Journal of the International Churchill Society - Winston Churchill

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76, 60 & 26 Edited By John G. Plumpton SPRING 1886: Age 11 The highlight of young Winston's year was the visit of his nanny, Mrs. Everest (Woom), and his brother Jack, to his school at Brighton. Despite many pleadings Lord and Lady Randolph had declined to visit their son at school, but when the young boy's life was seriously threatened by pneumonia the parents rushed to his bedside. The constant attention of Dr. Robson Roose, the family physician who came down from London, may have been the critical factor in saving Winston's life. Both Lord Salisbury, the Prime Minister, and the Prince of Wales enquired about the boy's health. In April Lord Randolph made an infrequent visit to his recovering son and presented the delighted boy with a toy steam locomotive. Lord Randolph's political life was as anxious as his personal affairs. Joseph Chamberlain and other Liberals split with Gladstone over Home Rule for Ireland. Throughout the spring, feverish activity dominated the Houses of Parliament as the dissident Liberals negotiated with both the Prime Minister and the Tories. Gladstone pleaded for support for his Bill for the Better Government of Ireland: "Think, I beseech you, think well, think wisely, think not for a moment but for the years that are to come. ..." But Home Rule was defeated. Lord Randolph's contribution to the defeat was private and behind the scenes. He was the emissary with Chamberlain. But before a crowd in Manchester he coined the phrase "Unionist Party" to cover the divergent groups opposed to Home Rule, principally the Tories and the dissident Liberals under Joseph Chamberlain. SPRING 1911: Age 36 Expecting their second child (dubbed "the Chumbolly"), the Churchills celebrated Easter at Blenheim. On 28 May a son, Randolph, was born at their home on Eccleston Square, London. Shortly after, Winston attended his annual camp with the Oxfordshire Yeomanry at Blenheim. On 22 June they attended the first of three coronations they would see during their lives. Clementine was not expected to attend but, through the kind offices of King George V, a royal carriage was sent for her and returned her to the hungry Randolph immediately after the ceremony. Along with Home Office duties, Winston piloted the Parliament Bill through the House of Commons. When the House of Lords amended it out of recognition, it was obvious that the final battle was at hand. Meanwhile, the Government searched for a solution to the perennial Irish problem. The acrimony created by these political battles was somewhat mitigated by the creation of The Other Club. The genesis of The Other Club is unclear. Some claim that Parliament was the first club but The Other Club's official historian suggests that the founders, Winston Churchill and F.E. Smith, started it in response to their failure to secure election to The Club, in Oxford. The first dinner was held on 18 May 1911 and The Other Club still meets in the Pinafore Room of the Savoy Hotel. 24 SPRING 1936: Age 61 Britain's relations with the great powers of the continent dominated Churchill's political and literary attention. His work on the third volume of Marlborough (Woods A40) was aided by the arrival of a new research assistant, Bill Deakin. Deakin later attributed Churchill's ability to write in the midst of international crises to his "ruthless partition of the day, the planning of things all the time. There was never a wasted moment. He had intense control." His concerns with defense were outlined in a series of articles serialized in the Evening Standard and subsequently published in Step by Step (Woods A45). Some friends, impressed by Hitler, tried to change his mind on Germany. His cousin Lord Londonderry wrote: "I should like to get out of your mind what appears to be a strong anti- German obsession because all these great countries are required in the political settlement of the future ..." Churchill replied that he was not obsessively anti-German and that he did not think that war between England and Germany was inevitable but "British policy for 400 years has been to oppose the strongest powers in Europe by weaving together a combination of