attack by the Japanese on American shipping atHawaii...I did not personally sustain any direct Impression, but Averell said there wassomething about the Japanese attacking the Americans...We all sat up...

"1 asked for a call to the^r eslocn t.».I Tt wo orthree minute* Mr.Roosevelt camethrough.

"Mr. Presklenl what'sthis about JapanT

"It's quite true,' hereplied. They haveattacked us at PearlHarbour. We an: all Inthe same boat now.'

"We went back Into thehall and tried to adjustour thoughts to thesupreme world eventwhich had occurred,which was of sostartling a nature as tomake even those whowere near the centregasp."

-The Grand Alliance.-Chapter 12

h•i

189.

Apogee

PEARL HARBOR (2]

The British Empire had been attacked in Malaya and throughout Southeast Asia InBritain. Churchill ceremonially Informed the Japanese Ambassador "thai a state or warexists between our two countries." His message concludedwlth the traditional diplomaticformality; "I have the honour to be. with high consideration. Sir. Your obedient servant""Some people did not like this ceremonial style." wrote Churchill later. "But after all whenyou have to kill a man it costs nothing to be polite."

President Rooseveltaddressed CongressMonday December 8th.demanding a declaratlnof war on Japan. In oneof his greatest —mistakes. HitlerImmediately declaredwar on the UnitedStates. Roosevelt'sSecretary of State.Cordell Hull, d la missedthe Japanese envoys,expressing his disgustat the dastardly natureof the attack, which wasnot proceeded by adeclaration of u 191.

Apogee

WAR IN THE PACIFIC

Japan had simultaneously invaded French Indo-Chfna, Malaysia, the northern Philll-plnes defended by Gen. MacArthur and numerous Pacific islands. A map published with theUnited States 1941 World War n commemorative stamps shows the Japanese and Germanaggressions: stamps are of British territories ultimately occupied by the Japanese.

IS Hi

190.

Apogee

PEARL HARBOR [3|

"No American will think it wrong of me if 1 proclaim that to have the United States at ourside was to me the greatest Joy...So we had won after all!...England would live; Britain wouldUve; the Commonwealth of Nations and the Empire would ltve. We should not be wiped out.Our history would not come to an end. We might not even have to die as Individuals...

"SlUy people might discount the force of the United States...But I had studied the AmericanCivil War. fought out to the last desperate inch...I thought of a remark which Edward Greyhad made to me more than thirty years before: thai the United States Is like "a giganticboiler. Once the fire Is lighted under it there is no limit to the power it can generate." Beingsaturated and satiated with emotion and sensation, I went to bed and slept the sleep of thesaved and the thankful." —WSC. The Grand Alliance. Chapter 12

192.

Apogee

SPEECH TO THE AMERICAN CONGRESS

Anxious to confer Immediately with Roosevelt over war plans, Churchill sailed for theUnited States Just weeks after Pearl Harbor, and found himself in the Senate Chamberaddressing a Joint session of Congress.

"If my father had been

American, and my

mother British, instead

of the other way round.

I might have got here o

"In thai case I should

not have needed any

invitation, bul IT! had It

Is hardly likely that it

would have been

unanimous...so perhaps

things are better as

they are."

Churchill certainlyknew what lo say toAmerican politicians.Even oldtlmeIsolationists who hadnot wanted war whileAmerica remainedunaltacked. likeSenator Tail of Ohio,were on their feelcheering the Britishprime minister.

-•" REVIEWS

AEGEANADVENTURES

I 1940-1943

U

"History withits Flickering Lamp11

RICHARD M. LANGWORTH

Aegean Adventures 1940-43 and the End of Churchill'sDream, by Michael Woodbine Parish (Sussex, UK: TheBook Guild Ltd.), hardbound, 400 pages, illus., £14.95.Available from ICS New Book Service at $20.

MAJOR Parish, a Friend of the Churchill SocietyUK, becomes in this interesting memoir akind of alternative John Charmley (Reviews,

FH 81). Like the author of Churchill: End of Glory, Parishbelieves that victory, in the war Britain entered as afirstrate world power and center of an Empire, ironi-cally ended in the collapse of Empire and the relega-tion of Britain to a minor player on the world stage.Where they differ radically is their opinion of Church-ill. Charmley despises everything Churchill stood for;Parish believes Churchill was absolutely right, and wasbetrayed by his allies, specifically Roosevelt and theAmerican military establishment, especially over waroperations in the eastern Mediterranean.

It would be well to establish that this book is notwhat its title suggests. It neither starts in 1940 nor endsin 1943, but is a broad-sweep memoir of a distin-guished businessman and a brave soldier, who holdsboth the Military Cross and the Distinguished ServiceMedal for his part in the Battle of Crete. But the title-subject is what chiefly concerns Churchillians. HereParish is compelling, but readers should not expect theconventional documentation of standard histories: hisbook is a "cooperative" or essentially self-publishedwork, there were no editors insisting on a plethora ofsourcework and footnotes, and none are delivered.That is perhaps not a bad thing since Major Parish ismainly stating his recollections and opinions, and thereare standard works in which pure history is given itsdue. Unfortunately, because he deals considerablywith Aegean geography, his book suffers from a com-plete absence of good maps, something Churchillalways insisted upon, and with sound reason.

