June 10, 2013

DATELINES: FINEST HOUR 134, SPRING 2007

WHEN ANYONE COULD TELEPHONE THE GOOD AND THE GREAT

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LONDON, SEPTEMBER 20TH— Try to telephone your Congressman or MP today and you’ll run a gauntlet of barricades that will defeat all but the influential. Not so in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A project to upload over a century of old British telephone directories to the internet has revealed that statesmen, sporting heroes, icons of literature and stage stars were all oblivious of the term “ex-directory” (“unlisted” in the United States and Canada).

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When Churchill was Chancellor of the Exchequer (1924-29) he was available to talk about the national budget on Paddington 1003, and you could also consult the phonebook for his address: 2 Sussex Square. Similarly, telephoners could dial Harry Houdini, P.G. Wodehouse, Alfred Hitchcock and John Gielgud. “I found celebrities up until the 1950s,” says Josh Hanna, managing director of the Ancestry website. The ex-directory service was introduced three years after the first telephone book, but people did not use it: “It was a status symbol to be included in the phone book.” Today, more than 50 percent of telephone numbers are ex-directory. —Jack Malvern in The Times

GILBERT AT IRVINE

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, SEPTEMBER 28TH— The University of California at Irvine School of Humanities and the Department of History welcomed Sir Martin Gilbert CBE to campus today for the Shreiar Distinguished Lecture. Sir Martin captivated a crowd of more than 300, including members of the UC Irvine campus community and the public, with his discussion, “Was Churchill Totally Alone in the Years Leading up to the War?” The official biographer of Winston Churchill came close to getting him at a Churchill Conference, to lecture about WSC as Chancellor of the began by explaining to the audience that for Churchill between 1933 and 1939, moral issues dominated, and these same moral issues are still very much with us today.

Three questions that disturbed and divided Britain in those years, he said, were: How does one identify evil intentions of a government? Does one seek an accommodation with an evil regime? And, does one challenge an evil regime?

For the purposes of discussion, Sir Martin posed a fourth question: Was Churchill a person to listen to, or to ignore and belittle?
The lecture was a tremendous success, providing numerous southern Californians with insight into Churchill, and demonstrating how his strength of moral conviction and character might be of use in world politics today.

MILTON FRIEDMAN

SAN FRANCISCO, NOVEMBER 16TH— One of the most brilliant economic thinkers of the late 20th century, Milton Friedman was a national monument— like the Golden Gate Bridge, which he could see arching across San Francisco Bay from his apartment window. Like Churchill, he became a legend in his own lifetime. “The quantum change in economic debates towards neoclassical, anti-Keynesian assumptions was not solely his achievement,” wrote The Times. “Friedrich Hayek and Robert Lucas were also among a group who influenced the shift over several decades. But it was Friedman who by 1980 supplanted Keynes as the world’s most influential economist.”

Friedman was a quiet admirer of Sir Winston. Ten years ago we came close to getting him at a Churchill Conference, to lecture about WSC as Chancellor of the Exchequer. (He maintained of course that Churchill had been right to restore the Gold Standard, but failed to take commensurate steps to avoid the wage and price pressures that led to the General Strike). But Friedman’s health did not permit it.

Among the outpourings of tributes, we appreciated the words of a Churchill Centre honorary member, Lady Thatcher: “Milton Friedman revived the economics of liberty when it had been all but forgotten. He was an intellectual freedom fighter. Never was there a less dismal practitioner of a dismal science. I shall greatly miss my old friend’s lucid wisdom and mordant humour.” Dead at 94. R.I.P.

THESE RUINS ARE INHABITED

SONGJIANG, CHINA, OCTOBER 15TH (Reuters)— Often regarded as the copy-cat capital of the world, with ersatz designer bags and even counterfeit cars, the People’s Republic of China has added a new imitation: an English town.

Here in this suburb, an hour from Shanghai’s skyscrapers, is Thames Town, which cost £334 million to create and will house 10,000 people—complete with pub, fish-and-chip shop and a bronze statue of Winston Churchill. There is a neo-Gothic church as well as Georgian- and Victorian-style terraced houses that would not look out of place in the poshest parts of London.