other countries strong enough to face the bully. Sometimes it is Spain, sometimes the French monarchy, sometimes the French Empire, sometimes Germany. I have no doubt who it is now. But if France set up to claim the over-lordship of Europe, I should equally endeavour to oppose them. It is thus through the centuries we have kept our liberties and maintained our life and power." Similar foreign policy objectives had motivated his ancestor and subject of his biography, the Duke of Marlborough. SPRING 1961: Age 86 In early March Sir Winston joined Aristotle Onassis' yacht at Gibraltar for an unhurried tour of the Caribbean and the US coast. On the day the first Russian cosmonaut went into space, Churchill arrived in New York Harbor for the final time. Among the luncheon guests on the Christina was UN Ambassador Adlai Stevenson, who later commented to reporters: "This is a very great man, who has been the conscience of freedom in his time, and who now is in the sunset of his life and entitled to the privacy that he has earned in those years of endeavor." After lunch, Sir Winston observed the departure of the Queen Mary, the Cunard ship which had conveyed him to his wartime meetings with Franklin Roosevelt. At dinner he was joined by his longtime friend, 90-year-old Bernard Baruch, who told the press: "It will be good to be with him. He's a wonderful young man at 86." During dinner he received a telephone call from President Kennedy, who offered to send a special plane to bring him to the White House for a visit. But the old man was too infirm. Besides Lady Churchill was in hospital and he wanted to get back to her. Although pleasantly surprised, he declined the invitation but accepted "for some other time." On 14 April on Pan American Flight 100, Sir Winston Churchill left his mother's homeland for the last time.
Q. Can you determine if Churchill said the following, and if so, when and where he said it: "To be a reservist is to be twice a citizen." A. This quote was given us by a Florida Army Reserve Company, and despite extensive digging we could not find it. Can anyone help? Please write the editor. Q. Can you determine the place and date of this Churchill quote, used by Kay Halle in "Irrepressible Churchill" (1966, p. [vi]). . . "In my belief, you cannot deal with the most serious things in the world unless you also understand the most amusing." A. This was asked of us and Fulton by the Reader's Digest. Once again, we tried and failed, and request your help. Q. Does any stamp show Churchill as Home Secretary c. 1910? A. Yes: Isle of Man's 1974 Centenary commemorative set includes a 4'Ap value so depicting WSC, Scott 49, S-G 55. See also "Churchill in Stamps" this issue and ICS Churchill Collectors Handbook, Seel, p. 1.8. Q. I just purchased for $85 a copy of Malakand Field Force from a bookseller in New York City. It is the Silver Library Edition, Woods Al(b), in fantastic shape with the original maps and frontispiece in extraordinary condition. The spine is good and sturdy, still well bound, and the cover is in great shape also. Could you tell me anything about that particular edition and estimate its worth for insurance purposes? I thought I was pretty fortunate. A. You were. Every so often even big-city booksellers make mistakes, usually by underrating non-first editions. [Our member was apprised of the value and is delighted; any member may learn the details by writing the editor.] The lovely maroon and gilt Silver Library Edition has the first "Malakand" text entirely approved by the author. In size it is an approximate duplicate of the first edition, but the editing is far more professional. Four impressions were produced. This is a very worthy addition to any library. Send your questions to the editor, PO Box 385, Contoocook NH 03229 USA. It was my pleasure to be with you at the dinner on 2 November in Boston, and I am just glad that my schedule allowed me to join you. I am glad to know that your members seem to have become inspired to start new chapters and recruit new members, and if I was in any way helpful, I am all the more pleased. It was good to see you, and I will look forward to our next opportunity to meet and perhaps have more time to chat a bit. — Caspar W. Weinberger, Washington The Sir