38/FINEST HOUR 82

What does Major Parish mean by "the End ofChurchill's Dream"? In a nutshell, he believes Church-ill's Dream was to invade Europe from the southeastbefore or maybe instead of the French coast, accom-plishing an objective the Prime Minister once enunciat-ed to Eisenhower: "I deem it highly important to shakehands with the Russians as far to the East as possible."The end of the dream came when Roosevelt, Marshalland Eisenhower refused to countenance any deviationof men and materiel to conquer the Greek islands —which would, Parish suggests, have been the steppingstones to an "eastern policy," forestalling the Sovietoccupation and satellization of Eastern Europe: "amassive Allied attack," as Parish writes, "sweeping upthrough Romania and along the Danube right throughto Berlin. This would have obviated the Second Frontand storming the Atlantic Wall, which probably cost amillion or more lives on both sides." He does not spec-ulate on the cost of lives in his alternative approachand one can hardly think that casualties in this theatrewould have been light. They certainly weren't, forexample, among the partisans fighting Hitler in theBalkans, and they knew the country as no one else did.

The key to the "eastern policy" was Rhodes, whichGen. Wilson failed to conquer or even seriously tothreaten, despite Churchill's remonstrances, in Septem-ber 1943. Parish calls Wilson "unbelievably futile" fortelling Churchill "that the situation in Rhodes haddeteriorated too rapidly for them to take any action (ithad only deteriorated because he had done nothingduring four vital days)." Backed by his own militaryexperience in this theatre, Major Parish points out howthe Rhodes occupation could in his judgment have suc-ceeded, with all the grand possibilities opening up asoutlined in the preceding paragraph.

Having failed to get Rhodes on his own, Churchill,with his strategic vision, determined to try to get itwith the help of Roosevelt, and earnestly courted ameeting in October 1943. This was the key point whereRoosevelt, Parish says, ended "Churchill's Dream."The President "sent a totally unsatisfactory andunhelpful reply," ending with a virtual refusal to meetChurchill — thus WSC noted in his war memoirs, "Mr.Roosevelt's reply quenched my last hopes."

Now this I find interesting, because Major Parish'saccounLoi.the.key Roosevelt communication commitsmuch the same transgression for which John Charmleyhas been criticized: the partial quote, edited to suit thepreconceived notion. As quoted by Parish, Rooseveltwrote Churchill as follows:

We have almost all the facts now at our disposal on whichto judge the commitments probably involved in theRhodes operation. As I see it, it is not merely the capture

of Rhodes, but it must mean of necessity, and it must beapparent to the Germans that we intend to go further.Otherwise Rhodes will be under the guns of both Cos andCrete.

Parish notes: "not even a ten-year-old schoolboy couldhave made such a fantastically stupid remark. Thenearest point on Crete, on its extreme eastern tip, was130 miles. No gun in the world, either then or since,has ever covered even half that distance. Likewise Coswas fifty-five miles north of Rhodes, and thereforealmost totally out of range." True enough, if you takeRoosevelt literally. But suppose by "under the guns" hewas referring to the combined might of the Germanforces, including aircraft?

But I digress. What Parish leaves out is Roosevelt'sexplanation for his statement above, which followed inthe very next paragraph, and whatever we may thinkof FDR as war strategist, it should have been quoted injustice to history, if not to Roosevelt:

I was in accord with obtaining whatever hold we could inthe Dodecanese without heavy commitments, but the pre-sent picture involves not only a well-organized, deter-mined operation, but a necessary follow-through. This inturn involves the necessity of drawing for the means,largely shipping and air, not ground troops, from othersource which inevitably must be Italy, OVERLORD, orpossibly Mountbatten's amphibious operation. The prob-lem then is are we now to enter into a Balkan campaignstarting with the southern tip, or is there more to begained, and with security, by pushing rapidly to theagreed upon position north of Rome. It appears to me thata greater Allied threat against the Balkans is implied inthis than by the necessarily precarious amphibious opera-tion against Rhodes with a lack evident to the enemy ofthe necessary means for follow-through. Strategically, ifWP gpt the Aegean Islands, I ask myself where do we gofrnm there and vice versa where would the Germans go iffnr some time they retain possession of the Islands.(Kimball, ed. Churchill and Roosevelt: The CompleteCorrespondence, Princeton University Press 1984, II pp 505-06; underlines are Roosevelt's.)

THE question thus resolves itself as follows: IfRoosevelt was right to avoid invading Europethrough the Balkans — that the problem of trans-

porting a major invasion force across the Mediter-ranean instead of across the Channel was relativelymore formidable, that the Wehrmachi was occupying ageographic dead end and therefore bottled up — thenhe was right to say what he did to Churchill (in both theparagraph quoted by Major Parish, and the paragraphhe omits). If he was wrong about all these, he waswrong to say what he did. If Roosevelt was right tosupport, not only "Overlord" but Gen. Alexander in Italy,he was correct to write those paragraphs.

"I am not saying that we would have advanced onGermany quicker or better than the Russians to ournorth," writes Major Parish, "but without the leastdoubt, when it became clear to the German High Com-mand that their war could not possibly be won, the top

Aegean-Danube invasion meant had a lengthy supply route fromEngland subject to attack at many points. Also, Rhodes (circled) wasquite a distant first stepping stone.

