April 25, 2015

Finest Hour 117, Winter 2002-03

Page 06

QUOTATION OF THE SEASON

“I have always urged fighting wars and other contentions with might and main till overwhelming victory, and then offering the hand of friendship to the vanquished. Thus I have always been against the Pacifists during the quarrel, and against the Jingoes at its close.”
—WSC, My Early Life, 1930: English Edition, page 346.

WASHINGTON, D.C., JANUARY 1ST— The dream of a lifetime came true today as Daniel N. Myers, The Churchill Centre’s new executive director, moved into Suite 307 at 1150 17th Street, N.W. in central Washington: the new home of The Churchill Centre in the heart of the nation’s capital.

Located across the street from the National Geographic Society and just a few blocks from the White House and major government offices, the 900 square foot headquarters will house the executive director’s office, a conference room, and the first “Wendy and Emery Reves Library,” supported by TCC honorary member Wendy Reves. The telephone number will be the familiar 888-WSC-1874, transferred from Lorraine Horn, whose long and loyal service has been greatly appreciated by all past presidents and members.

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Daniel Myers, who brings crucial qualifications to the job (see “Eminent Churchillians,” page 13) will be the Centre’s chief representative in Washington, its eyes and ears at events, and the vital link between our many activities and the international and academic communities. All CC operations— membership, events, accounting, administration, Churchill Stores and the Book Club, records and minutes—will be centered in the Washington office.

This is the most ambitious step we have ever taken, and we cannot minimize the importance of having someone “on the spot” in the optimum location for an American institution devoted to preserving the Churchill legacy for future generations.

In Virginia on September 21st, the Board of Governors elected William Ives President, replacing John Plumpton, who has ably served in that role for the past three years and who continues as a Governor and webmaster. Among other initiatives, Ives is reviving the Chartwell Bulletin as the Centre’s number two publication, using it to keep members up to date and to supplement Finest Hour. A President’s Letter (page 5) will become a familiar fixture of our publications.

Laurence Geller, longtime member, Churchill Centre Associate, and member of the “Number Ten Club” of leading donors, has a distinguished business and philanthropic career (see “Eminent Churchillians”). His personal support of the Centre is now supplemented by his heading up “Campaign D-Day,” which will be fully described in the next Chartwell Bulletin.

The support of you, our members, in reaching these key goals has been priceless. We could not have done it without your steady renewals (over 80% renew, a third of them at above-minimum rates), your support of our Heritage Fund drives, and the nearly 100 of you who have become Churchill Centre Associates, contributing $10,000 or more to our endowment. We express thanks by showing that your investment has been a good one. “We may allow ourselves a brief period of thanksgiving.”

On Objectivity

Tom Pazzi’s letter (page 4) reminds us that The Churchill Centre is not, cannot afford to be, a house of worship. Over the years we have welcomed or published the views of numerous critics, among them John Charmley, Sir Robert Rhodes James, Paul Addison, Ted Wilson, John Ramsden, and Warren Kimball. We sometimes disagree profoundly with what they’ve had to say—and they with each other!

One has only to turn to our last issue to find a frank appraisal of Churchill’s silence over the Rhineland in 1936; or to our most recent Proceedings to find Clifford Orwin arguing with Kirk Emmert over Churchill on India, saying WSC’s approach was “a case of wishful thinking.” Among our articles leading up to the “Personality of the Century” was one (FH 104) offering reasons “Why the Choice Will Not Be Unanimous.” Our Internet Listserv resounds with critics; the editor even contributed a list of eighteen things Churchill should have done differently.

John Ramsden’s new book, Winston Churchill and His Legend since 1945, notes on page 571: “In all of this the ICS [as we are known in the UK] has been anxious to foster study of Churchill’s life and significance in the round, rather than simply providing further evidence for the man’s admirers. In the same way, Finest Hour [praise omitted] has not been afraid of rocking the boat either.” In his preface Ramsden mentions attending our 1995 Boston conference, where we “gathered to honour the sacred memory—but also to discuss it seriously and to listen to some fairly tough academic papers on the subject.”

Our attitude has always been that Churchill’s faults were on a grand scale, but his virtues far outweigh his faults. Those who see no virtues at all will forever accuse us of idolatry. We can do nothing about them. But we must try always to study Churchill “in the round,” as Professor Ramsden says we do. To quote Professor Addison: “Paradoxically, I always think it diminishes Churchill for him to be regarded as super-human.”

“Winston S. Churchill,” by Martin Driscoll Oil on Canvas Still Available

Martin Driscoll’s brilliant painting of Churchill in 1941 was commissioned by The Churchill Centre for the Churchill suite on the Queen Mary in Long Beach, and 100 high quality oilon-canvas reproductions, signed and numbered by the artist, have been commissioned. About forty are left, and members are urged to order them while they can. Five years from now we will be receiving plaintive requests for a sold-out item!

How to order: Please select the version you require (prices are in US$).