“I wanted the properties to look exactly the same as those in the United Kingdom,” said James Ho, the director of privately owned Shanghai Henghe Real Estate Co. Ltd., one of the town’s five developers. “I think English properties are very special. When we decide to learn from others, we should not make any improvements or changes. I emphasised this policy to my staff.”

All this was a shock to Gail Caddy, owner of the Rock Point Inn and Cobb Fish Gate in Lyme Regis, Dorset. Caddy got the shock of her life when she saw in a British newspaper that her properties had been cloned: “I was truly amazed Everything is exactly the same, there is no difference at all. I would just like an explanation as to how it has all happened.”

Caddy demanded an explantion from the developers but James Ho was unabashed: “I feel that there are many unique features to English architecture. There must be some reason why these buildings have existed for hundreds of years, so we will imitate or copy, we will not make any changes.”

WSC’S PARACHUTISTS

LONDON, SEPTEMBER 26TH— Britain’s Parachute Regiment, deployed in Afghanistan during 2006, has its origins in an elite force of commandos set up by the army at the request of Churchill. It was first deployed on 10 February 1941, jumping into Italy and blowing up an aqueduct in a raid named Operation Colossus, reports Caroline Davies in The Times:

“Almost a year later, the regiment carried out Operation Biting, the Bruneval raid, to dismantle a Wurzburg precision radar dish on the northern French coast and bring it back to England for scientific research.

“At Arnhem, the regiment won the first two of its four Victoria Crosses. Lt John Grayburn led his men across the bridge to mount counterattacks despite heavy fire by Panzers and SS grenadiers. Though injured twice, he refused to be moved out and stayed fighting at “the bridge too far” until he was killed on 20 September 1944. Lionel Queripel, a captain with the Royal Sussex Regiment attached to 10 Para, led his badly outgunned company, despite being wounded, in a successful attack on German machine gunners. When he and his party were cut off in a ditch he ordered his men to withdraw but insisted on remaining behind, armed with hand grenades, to cover their exit. It was the last time he was seen.

“Operations in Malaya, Suez, Northern Ireland and the Falklands followed. The Falklands added two more VCs to the tally when Lt. Col. Herbert Jones and Sergeant Ian McKay were killed in action.”

Cynics often scoff that Churchill had one brainless idea after another, so it is nice to have his Parachute Regiment to set down alongside the tank and the Mulberry Harbour.

ELVIS IS NOT KING

LONDON, APRIL 3RD, 2005— Will they ever finish running popularity polls in England? Surely Churchill has retired the trophy: now being voted “the person most of us would travel back in time to meet.” WSC bested Elvis, Einstein and Marilyn Monroe, the runners-up. Princess Diana finished just seventh. Kind of an odd group? Perhaps the fact that the poll was among 1000 readers of The Sun explains it. They also voted the “Swinging Sixties” as the decade they would most like to be part of. Oh to be in Vietnam, now that Spring is here.

CONFERENCE POSTSCRIPT

CHICAGO, AUGUST 2iST— (Excerpts) WHEREAS Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, whose mother was American, was proud of his American heritage and stated to Congress in 1941, “Had my mother been English and my father American.. .1 might have got here on my own,” and

WHEREAS Churchill was a graduate of Sandhurst, served in the military, rode in the last major charge of British cavalry, was Chancellor of the Exchequer and Prime Minister of Great Britain, and in partnership with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt fought and conqured the Axis powers in World War II, and

WHEREAS Winston Churchill visited Chicago three times, from 1901 when he was twenty-one years old, through 1932, and

WHEREAS in his first 1932 speech at the Union League before 1700 people, he quickly turned to his favorite theme, of the United States and Great Britain as the powers to remedy problems in the world, and

WHEREAS, in his second 1932 speech at Orchestra Hall, Churchill gave stern warnings against Communism, which he likened as slavery to a despotic government, and

WHEREAS Churchill loved Chicago, stating, “I have never seen anything like the friendliness and sentiments toward us there was a splendor in Chicago and a life thrust that is all its own,” and

WHEREAS upon Churchill’s death, Chicago demonstrated an outpouring of grief and affection, and by order of Mayor Richard J. Daley government flags were lowered to half mast for a week, and