Generals, to a man, would have decided to hold theRussians on their north-eastern front [and] allowed, ifnot welcomed, an Allied army progressing up theDanube to enter and occupy Germany." (198) Indeed?Why then didn't they allow an army progressingacross France after D-Day, when key German generalsfrom Rommel down demonstrably concluded the warwas lost? They did not: they fought doggedly, evencounterattacked in strength (as at the Bulge), evenwhen hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned.

There are other unsubstantiated and undocumentedopinions, which may very well be true, but cannot beestablished without sourcework. The author regardsthe forced repatriation of Yugoslavs and Russians toTito and Stalin by British soldiers (231) acts that rank"among the most disgraceful in British history," and hewill get little argument. But he also says those acts"spawned the current horrors in Yugoslavia," leavingthe reader wondering just how this evolution occurred.

Churchill said, "History with its flickering lampstumbles along the trail of the past, trying to recon-struct its scenes, to revive its echoes, and kindle withpale gleams the passion of former days." In an agewhere many schoolchildren cannot find Greece on themap, one realizes how hard it is to minimize the flick-ering. It is always difficult to place ourselves in thehalls of power, circa 1943, and imagine what it was liketo make decisions involving the fate of millions.

Major Parish writes well, with genuinity and verve.His memoirs of the war and the companions it threwtogether, especially among the brave Greeks; his suf-fering as a prisoner of war; and his triumphantlysuccessful marriage and postwar career, are all worthreading. His military experiences in the Aegean pro-vide firsthand visions of what that fighting must havebeen like, and are of special interest to students of thatphase of the war. On the question of broad strategyover the invasion of Europe through the Balkans,instead of France or even Italy, the case remains to bemade comprehensively.

Reviews continue overleaf...

FINEST HOUR 82 / 39

Statesmanshipin a Grave New WorldPATRICK J.C. POWERS

Winston Churchill: Architect of Peace: A Study ofStatesmanship and the Cold War, by Steven JamesLambakis (Westport, Ct. & London: The GreenwoodPress), hardbound, 188 pages, $48. Available from ICSNew Book Service at $42

Steven Lambakis has written a timely and usefuldefense of Winston Churchill's political career afterWorld War II. He presents Churchill as a statesmanattempting to bring to fruition the high-minded inter-national, as well as domestic, political tasks he had ini-tiated in the 1930s and worked so vigilantly to keepalive during the war. The recent fall of the formerSoviet Union, and the general movement of formercommunist regimes toward greater rapproachmentwith the same Western liberal democracies thatChurchill defended and led in the 1940s and 1950s,vindicates the wisdom and prudence of Churchill'spostwar grand strategic vision of "securing a true andfirmlv grounded peace," by transforming the mainfortrebt- of communism and welcoming the Soviet lead-ers into the "community of nations" (4). If StevenLambakis is correct in his assessment that Churchill'speacetime statesmanship is as worthy of praise as hiswartime leadership, then there are lessons for contem-porary democratic leaders to learn from studyingChurchill's postwar ideas, speeches and deeds as theygrapple with the task of carving a lasting peace out ofthe post-Cold War disorder.

The main argument of the book begins in Chapter 2with an outline of some elements of Churchill's politi-

Dr. Powers is a professor of political philosophy atAssumption College and Holy Cross College in Worcester,Massachusetts, he is currently on leave preparing a book onDemocratic Statesmanship: The Lessons of Lincoln,Churchill and de Gaulle, with the support of grants fromthe Bradley and Earhart Foundations.

40 / FINEST HOUR 82

cal understanding, not about domestic governmentand political life, but about "certain attributes of inter-national politics, which, by his own account, are per-manent in character" (8). These include the probabilitybut not inevitability of war, the continuing presence ofboth liberal and despotic political orders, as well as thepeculiar nature of communism and its relationship tothe rest of the international community. Against thebackground of Churchill's political ideas, in the centralsection of the book (Chapter 3), Lambakis evaluates thegenesis of Churchill's postwar Soviet policy. He exam-ines the altered character of the Grand Alliance ofGreat Britain, the United States and the Soviet Unionafter the war, by describing and evaluating the ColdWar realities of Poland, the Balkans, and the end gamein Germany. In the last section on the emergence of a"Grave New World," the author mounts a thoughtfuland evidenced defense of Churchill's approach toStalin and. the U.S.S.R. toward the end of the war. Theunity of the allies was largely artificial, given the fun-damental antagonisms between the liberal democraciesand the totalitarian communist state, not to mentionthe differences between the British and American polit-ical ways (72f). Even as Churchill worked for a BigThree solution to the quest for international peacethrough an effective world organization, he realized"that then-present impasses may have been too great"(68) for his statesmanship to achieve its intended goal.Knowing the limits of what he could accomplish,Churchill developed an approach toward the U.S.S.R.that balanced squaring off against "the Russian peril,"even while seeking an understanding with her. ForLambakis, Churchill's political vision of a grand strate-gy aimed at perpetuating the Grand Alliance after thewar is the high-minded response of a statesman to thedifficult realities of postwar international and democ-ratic English political life. In light of this assessment.Lambakis concludes the chapter by outlining the argu-ments against "the groundless charge that [Churchill]was inconsistent in his Soviet policy" (69), and the falseimpression left by Churchill's public rhetoric of hisniavete about Stalin's intentions (73f).