Type A: The 16×20 canvas (with generous border material), carefully packed and shipped in a sturdy roll: $185 postpaid in the USA, $205 postpaid in Canada.*

Type B: The canvas stretched over a handmade hardwood frame, ready for framing, $225 postpaid in the USA, $245 postpaid in Canada.*

Type C: The stretched canvas in a fine antique gold frame (see attached photograph), $395 postpaid in the USA, $415 postpaid in Canada*

*Outside North America: order by visa or mastercard, and we will charge the exact cost of air parcel post.

Order from: The Churchill Centre, 1150 Seventeenth Street, N.W., Suite 312, Washington DC 20036, tel. (888) WSC-1874, e-mail to Daniel Myers, [email protected].

Cigar Smoker of Millennium

NEW YORK, DECEMBER 1ST— Marvin Shanken’s splendid magazine of the Good Life, Cigar Aficionado, has declared Winston Churchill “Cigar Smoker of the Millennium and Man of the Century,” after a four-month poll of its online readership involving 7500 people. Following Churchill (in order) were the cast of the “Sopranos,” John F. Kennedy, Jack Nicholson, and Demi Moore. The top ten were rounded out by Fidel Castro, Raquel Welch, Claudia Schiffer, Rush Limbaugh, and former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.

“Has anyone ever embodied the pleasures of cigar smoking more than he did?,” the editors asked. “Has anyone ever seen a photograph of Churchill without his constant companion? [Well, yes, but keep going!] As one of our historical profiles of him noted, he even had a high-altitude oxygen mask modified so that while he was flying, he could have a cigar.” Churchill thus earned the right to be the first repeat cover subject in the magazine’s ten years of existence.

Painting as a Pastime Returns

DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA, NOVEMBER 21ST— The editor and publisher of Finest Hour visited Levenger president Steven Leveen and his colleagues at their headquarters today to thank them for their fine new edition of Painting as a Pastime, copies of which we will be sending major supporters of the Centre.

The Levenger Press edition features something not found in other editions: a foreword by Lady Soames. Bound in navy blue leather with gold foil lettering, the edition includes reproductions of 10 of the paintings from the original, and they are interleaved throughout the story. (Although earlier editions contain more color plates, they are bunched in the back rather than presented individually.) Bibliographer Ronald Cohen tells us this is the second American edition, following the Gump’s limited edition of 1985. (The McGraw Hill 1950 American production was an “issue” of the first English edition.)

The Levenger executive team was keenly interested in The Churchill Centre, and is considering other items of Churchilliana they might add to their line, which presently includes a limited edition Conway Stewart fountain pen and exact replicas of the Best Ltd. Lamps used at Chartwell. Some very promising ideas were discussed, and we believe this was the start of a mutually beneficial relationship. We are most grateful to Mr. Leveen and his colleagues for their interest in our work.

Levenger’s 62-page, 5×7-inch book is printed in two-color on a cream stock and comes gift boxed. It is available from Levenger for $39.95 plus shipping. Click Levengerpress.com or call 1-800-544-0880 to order.

A Loss to the Senate

ATLANTA, GA., NOVEMBER 4TH— Senator Max Cleland (D.-Ga.), longtime CC member and one of the most knowledgeable Churchillians in public office, lost his bid for reelection tonight in the United States mid-term elections.

At a Washington dinner for the present Winston Churchill following his address to the National Press Club in October 2001 (FH 112:14), Senator Cleland spoke off the cuff about Sir Winston, impressing us with his faultless quotations and his precise knowledge of the Churchill saga.

Winston Churchill said, “In war you can only be killed once—but in politics, many times!” The Senate is the poorer for the departure of a patriot who has twice served his country with distinction and sacrifice. What General Bindon Blood said of young Winston is certainly appropriate in his case: “He made himself useful at a critical moment.” Finest Hour wishes Senator Cleland well, and hopes to have the pleasure of his company at more memorable meetings in the future. —Ed.

Battle of Britons

LONDON, NOVEMBER 25TH— W i n s t o n Churchill was voted the greatest Briton ever in a BBC poll today, beating Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who finished second, and Princess Diana, who came in third. The result marked the conclusion of a poll in which viewers cast their votes by telephone or email from a BBC list of of 100 significant people. Churchill had 447,423 votes, beating Brunel by more than 56,000; Diana received 222,055.

Next in line were Charles Darwin, William Shakespeare, Isaac Newton, Elizabeth I, John Lennon, Horatio Nelson and Oliver Cromwell, the BBC said. Brunel outpolled the likes of Elizabeth I and Shakespeare following a concerted effort by students of Brunel University in London. Individuals could vote more than once and many did— but so did the Churchillians.

Churchill’s success was good news for the man who once noted of his fellow countrymen: “They are the only people who like to be told how bad things are, who like to be told the worst.” While the poll reinforced Churchill’s legacy in Britain, Reuters was quick to note that he “still divides people across the world. U.S. President George Bush said Churchill was ‘a constant reminder of what a great leader is like.’ However, a German historian last week branded Churchill a ‘war criminal’ after he sanctioned bombing civilian population centres during the war.”

