June 24, 2015

Finest Hour 120, Autumn 2003

Page 10

Events are also now covered by our fraternal publication, the Chartwell Bulletin.


POSTWAR SUMMITRY

WASHINGTON, MAY 21ST— For a brief two months in early 1953 there was a chance that Churchill’s push for a Big-Three Summit meeting might have had some effect. Stalin had died in March and the new Soviet leadership, less sure of itself and perhaps more flexible, might have been willing to meet face-to-face with Churchill and newly-elected U.S. President Eisenhower. But that chance vanished two months later when riots broke out in East Berlin in June. The old rigid Soviet approach to a threat reasserted itself, and the potential Summit moment was gone.

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So suggested Dr. Klaus Larres in remarks to thirty members of the Washington Society for Churchill at a dinner tonight. Holder of the Kissinger Chair at the Library of Congress in 2002-03, and now taking up the Chair in International Relations and Foreign Policy at London University, Larres is the author of the well-received Churchill’s Cold War and numerous other books. He spoke of Churchill’s steady but ill-fated push after the war for continued summitry as perhaps the best way to reduce Cold War tensions. Larres argued that this was very much in Churchill’s character, dating all the way back to a 1914 proposal that key British leaders seek out a face-to-face meeting with Germany’s Grand Admiral Tirpitz in an attempt to lower the temperature of the naval arms race that was peaking on the eve of what became the Great War.

Churchill was driven by at least three fears in his quest for postwar summit conferences: a possible nuclear holocaust, Britain’s decline as a world power, and his own advanced age. His dragged-out dance with Anthony Eden over when the latter would succeed him was often driven by Churchill’s hopes for a summit meeting. But his message to Moscow in July 1954, suggesting a meeting between Churchill and the Soviet leadership, provoked a cabinet row and near-revolt, averted only when the Soviets, distrustful of Churchill’s motives, enlarged the proposed meeting to include thirty-five nations! Larres concluded that all of this was consistent with Churchill’s reliance on alliances, both in domestic politics and especially during World War II.

CHICAGO

OAK BROOK, ILL., MAY 30TH— Thirty-seven Churchillians enjoyed a delightful dinner at the Wyndham Drake Hotel tonight. Susan Larson opened the evening by thanking Ambassador Paul Robinson for his support. She then welcomed Jerry Morelock, Director of the Churchill Museum and Library in Fulton, Missouri, as speaker. News from The Churchill Centre included the spelling change from the former “Center” and information about the Bermuda Conference. The announcement that Chicago will host the 2006 International Conference was greeted with great enthusiasm. Eight members volunteered immediately to help with arrangements.

The group dined on pesto salmon and filet mignon while engaging in spirited conversation. Philip Larson introduced Jerry Morelock, who talked about the resources available on Churchill at the Fulton Museum and Library. He was enthusiastic about the Churchill Centre working with his organization toward the common goal of celebrating Churchill’s legacy. Naturally, the evening included a toast to the memory of Sir Winston. It concluded with members sharing items that they brought from their personal Churchill collections. The group will meet again this autumn.

MICHIGAN

DETROIT, JUNE 23RD— A meeting of Detroit area Churchillians hosted Judith Kambestad, a Churchill Centre governor and director of local affairs, who spoke about the Centre’s plans for local group organization and the Bermuda conference. The venue was “Henry’s Ford Hotel,” the Dearborn Inn, built by Ford in the 1930s to serve what he thought would become the main Detroit metropolitan airport. The organizers were Gary Bonine and Dan Hughes; Dan has been holding informal meetings of business associates in the Detroit area. A thorough discussion of future plans was held.

ONTARIO

TORONTO, JUNE 23RD— Seventy members and friends of ICS Canada and the Toronto-based Churchill Society for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy (CSAPD) gathered at the Munk Centre for International Studies for a PowerPoint presentation by John Plumpton, Past President of The Churchill Centre. The subject was “D-Day & Canadian Soldiers Remembered” and covered the opening of the Juno Beach Centre in Normandy on June 6th. Juno was the Beach assigned to the 14,000 Canadian Forces on D-Day, June 6th, 1944, and was where Winston Churchill, King George VI and Charles de Gaulle landed shortly afterwards. The presentation included film footage of the landings on D-Day and he spoke of the courage and sacrifice of the brave men, many of whom were only teenagers. The audience showed their appreciation and Mr. Plumpton was thanked by CSAPD President Russell.