The reasons why the author believes these criticismsto be misdirected are developed in Chapters 4 through6. Lambakis' main concern is to elaborate and exempli-fy the quintessential principle of Churchillian states-manship — namely, that meaningful diplomacy can beadvanced only if it is "convincingly supported by mili-tary might and determination on the part of politicalleaders" (69). At the same time, he argues that therewere insuperable domestic and international limita-tions to even the most astute postwar diplomacy ofChurchill, which prevented him from actualizing thefull extent of his grand strategic vision before the endof his political career in 1955. Thus, what many com-mentators mislabel as Churchill's inconsistent leader-ship is actually the admirable exercise of moderatestatesmanship under very difficult circumstances.

T. he limitations of this work are the consequencesof its virtues. Churchill's peacetime leadership is mea-sured against the demanding standard of statesman-ship, which is arguably the greatest theme of politicallife. Historically, statesmanship has been considered,by philosophers and politicians alike, to entail the"application of universal principles ... to particular cir-cumstances" (166). If the author is to persuade us thatChurchill was a peacetime statesman, then the accountof his leadership has accurately and effectively toreflect how Churchill combined universal principleswith particular circumstances in his Cold War speech-es, policies and actions. How does Winston Churchill:Architect of Peace fare, when measured against its ownstandards?

Churchill could also be better defended against thecharge of postwar political inconsistency by examiningthe extent to which statesmanly leadership can ever bemade compatible with and answerable to governmentby a democratic citizenry in peacetime. To this end, itwould be necessary to examine more carefully thedemocratic reasons for Churchill's defeat in the elec-tion of 1945, the way in which that defeat limitedChurchill's political effectiveness as a statesman evenafter his return to power in 1951, and how the defeatinsured that his postwar leadership would never bewidely appreciated for the exercise of statesmanshipthat it was. Given the tilt of the book in favor of view-ing Churchill as a statesman whose action is guided byan understanding of higher universal political princi-ples (xi), it may not be surprising that the author doesnot dwell on the peculiar conditions of English democ-ratic political life that shaped the character and limitedthe possibilities of Churchill's peacetime statesman-ship. Yet, given that Churchill was first and foremostthe leader of the English liberal democracy, before hebecame the leader of the English speaking people andthe western liberal democracies, the reader expects anaccounting of how Churchill implemented his univer-sal principles in the particular circumstances of the latetwentieth century English body politic. In fairness tothe author's intentions, such fan account is lacking be-cause Churchill is evaluated ki\ the statesmanly archi-tect of an international peace grounded on advancingliberal democratic ideas throughout the world, ratherthan as the shaper of a specifically English democraticpeace.

In the final analysis, Winston Churchill: Architect ofPeace is marked by an important but unexamined ten-sion that undercuts the strength and unity of theauthor's argument about the character of Churchill'sstatesmanship. On the one hand, he points to the ele-vation of political life for ordinary citizens in particulardemocracies as the stuff of genuine liberal democraticstatesmanship. On the other hand, he judgesChurchill's international political actions, and not his

domestic efforts, to be the hallmark of his postwarstatesmanship. The necessary and important connec-tion between the domestic and international dimen-sions of Churchill's peacetime democratic statesman-ship remains unexplored in this otherwise fine intro-duction about the long ignored climax to the stellarpolitical career of the Man of the Century. The limita-tions of this book are not constraining but challenging.For they demand of the author a further work in whichthe conundrums of modern liberal democratic states-manship are unraveled through a more comprehensiveanalysis of the domestic and international unity ofChurchill's postwar leadership.

The task of persuading democratic peoples that aleader of Churchill's stature is worthy of the samepraise for his postwar leadership that he received dur-ing wartime is an arduous and long task. Lambakis'claim about Churchill's peacetime statesmanship isconsidered controversial in England, as he himselfadmits. The French continue to debate the extent towhich the presidency of the wartime leader Charles deGaulle was beneficial for France between 1959 and1969. Moreover, how would Lincoln be rememberedhad he lived to wrestle with the difficulties of peace-time reconstruction? War assists the efforts of democ-ratic statesmen — such as Churchill, de Gaulle andLincoln — at unifying and galvanizing a democracy forthe sake of common action, by clarifying for even thedimmest of citizens exactly what means are required inorder to preserve the cherished democratic goals ofpeace, quality, liberty and prosperity, peace, on theother hand, dissolves the easy wartime alliance be-tween statesmen and citizens by preoccupying a demo-cratic people with their own particular daily concerns,amitions, and opinions. Seen in this light, it may bethat the democratic statesmanship of peacetime leadersis more worthy of praise, for their great political effortswill come to fruition only in distant days unseen andignored by the general run of those they govern.

The author of Winston Churchill: Architect of peace hasdone a fine public service by laying out the frame ofreference for an accurate understanding of Churchill'sstatesmanly aspirations, efforts and accomplishmentsafter World War II. The greatness of Churchill's ColdWar leadership was vindicated only years after hisdeath with the fall of the U.S.S.R. in 1991. Likewise, thesensibleness of Steven Lambakis' high-minded ap-proach to understanding the political virtues ofChurchill's leadership after England's Finest Hour hadcome and gone may become apparent only years fromnow."Appreciation of his arguments will probablyemerge only after experience with the complex politi-cal realities of the post-Cold War "peace" remindsdemocratic citizens of the extent to which preservingand promoting government of, by, and for the peoplenecessitates relying on the peacetime guidance, as wellas the wartime direction, of prescient political leaderslike Winston Churchill. &