WHEREAS President John F. Kennedy, who awarded Winston Churchill honorary American citizenship in 1963, stated that he was “The most honorable man to walk the stage of human history in the time in which we live,” and

WHEREAS, The Churchill Centre, an international organization headquarted in Washington, D.C., and established in 1968 to foster leadership, statesmanship, vision and boldness among democratic and freedom-loving peoples worldwide through the thoughts, words, works and deeds of Winston Spencer Churchill, is holding its 23rd International Churchill Conference at The Drake Hotel from September 27th to October 1st, and

WHEREAS we are pleased as the city of Chicago to be the host of this conference organized to remember a man of such distinction who fought for freedom for all the world,

WE, the City of Chicago, do hereby proclaim that we are honored to have The Churchill Centre here, give it a warm welcome, and urge it to continue to preserve the memory of this great man.” —PROCLAMATION BY MAYOR RICHARD M. DALEY

FIRST STATE FELLOWS

ANCHORAGE, JULY 27TH— T h e first class of Forty-Ninth State Fellows at the University of Alaska, Anchorage— university honors students specially selected for achievement, character, and academic promise—took its freshman tutorial last spring with Professor James W. Muller. They studied Churchill’s autobiography, My Early Life, along with a number of his speeches from Never Give In!, the collection assembled by his grandson.

Near the end of the term the class, which had read about Churchill’s remark to Violet Asquith at their first meeting—”We are all worms; but I do believe I am a glowworm”—decided to call themselves the “Glowworms.” Having now advance to their sophomore year, the Glowworms will graduate in 2009, the year of the semi-centenary of Alaska statehood. In the meantime, the second class of Forty-Ninth State Fellows, who entered college last autumn, studied The River War in the University Honors course “Enduring Books,” also taught by Professor Muller.

GAS POLICY IN 1940

DOVER, JUNE 1940— Britain was prepared to use mustard gas to repel German invaders after Dunkirk, but had only 450 tons, less than five percent of the amount held by the Germans. The plan would have delivered the entire supply, using squadrons of Blenheim, Battle and Wellington bombers fitted with spray tanks, in one mass attack, hoping it would work because it could not be repeated. If it failed, of course, the Germans could retaliate with their own endless gas supply.

Churchill ordered weekly reports of gas production to be submitted personally to him, generally scrawling across the bottom the terse comment, “Press on.” By autumn 1941, with the invasion threat abated, almost 6000 people were employed researching and manufacturing chemical weapons, and the following spring Britain had almost 20,000 tons of gas. But, despite shrill accusations on the internet and elsewhere, Churchill was determined not to use it first.

In March 1942 the Chiefs of Staff stated: “It has been accepted that we should not initiate the use of gas unless it suited our book to do so during the invasion.” But the events of 1940-41 showed that if a nation’s survival is at stake, it is unlikely to put obligations like the Geneva Protocol ahead of military expediency. — The Times, 12 February 2002.

MANY MORE GENEROUS SUPPORTERS

The list of supporters sent out with our 2006 Heritage Fund appeal listed—aside from members who supported the 2005 Heritage Fund— Churchill Centre Associates, supporters of the 2005 Churchill Lecture and Reves Award benefit dinner, and members who renewed their subscription at $1000 or more each year. But we omitted a great many other generous members who renew at well over the $50 minimum—at $100, $250 and $500 per year—including quite a lot of our personal friends!

As a partial apology we list here our roll of Benefactor Members, who renewed last year (and in many cases for several previous years) at $500; and Supporting Members ($250). Their generosity is deeply appreciated. In next year’s Heritage Fund mailing, we will list everyone who renews their dues at more than the basic level: over one-third of our membership. RML

Benefactor Members ($500 per year)

Darius Anderson, Benjamin B. Baker, Dr. Michael A. Berk, Charles K. Bobronskoy, GaryJ. Bonine, Mr. Mrs. Michael J. Close, Steven M. Crane, Paul B. Edgerley, Gary Garrison, Jay S. Goodgold, W., Thomas Hudson, Dr. David R. Jones, Philip J. Lyons, Laird M. Malamed, Terrance W. McGarry, Michael T. McMenamin, Dr. A. Wendell Musser, Lawrence Neubauer, John H. Noonan, Charles S. Northen III, Vincent Osterman, Sen. Bob Packwood, Alfio K. Pennisi, Matthew R. Simmons, Cita Stelzer, Glenn E. Stinson, James & Lucille Thomas, Mark & Patricia Treadwell, Daun van Ee, William D. Vasilion, Matthew B. Wills, Jason P. Wise, Michael L. Youngman.