NORTH CAROLINA

DURHAM, JUNE 28TH— The first meeting of North Carolina Churchillians was held at the Southwest branch of the Durham Library, hosted by branch manager Gary Snyder. The purpose was to organize our first group of Churchill Centre members in the Raleigh-Durham area. The subjects were an introduction and overview, discussion of purposes, open discussion and planning session. Members in North Carolina will find Gary Snyder’s address and contact information on Local Organizers list.

NEW ENGLAND

HOPKINTON, N.H. AUGUST 23RD— Fifty members and friends of New England Churchillians gathered at the home of Barbara and Richard Langworth for the group’s annual picnic and book discussion. The speaker was Prof. James Muller, Chairman of The Churchill Center’s academic advisory panel. His topic was “The Education of Winston Churchill — What He Taught Himself and What He Can Teach Us.” A record turnout enjoyed an English pub menu of English beers and soft drinks, ploughman’s lunches and scrumptious desserts including rum cake and sherry trifle. Prof. Muller touched on the Harrow Songs, which meant so much to Churchill in later life, and had the assembly stand and attempt to render “The Silver Arrow” using music from the Harrow Song-book. A CD of Harrow Songs at the Royal Albert Hall played over a Bose radio then demonstrated what we should have sounded like. We should have run the CD first!

“CHURCHILL, TERROR AND STRATEGY”

PHILADELPHIA, AUGUST 29TH— The Churchill Centre tonight honoured Hillsdale College President Larry P. Arnn, who discussed the issues of terror and strategy at the Union League. From 1977 to 1980 Dr. Arnn studied in England, where he was director of research for Churchill biographer Martin Gilbert. The Union League of Philadelphia was founded 27 December 1862 to support President Lincoln and to unite the city in patriotism. After the Civil War, the League helped to preserve and restore Independence Hall and organized the American Centennial in 1876.

The dinner capped CC participation in the American Political Science Association Convention, where a panel discussed Churchill’s novel Savrola. The discussants were Douglas M. Brattebo of the U.S. Naval Academy, Patrick J. C. Powers of Magdalen College, and James W. Muller of the University of Alaska, Anchorage. CC President Bill Ives was the moderator and, together with Executive Director Dan Myers, discussed the work of the Centre.

THIRD CHURCHILL LECTURE AND CHURCHILL CENTER OPENING

WASHINGTON, SEPTEMBER I8TH— The Third Churchill Lecture, “Churchill and the Making of the Middle East” was delivered today by Dr. David Fromkin, with MSNBC broadcaster Chris Matthews as master of ceremonies. Fromkin’s seminal work, A Peace to End All Peace: The Making of the Modern Middle East, was the basis for his talk before an audience of students, scholars and CC members. A question/answer session followed, considering whether all Churchill’s decisions were the right ones, and what light if any his experience sheds on the problems of the Middle East today.

The first Churchill Lecture was delivered in 1998 at the College of William and Mary in Virginia; the second, by Chris Matthews of MSNBC, occurred at George Washington University in 2001. We hope Churchill Lectures will now occur annually. More on the lecture next issue.

Members and friends of The Churchill Centre celebrated the opening of our new Washington, D.C. home office with a reception at the Washington Hyatt Hotel from 5-7pm. The official sponsors were the Hon. Max Cleland, the Hon. Jack Kemp, Chris Matthews, Winston Churchill and Celia Sandys.

Hurricane Isabel, which was raging over Washington during both events, prevented a high turnout, but a CD recording of the Lecture is being made for the many people who missed it. 

STEP BACK IN TIME

LONDON, OCTOBER 15TH— A event entitled “Winston’s War Rooms” was held tonight in aid of Westminster Mencap. The Champagne reception combined an opportunity for visitors to explore freely the historic setting with the use of individual acoustiguides. The preserved underground nerve-centre now numbers more than twenty rooms including the Map Room where Churchill and his Chiefs of Staff planned World War II; his bedroom and private kitchen; and his wife’s bedroom.

Ruth Ive, vice-president of the charity, and guest of honour, was, at the age of 22, censor to the transatlantic calls made by Churchill to Roosevelt, which she had to cut off if either of them started to speak of anything revealing to the enemy.

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