FINEST HOUR 82 / 41

Lord Randolph's GenerosityFrom the papers of Sir Winston's father,

who remembered the little people.BY COURTESY OF PEREGRINE S. CHURCHILL

Beatrice E. Parsons toLord Randolph Churchill

9th March 1886

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(.ii

Miss Parsons wrote Lord Randolph March 9th; :3he must have had her reply the next day, for on the 11th she wrote again:

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Uth March 1886

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42 / FINEST HOUR 82

DESPATCH BOX

TOTAL SUPPORTI cannot tell you how impressed

I am with what you all have donewith the Churchill Society. Wehad not been in contact for manyyears, and frankly I thought thatit had pretty much phased out. Ina sense, I have been operating myown "Churchill Society," copyingvideotapes and articles that Ithought would be of interest tothe many clients I have who col-lect Churchill material. Now thatwe are back in touch, I am over-whelmed with what ICS has madeout of all of this.

If I could be of any help, Iwould be glad to do something. Ido have a very good personal col-lection of Churchill material -probably as good or better thananyone else's. When I had myshow in New York entitled "WithWeapons and Wits - PsychologicalWarfare in World War II ," Iasked a number of my clients ifthey had any Churchill pieces thatthey could loan to enhance mycollection, and only one had any-thing: one of Churchill's monthlydesk calendars filled in with hishandwriting. I do have quite afew letters, a very significant col-lection of candid and official pho-tos of Churchill, all signed byhim, speeches, artifacts, etc.

You may be amused to knowthat last year when Gorbachev wasspeaking in Missouri, I mentionedto a friend that he should getGorbachev to write his own com-ments in a copy of Churchill'sspeech. It turned out he didn'thave an off-print of that speech,and in fact we literally'calledeveryone in the world th't nextday trying to buy a copy, as Ivhadthe only one, and it was not forsale. My copy was signed both byTruman and Churchill, and itnow is on display at the ForbesMuseum signed by Gorbachev aswell. I had tried to get Gorbachevto make some comments aboutChurchill and the pamphlet, buthe refused to do so. We haveended up with an unusual, situa-tion - it's my pamphlet, but SteveForbes's inscription!

KENNETH W. RENDELL,

WELLESLEY, MASS., USA

Mr. Rendell is one of the most dis-tinguished experts in the field of auto-graph letters, manuscripts and docu-ments and we are honored by his sup-port. Readers interested in his cata-logues may write him at Box 9001,Wellesley MA 02181 USA.

TO SIR RICHARDATTENBOROUGH

I am writing to pass on an ideawhich may have already been sug-gested. I often wonder how manyvalid concepts have died based onthat philosophy.

Over the past ten years the filmindustry has gradually realized thevast untapped potential in bring-ing to the screen the stories ofhistoric figures. Ghandi, withwhich you yourself were in-volved, and Patton are two recentexamples.

A film called Young Winston wasproduced in the 1970s, and theBBC followed by U.S. public tele-vision in the 1980s created asuperb series entitled The Wilder-ness Years, which took us up to1938. However, to my knowledgeno filmmaker has attempted tote'l the Winston Churchill storyfrom that point on: that isthrough the war and beyond.

I am a Friend of the Interna-tional Churchill Society here inthe US. It seems to me that theway Mr. Churchill conducted thewar and in all truth held Britaintogether is a story which needs tobe told. The research has alreadybeen done, and I'm sureChurchill's official biographer,Martin Gilbert, could provideinvaluable assistance to the proj-ect. I would also suggest thatwhile we still have Mr. RobertHardy in our midst, his provenability to portray Churchill wouldbe absolutely superb. To top thewhole thing off, your guidinghand would assure that the proj-ect would honor the great man'smemory.

I realize that I'm suggesting amonumental challenge, but, in myvery humble opinion, WSC is theundisputed Man of the Century.How can we end it without having

his full story preserved on filmfor future generations to see?

ROBIN LAWSON,ASHLAND, ORE., USA

/ thank Mr. Lawson for histhoughts, as I only recently sent a sim-ilar suggestion to Mr. Ken Burns, thedocumentary film producer, nominat-ing the "World Crisis" period (1914-1918) as fine unplumbed territory forthe historical film-drama. Mr. Hardyhimself would, however, prefer now todirect another great actor (he suggestsAnthony Hopkins), applying what hehas learned to the honing of the star-ring role. (See 1990-1991 Proceed-ings, just posted to Friends in Canadaand the United States.) -Ed.

GALLIPOLI AND MR. KEATINGThank you for your letter ask-

ing for a transcript of what PrimeMinister Keating had to say aboutChurchill and Gallipoli, and how Iresponded. I have tried to get thetext of the Prime Minister's re-marks. There were some press re-ports of what journalists thoughthe said but I wanted the text fromhis office. Unfortunately, since hisremarks were made in "live" radioand TV interviews, it has not beenpossible to get the official text. Inthe same way, my responses wereall in "live" interviews also and soI do not have the transcript.

I thought you might be inter-ested to learn about a develop-ment which has been going on inAus-tralia since 1992. I am notsure how this will work itself out.It contains three strands.