Winston Churchill Pub referred to in FH5Q was not the first. Many years ago as a student in Paris, my colleagues and I used to frequent the Sir Winston Churchill Pub near L'Etoile. I have no idea whether the establishment still exists (your readers might be helpful here), but I do remember my introduction to Watney's Red Barrel. Whether WSC would have approved of this concoction, again, I have no idea. But I am sure he would have approved of how I passed my student days in Paris — some 15 years ago. — Richard D. Carreno N. Grosvenordale, CT I am pleased to advise that Golden Hill Fort [Hayling Island, Hants.] has been selected by the Co-ordinator of the Defence of the Realm Project as the Isle of Wight site location and headquarters for this Project. The Defence of the Realm Project with its considerable publicity resources will, I feel confident, bring more overseas visitors to the Isle of Wight, which has played such an important part in the nation's history, and we will do our best to justify this selection. —W.T. Perkins, C. Eng., MIERE Hayling Island, Hampshire, UK Thank you for your story about the limited edition of the Winston Churchill writing desk from Chartwell. I would like to clarify a few points: the limited edition of 250 desks is not for sale in the US only, but worldwide in all 150 countries with which Britain has diplomatic relations. The purchase price is based on a London price of £4200. Distribution is expected to be as little as one or two per country except for the US and others which have a larger allocation. Information may be obtained in the USA from us at 77 Main St., Tappan NY 10983, and in England from Mrs. Broome, Administrator at Chartwell, Westerham, Kent, TN16 IPS. —Norman Shaifer, President Heritage Arts Ltd. 25 NEW MEMBERS South Africa Capetown — P.V. Mills; Port Elizabeth — Elizabeth Nel. Sweden Varberg — Per Starefors, Olof Svanberg. United Kingdom Bucks — Marlow/John Evans; Essex — Malden/F. Rendell, Rayleigh/A.H. Benham. Woodford Green/Ralph Tremayne Prout, MBE; Gwent — Chepstow/K.G. Tufft; Hants — S. Benfleet/J.E. Morris; Lanes — Hambleton/P.M. Welsh; Mdlsx — Enfield/R.A. Smith, Northolt/ V.A. Woodcock. UK Addenda: Essex — Billericay/Norman J. Mutchinson; Warks — Stratford/Dale Weber; Scotland — Glasgow/Bob Sutherland. United States DC - Washington/Celia Hoke; 111 - Winnetka/Douglas M. Reimer; MD — Chevy Chase/Harry L. Freeman; Mass — Boston/Thos. A. Robinson; Norton/Austin C. Smith; NY — NYC/C. Austin Fitts, Donald F. Malin Jr., Mrs. J. Sterling McClusky, Charles W. Sprague; Tenn — Hendersonville/Tom Cope; Texas — Arlington/Homer Burks, Richard M. Flatt, Lowell Hoover, Mark Mahan, Dr. Mitchell Smith, Randy Stevenson; Dallas/Dr. W. J. Bufkin, Barbara J. Girard, Margaret Koons, Daphne Baynham White; DeSoto/Ernest Gower. *Will any recent member who has not seen his or her name on these lists since FH48 kindly notify the editor. Our Spring catalogue features two new books: the reissue of Kay Halle's IRREPRESSIBLE CHUR- CHILL - Woods D(a)21/5 — published @ $19.95, our price $17 postpaid. And BLENHEIM REVISITED by H. Montgomery-Massingberd, a magnificent illustrated 256-page documentary with profuse color photos, published @ $16.95, our price $14 postpaid. OUR SPRING CATALOGUE 16, available by 1 June, is 16 pages, lists 850 volumes by and about WSC, from fine firsts to paperbacks, from $2 to $750. Write for a copy if you are not on our mailing lists. Telephone bus. hrs. DST: 603-746-5606. Churchillbooks, Burrage Road, Contoocook, New Hampshire 03229 USA.
Page 1 and 2: Journal of the International Church
Page 3 and 4: BUSINESS OFFICES Australia: Peter M
Page 5 and 6: YOUR INVITATION TO VANCOUVER: OCTOB
Page 7 and 8: "Let Us Command the Moment to Remai
Page 9 and 10: memories of my parents are chiefly
Page 11 and 12: CHARTWELL Bold Rockwork and Falls D
Page 13 and 14: The New Bibliography In the new Bib
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Page 19 and 20: k AFRICAN VISION KEYNOTES AT MALTA
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Page 23: "prime cause" of World War I, and s
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Journal of the International Churchill Society - Winston Churchill

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