Supporting Members ($250 per year)

W. Sheperdson Abell, Maureen Adams, W. Thad Adams III, Ian A. Aitchison, Andrew Alexander, Michael S. Allen, Randall Baker, Dr. & Mrs. John Banta, F. H. Barker, Peter L. Baumbusch, John G. Beckett, Christopher Beckmann, Herbert P. Benn, Alan F. Bland, Henry V. Bohm, Robert A. Bohrer, Wayne Brent, Frederick M. Brosio Jr., Peter Canzano, Donald S. Carmichael, Casey Carmony, A. William Cohen, Lawrence S. Collamore, Adelaide E. Comegys, Brian Corbey, Charles C. Cornelio, Dr. Martin S. Cousineau, Charles W. Crist, Linda Woodbury Deal, Thomas C. Deas Jr., Dawne Deeley, Timothy C. Egan, Jarulv G. Egeland, Nanci C. Eichel, Douglas J. Feith, Dr. Joseph J. Fins, Laura Fiskow, Tranum Fitzpatrick, Lee A. Forlenza, Theodore Fosdick, Ken Gack, Robert J. Giuffrajr., Dr. Steven D. Goldfien, William R. Goodall, Jeffrey M. Gudman, Robert H. Halfyard, Fred C. Hardman, Dr. Donald E. Harris, Dr. Lee S. Harris, Keith T. J. Hart, Robert E. Hartland, Steven F. Hayward, Paul M. Higbee, Eric G. Hoerner, Mr. & Mrs. D. Craig Horn, William S. Hummers, J. Heffrey Hutter Sr., Col. David Jablonsky, Donald E. Jakeway, Alan Jones, Joseph L. Just, Raymond & Nancy Kann, Justin Kennedy, Jack Koers, Beth Krzywicki, F. Stuart Kuhn, Patrician D. Kurtz, James F. Lane, Susan and Philip Larson, Parker Lee III, Darren & Linda Leonard, Dr. Terrence W. Leveck, J. William Lovelace, James E. Lukaszewski, Ronald Luke, Bertil Lundqvist, James E. Lutton III, Gerard P. Lynch, Gene Lyons, Thomas B. McCullough, Jr., W. Stuart McKee, Dickson McLean Jr., Alvin J. Meiklejohn Jr., Alan B. Miller, David Minnerly, Dirk P.D. Mosis III, Dr. & Mrs Andrew Ness, R. Kendall Nottingham, Robert P. Odell Jr., Dr. Paul J. Olscamp, David E. Olson, Dr. Malcolm I. Page, Thomas Paul, Dr. Robert L. Pfaltzgraff Jr., Dr. Steven D. Pieper, Lance Philman, Lawrence V. Pike, William R. Piper, David R. Pohndorf, William E. Postma, Dr. Jack D. Proctor, James C. Reynolds, Michel K. Riethmiller, Leonard Robbins, Dene Rogers, Dr. James Rogers, Jerker O. Runnquist, John R. Sapp, Robet S. Schuler, Thomas Selby, Alan Shaw, William Slayman, Michael F. Smith, L. Neal Smith Jr., Mr. & Mrs. Sherwood H. Smith Jr., John L. Stavert, Dr. John E. Stumbo, William H. Sullivan, Fred W. Tegarden, Mrs. Frederick Townley, Donald R. Tracy, Peter J. Travers, Dr. Joseph E. Troiani, Lowell Tuttman, Paul E. Violette, Charles A. Viviano, Harry & Beth Warren, Damon Wells Jr., James T. Williams, L. Mark Wine, Teresa S. Woodside, Alex M. Worth Jr.

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