The strands were "joined" atthe Fiftieth Anniversary (May1992) of the Battle of the CoralSea (now called the Battle ofAustralia). The first strand con-sists of Mr. Keat-ing's claim thatthis was a more im-portant battlethan Gallipoli (which is thenation's main military anniv-ersary). Australia was not threat-ened at all in World War I, as itwas threatened in April-May 1942.(Churchill, for some Australians,comes out badly in both events!)

The second strand is the em-phasis on Asia. This is not newsince it began in the late 1960s(under John Gorton) and contin-

FINEST HOUR 82 / 43

ued under Gough Whitlam (1972-75). But, since journalists have nosense of history, and are lazyenough simply to rewrite in theirown words the PM's press releas-es, they have given the impressionthat the emphasis on Asia is new.

The Battle of Australia fits wellwith this strand, Australia (in ef-fect) was betrayed by the UK atGallipoli and even more so afterDecember 1941; Britain did itagain by entering the EEC in 1973and now the united Europe willmake the lives of Australian farm-ers even more: difficult. The battleof Australia (according to thisargument) demonstrated that Aus-tralia's real destiny is in Asia — interms of both threats (1942) andopportunities for trade (today).

The third strand is the KokodaTrail (April 1942), where Australiantroops stopped the Japanese at-tack on Port Moresby, Papua andNew Guinea. Since PNG was thenAustralian, this was the first landdefence of Australian territoryagainst military invasion — andAustralia did it on her own and itwas successful. It was one ofJapan's first setbacks. This (ac-cording to Australia's "new na-tionalists") is more worthy of cele-bration than the Gallipoli disaster.

As I say, I am not sure how allthis will work itself out. It may bejust another diversion from Aus-tralia's economic problems. But itcould be the beginning of a "newnationalism." The PM, who doesnot write his own speeches (andcan barely read them), is beingadvised by at least one militaryhistorian who is concerned to re-write Australian military history soas to place less emphasis on Aus-tralia as the UK's junior partnerand, instead, seeks to show thatAustralia has been a distinguishedactor in its own right on the inter-national stage.

DR. KEITH SUTER,SYDNEY, NSW, AUSTRALIA

BIBLIOGRAPHY DEVELOPINGJust a quick line to let you

know I am now elected ChurchillMemorial Fellow for 1994, andam therefore funded for my re-search on a new edition of myChurchill Bibliography. I hope to

come to North America about theend of June for a coast-to-coastmopping-up operation, starting inSan Francisco, and working myway home. This weekend I amwriting to book collectors whosenames you gave me to try to esta-blish availability. I can then con-struct a firm schedule. This isvery early, I know, but it's theonly way.

If you put anything about thisin FH, perhaps you could askthose with items "not in Woods"to contact me direct. In particular,I'd like to hear from the man whosaid my early publication datesand print runs were wrong. Hedidn't adduce any evidence, andobviously I need to know his rea-soning. As my figures all camefrom the publisher's ledgers, it'sdifficult to know what this mightbe.

FREDERICK WOODS

266 HUNGERFORD ROADCREWE, CHESHIRE CW1 1HG ENGLAND

APPRECIATIONAND WONDER

I am dazzled at the munificenceof Wendy Reves (FH 81, page 28).I would like to meet her one ofthese days and thank her in per-son for her valiant deed in spon-soring 1939-65 Churchill docu-ments. Had it not been for theexertions of Sir Winston and ofmany others, you and I wouldeither be dead — or, if we werealive, I should be correspondingwith you in German, One won-ders at the ingratitude of peopleliving in our decade to the deedsand words of those whose floruitwas half a century ago. Althoughwe are their chronological heirs,in so many ways we have similarlybetrayed their legacy. I reallyresent anyone's implication(s) thatwhat Churchill and his alliesaccomplished was somehow misdi-rected — e.g., that, say, a HalifaxGovernment would have been ableto negotiate a "peace" with theAustrian monster, Hitler. Perhapssome of our contemporary soi dis-ant historians ought to gaze moresteadily at life in Vichy France,which did not exactly receive anyspecial consideration at the handsof the malignant Nazis and their

Franco-Fascist fellow travelers.Churchill was one of the very lastEnglishmen to make the "Great"in Great Britain mean something!I bless "his example, and honor hismemory.

DR. WILLIAM D. FAULHABER,

HARRISBURG PA, USA

What becomes clearer eachpassing day is that the historicalilliteracy of the present generationmeans that every historical ques-tion can be reopened. All oneneeds is a book contract and anoutrageous theory. In fact, the lat-ter helps the author obtain theformer. The reading public can-not unmask these frauds, becausetoo many lack not only the correcthistorical background to render aproper judgment, but also theability for critical reasoning. Fortoo many, the lack of evidence ina conspiracy (pick any would-beconspiracy theory you wish) be-comes proof of that conspiracy.Can we reasonably expect a per-son who can't find Yalta on amap to understand what hap-pened there?

Of course, all of this makes thework of ICS and Finest Hour thatmuch more important, as "keep-ing the memory green" becomesat once more difficult and morenecessary.

ROBERT O. ARTNER,LOUISVILLE KY, USA

THANKS FROMTHE NEXT GENERATION

I am writing to thank you forinviting me to the ICS Confer-ence. I really enjoyed it andlearned a lot. Before coming, Ididn ' t know much about SirWinston Churchill, only what Iread in history books. But fromthe various speeches and films Ilearned what a great man he wasand began to understand whypeople would want to preserve hismemory. Hearing people likeRobert Hopkins speak of timeswhen they met Churchill madehistory come to life for me, andencouraged me to read moreabout Sir Winston.

