FINEST HOUR - Winston Churchill

BY JOHN G. PLUMPTONAutumn 1895 • Age 21:Cuban EscapadesLATERin life Churchill reflectedon his years in theFourth Hussars. He recalledthat the young officers envied thedecorations and experiences oftheir senior colleagues and wonderedwhether their own chance towin glory would ever come.The ever pro-active young Winstoncreated his own opportunitiesby procuring permission to go toCuba during his five months' leavefrom the army. He also contractedwith the Daily Graphic for occasionalreports.He travelled to Cuba via NewYork. Although his mother warnedhe would find that city boring, hisexperience was quite the opposite.In America he first encountered apaper dollar, which he called "themost disreputable coin the worldhas ever seen." Nor was he impressedby American newspapers:("... the essence of American journalismis vulgarity divested oftruth") but he found "that vulgarityis a sign of strength. A great,crude, strong, young people are theAmericans — like a boisteroushealthy boy among enervated butwell-bred ladies and gentleman."When he finally saw Cuba hefelt as if he had "sailed with LongJohn Silver and first gazed onTreasure Island." On his twentyfirstbirthday he "heard shots firedin anger, and heard bullets strikeflesh or whistle through the air."Later he was in more immediatepersonal danger with bullets passingwithin a foot of his head.From Cuba Churchill plannedto bring back a quantity of Havanacigars to lay down in the cellar ofhis mother's house. In Cuba healso learned the merits of a middaysiesta, concluding that "therest and spell of sleep in the middleof the day refresh the humanframe far more than a long night.We were not made by Nature towork, or even to play, from eighto'clock in the morning till midnight."Back home there was some criticismof Churchill's escapades. Onenewspaper suggested that "sensiblepeople will wonder what motivecould possibly impel a Britishofficer to mix himself up in a disputewith the merits of which hehad absolutely nothing to do. Mr.Churchill was supposed to havegone to the West Indies for a holiday,having obtained leave of absencefrom his regimental dutiesat the beginning of October forthat purpose. Spending a holidayin fighting other peoples' battles israther an extraordinary proceedingeven for a Churchill."Autumn 1928 • Age 46:Ireland & RussiaUPONhis return from apainting vacation in Franceand Amalfi, Italy, Churchilltook up the challenge from twofoes: Bolsheviks in Russia andSinn Fein in Ireland. He combinedthe issues in a speech at the King'sTheatre, Dundee, in October. "Thecruel tyranny inflicted upon themiserable people of Russia is nowadmitted even by those mostfavourable to them. We can takeevidence from people like Mr.Philip Snowden and Mr. BertrandRussell, both most advanced andextreme politicians, both life-longSocialists. [He later cited furtherevidence from H.G. Wells.] Irelandis a country which, like Russia, isdeliberately tearing itself to piecesand obstinately destroying its ownprosperity ... The measure of autonomyand independence for Irelandought not to be what the victoryof a murder gang in Irelandcan extort."That summer a special force ofthe Royal Irish Constabularycalled the "Black and Tans" wascreated to fight Sinn Fein. AlthoughChurchill claimed in aspeech to the Union Debate, Oxford,that he was against reprisals,he also said that "I do think thatsomething more than perfunctorylip-service is required in condemningthe cold-blooded repeated murdersof policemen and soldiers bypeople in plain clothes coming upwith a smile on their faces andACTION THIS DAYthen shooting them through theirjacket." He refused to stop the policyof reprisals until Sinn Feinwould "quit murdering and startarguing."In a speech at the CannonStreet Hotel in London, Churchillsurveyed world events. He warnedthat the labour movement, "agreat and, on the whole, beneficientinfluence" would have toguard against the activities of aminority of "hotheads" who were"trying to wreck the whole systemof society." He noted that Leninhad said that "fifteen percentought to be enough to dominateGreat Britain, provided they wereall out-and-out Communists."His perceived foes were not onlyinternal. Churchill saw enemies inIndia and Egypt, as well as Turkeyand Mesopotamia: "When we seeall these movements from so manydifferent quarters springing up simultaneously,does it not look asthough there is a dead set beingmade against the British Empire?... It is becoming increasingly clearthat all these factions are in touchwith one another, and that theyare acting in concert. In fact, thereis developing a world-wide conspiracyagainst our country, designedto deprive us of our place in theworld and to rob us of the fruits ofvictory."But, he promised, these enemieswould "feel the weight of theBritish arm. It was strong enoughto break the Hindenburg Line, itwill be strong enough to defend themain interests of the British people,to carry us through thesestormy times into calmer andbrighter days."Autumn 1945 • Age 71:Into OppositionUPON his return from a holidayin Italy, Churchillbegan a series of speakingengagements which provided anopportunity to reflect on the warand comment on the post-war situation.One of the first was a particularlymoving event becauseWinston and Clementine receivedFINEST HOUR 88/44