Some of the things they saidwent over my head, so to under-stand those things I'll have to

44 / FINEST HOUR 82

Jack Kemp and Caitlin Murphy

read and learn more. Currently Iam reading My Early Life, whichthe Comegys in Wenham, Mass,have sent to me.

I had a wonderful time. TheHillwood Mansion was beautifuland the Holocaust Museum verymoving. The visit has actuallyhelped me in my study of theHolocaust. I spoke to my historyclass about the museum and mytrip to Washington. The schoolwas very interested and one of theparents, who writes for the parentnewsletter, is writing an articleabout it.

I am extremely grateful to havehad this opportunity and experi-ence, and will never forget thethings I learned, the experiences Ihad, and the people I met. If pos-sible I'd like somehow to stayinvolved.

CAITLIN MURPHY, BOSTON MA, USA[

Your own fine presentation^ helpedmake our conference a success^ and wehave entered your complimentary sub-scription.

CHURCHILL'S MARRAKESHFriends of ICS may be interest-

ed in our two days in Marrakesh.The main market square was afantasy. Covering about ten acres,we saw monkeys doing tricks,acrobats, snake charmers and den-tists, all with their hand out fortaking their picture (I had myvideo camera, of course).

Marrakesh is a city of 200,000people with 1,000,000 visiting an-

nually. We stayed in a 4 star hotelwhich was equivalent to 2 stars inthe US. but it was clean as wereall the hotels we used.

I could not leave with out try-ing to see Room 300 at the Ma-mounia Hotel. The facility is morethan one city block in size andcontains all the environment andofferings of a first class Europeanhotel but in Arab and Berberstyle. In 1986 they added a casinoin which my wife left a gift. Asrecommended in the guide, wehad tea in the garden and took afew pictures. As you know,Churchill stayed in MarrakeshDecember '35, December '43,December '50, and January '59.During the Casablanca Confer-ence, in January 1943, he toldPresident Roosevelt, "You can'tcome as far as Casablanca withoutvisiting my beloved Marrakesh, theParis of the Sahara."

I practiced my spiel the previ-ous day so when I faced the hotelArrangement Manager I wasready. "My name is David Druck-man. I represent the InternationalChurchill Society and would liketo video-tape the Churchill Suitein hopes of convincing our societyof visiting Marrakesh and stayinghere." "No! You cannot tape theChurchill Suite," was the tart re-sponse. "May I then see therooms?" "No, you cannot. Theyare occupied." "Is there anyoneelse I can see about this," I askedand again was told "no". I evenoffered him 50 dirhams (about$5) and again was met with a defi-nite negative. Do I believe him?Well, a fellow traveler also in-quired and was told to return thenext day when the "lady" wouldbe available. I should have preced-ed my travels with a letter on ICSstationery making prior arrange-ments.

Churchill also stayed severalweeks in Tinerhir , near thedesert, to paint. It looked to us asa typical Berber village with nodistinguishing features.

DAVID DRUCKMAN,

INDIAN HEAD PARK IL, USA

EARLY CREDITSThis photograph was found in

the Calgary Museum of the Regi-

ments archives. When and whereit was taken is unknown to me.[By G. Russell & Sons, London,1941. -Ed.] Furthermore, attemptsto contact the studio shown on theback have been unsuccessful.Given the age of the photograph,I don't think copyright is a prob-lem.

CAPT. JOHN R. GRODZINSKI,CALGARY AB, CANADA

FINEST HO UR #78-80Thank you for your kind words

about my own contribution to theCharmley debate [in The NewRepublic -Ed.], though I think noone had done a better job of evis-cerating Charmley than Charmleyhimself in those self-serving lettersof his to your journal. And I amdelighted to know that I am downfor a year's subscription.ARTHUR SCHLESINGER, JR., NEW YORK

FINEST HOUR #81... is full of good stuff, I thinkthat bust on the cover really looksquite good.

THE LADY SOAMES, DBE, LONDON

I was disappointed with thecover. There is little if any resem-blance of the bronze head to Mr.Churchill. I blame two people:Mr. Ludtke and yourself for al-lowing such a ridiculous object to(un)grace the cover. You shouldbe more selective. Shame on you.

BEN MATCHEN,

PEMBROKE PINES, FLA. USA

FINEST HOUR 82 / 45

CHURCH1LLTRIVIA.

EDITED BY BARBARA LANGWORTH

TEST your skill and knowledge: Vir-tually all questions can be answered inback issues of Finest Hour or other ICSpublications (but it's not really cricketto check). Twenty-four questions ap-pear in each issue, the answer in thefollowing issue. Questions fall into sixcategories: Contemporaries (C),Literary (L), Miscellaneous (M),Personal (P), Statesmanship (S), andWar (W).

529. Who encouraged Churchill tomeet face-to-face with Roosevelt afterthe Battle of Britain? (C)

530. Name the four individual titles ofWSC's History of the English-SpeakingPeoples. (L)

531. Where stands a statue of WSCwith one foot on American soil and onefoot on British? (M)

532. What is the only major govern-ment office Churchill did not hold ? (P)

533. "They feared the friendship of theWest ... couldn't afford to allow freeand friendly intercourse between theircountry and those they controlled, andthe rest of the world. They daren't see... the easements and tolerances whichcome from the agreeable contacts ofnations and of individuals." Who werethev'' (S)

534. What European island did Church-ill consider invading in both WorldWars ? (W)

535. Who said, "Churchill is one of thefew men I have met who ... give me theimpression of genius. Shaw is another.It is amusing to know that each thinksthe other is much overrated!"? (C)

536. What is the subject matter of IntoBattle (first published in 1941)? (L)

537. Churchill served in nine Britishregiments. Name five. (M)

538. Winston's mother, Jennie, wasaccomplished on what musical instru-ment? (P)

539. When and where did Churchilldeliver his "blood, toil, tears andsweat" speech? (S)

540. What factor did Churchill use todetermine whether to support the"Chetniks" or "Partisans" in Yugo-slavia? (W)

541. The architect Churchill hired whenChartwell was rebuilt wrote a book,True Remembrances, in which it ismentioned. Who was the author of this1954 work? (C)

542. WSC wrote two other pieces offiction besides Savrola. What were thetitles? (L)

543. What gave Churchill "a feeling oftremendous conquest over space"? (M)

544. To his dismay, Churchill was list-ed under what name when he firstattended Harrow? (P)

545. Complete this Churchill quote: "Ido not hold that we should rearm tofight, I hold that we should rearm to

•" (S)

546. What reason did Churchill givewhen he offered to resign as First Lordof the Admiralty in 1914? (W)

547. What was the relationship betweenEdward H. Marsh(1872-1953) andWSC? (C)

548. In 1932, what well-known Ameri-can family asked Churchill to write abiography of their patriarch, but with-drew their offer because his fee was toohigh? (L)

549. Churchill was one of the foundersof "The Other Club." What was its offi-cial purpose? (M)

550. What animal sketches did Winstonand Clementine usually draw in theircorrespondence to each other? (P)

551. What was the subject of Church-ill's first political speech (1897)? (S)

552. In 1939 Churchill suspected thatHitler would do one or more of severalthings on the western front. Name one.(W)

ANSWERS TO LAST TRIVIA(505) Sir Robert Menzies describedChurchill as "a great voice rolling roundthe world." (506) The Malakand FieldForce concerned the uprising of thefrontier tribes and a wave of Afghan in-cursions in India. (507) Churchill coinedthe word "summit" for the meeting ofSoviet and Western leaders. (508)Royal Doulton has been making Church-ill toby mugs since 1941. (509) Church-ill called Lenin "the embodiment ofevil" in 1919. (510) Codename for theassemblage of American and Common-wealth forces in Britain for an eventualinvasion (not the invasion itself) acrossthe Channel was "Operation Bolero."(511) Churchill met Max Aitken in1911. (512) The total number of Com-panion Volumes (to the Official Biog-raphy) so far published is fourteen. (513)Churchill called General Robert E. Lee"one of the noblest Americans who everlived ..." (514) Churchill's only paint-ing during WW2 was done at Marra-kesh. (515) Harrow School, 1941, wasthe occasion of the "Never Give In"speech. (516) Admiral Beatty felt thatan explosion between Churchill andAdmiral Fisher was inevitable. (517)WSC said Konrad Adenauer was adiplomat of Bismarkian proportions.(518) Young Winston's Wars, The Col-lected Essays, and The Dream havebeen published posthumously. (519)Many of the trees at Chartwell were re-placed through the generosity of thePol-Roger family. (520) Paintingoffered Churchill a diversion and solaceafter the Dardanelles fiasco. (521)WSC parodied "Home Sweet Home"with "Accommodation Unit, Sweet Ac-commodation Unit." (522) Churchill feltthat the declaration of war on Germanyin 1914 was "an open conflict betweenChristian civilisation and scientific bar-barism." (523) Churchill called Mus-solini a "whipped jackal." (524) Threestates are currently known of the Ameri-can edition of My African Journey.(525) ICS started as a study group of theAmerican Topical Association. (526)Churchill caught a "monstrous sword-fish" off the coast of Catalina in 1929.(527) Churchill wanted to see a home-land for the Kurds after WW1. (528)Since there were no seagulls flyingaround the dummy ships, Churchill saidthey wouldn't fool the Germans, andthat food should be thrown around toattract gulls. $

46 / FINEST HOUR 82

IMMORTAL WORDS

"CANADA WILL BE WITH US TO THE END"

I am much affected by the kindness of the message which Mr. Mackenzie bringsand by the emblem which has been carried so far

over the land,through the air,

and over the sea.It represents another impulse of the great effort

which Canada is making in all these months and years of storm.We are in this old house and garden,

which has for hundreds of years been the centrefrom which the British Government has been conducted,

on this unshiny afternoonwithout any enemy aeroplanes

daring to come within the range of our fighting Air Force.I am proud to welcome the Canadian representatives

who have come all this way to encourage us in our fightand to add their own weighty contribution

and to assure us —•if indeed, assurance is needed —

that Canada will be with us to the end.The end may be far off.

We cannot tell.That depends on the enemy.

How long he will resist we cannot say.How long that wicked man will torture and afflict nations

or how often or in what directions he will set his murder machine

we cannot tell.One thing we are assured of

is that he and his villianous crewwill be delivered to the doom and shame which is their due,

and that we, ourselves,will have the honour

of having had something to do with it.

Spoken at Number Ten Downing Street1 July 1941

in motion