While pleased with the results, some Churchillians considered the polling method farcical and the array of choices uneven, equating Diana and Lennon with Nelson and Cromwell. However, the UK Churchill Society received huge publicity, “more than from anything else we’ve done” according to chairman Nigel Knocker, and has begun picking up members as a result.

“A year from now, not one person in a thousand will remember the poll, and not one in five thousand will remember that Diana or Lennon were in it,” remarked CC governor Jim Lane. “But Winston Churchill will still be ‘The Greatest Briton of Them All’ by proclamation of the ‘venerable, unimpeachable BBC.’ When we think of Churchill we do not dwell on the fact that he was thrown out of office at the war’s end in favor of Attlee—we remember him as the man who won that war, or at any rate did not lose it. How many votes did Clement Attlee get?”

Donate Your Air Miles

WASHINGTON, OCTOBER 31ST— If you have accumulated “frequent flyer” miles, please consider donating them to The Churchill Centre. This has already worked for some of our local organizers, who have brought speakers they could not otherwise afford from afar to be heard by local gatherings. For conferences, the Centre uses your miles to bring outstanding speakers from around the world very long distances to our events. At this time we particularly need air miles from British Airways and Delta. Please contact CC executive Director Dan Myers at our toll-free number, 888-WSC-1874.

Walter Weiss, RIP

WHITE PLAINS, NY, OCTOBER 13TH— The legendary maître d’hôtel at the “21” Club, who juggled tycoons, movie stars and politicians to answer a terrifying question— who gets the best table and who goes to Siberia?—died today aged 80. At a restaurant that prizes its history as a Prohibition-era speakeasy, with a clientele as old and valued as the antique toys hanging from the Bar Room ceiling, Mr. Weiss was in charge of seating for more than forty of his fifty-four years there. He set the pecking order for the rich, powerful and not infrequently pompous diners who regard 21 West 52nd Street as club, fraternity house and first-aid station. There was no appealing his decisions, and considerable thought went into them.

Walter Joseph Weiss was born in Vienna on 27 June 1922. Fleeing Hitler, he came to New York when he was 16, and sent for his parents and brother a year later. He worked at many jobs, and first came to “21” to deliver pastries, according to an interview with The New York Times in 1985.

Of all the famous people he served at “21,” Winston Churchill might have been the one he admired the most, Mrs. Weiss said. In his nervousness, Weiss dropped four pheasants at Churchill’s feet. After an eternal second of silence, Churchill laughed and helped clean up.
—Douglas Martin
in The New York Times, 15 Oct 02
Photo by Philip Greenberg, NYT

No, ABC—He Did Not Have Alzheimer’s

NEW YORK, AUGUST 9TH— The Churchill Centre’s Rapid Response Team went back into action tonight after the ABC Evening News with Charles Gibson led with a story on the announcement by Charlton Heston that he had a neurological disease related to Alzheimer’s (AD). Gibson went on to note others who suffered from AD, naming Churchill among them.

John Mather, M.D., who has spent years researching Churchill’s medical history, replied for The Churchill Centre: “Churchill did not suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). He had multi-infarct mini-strokes which are associated with a progressive and mild dementia. He did not experience anything like the ravages of progressive AD despite his steady decline over the last three to five years of his life.

“I will not recount what happens with AD victims; it is very bad, not only for sufferers but those around them, who are usually devastated emotionally and exhausted by the need for constant physical care. For example, most AD sufferers are mental ‘wanderers’; it is clear that Churchill was not a ‘wanderer,’ nor was he unable to recognize friends and family.

“He was, however, mildly depressed in his later years and was sometimes photographed in a wheelchair staring at space. While this was painful for his family, his problem was not Alzheimer’s. A close member of Sir Winston’s family explained to me that he had good days when the weather was fine and the barometric pressure low— often experienced by patients with ‘mini-strokes’ and poor blood supply to the brain. Those with AD have no ‘good days’ at all.

“Sir Winston died of a stroke (the third or fourth in his life), which was secondary to ‘hardening’ of his arteries (atherosclerosis): also related, remarkably, to a normal blood pressure for his age. Deterioration of the blood supply to his brain was the problem, and accounts for his slowly developing cognitive dissonance or mild dementia.”

Member Adverts

WANTED: Churchill commemorative coins, particularly from Belize, Brazil, Chile, Cyprus, Malawi, Swaziland, Tristan Da Cunha, etc. Also want the Guernsey gold £25 commemorative. Want to hear from anyone having knowledge of Churchill commemorative coins of other nations as well. Devoy White ([email protected]), telephone 916-944-7855.

Churchill and Eisenhower

BLETCHLEY PARK, BUCKS., NOVEMBER 1ST— The bond between Great Britain, the United States and two wartime leaders was commemorated by Bletchley Park Post Office with a special coin cover featuring Winston Churchill and Dwight Eisenhower. Against the backdrop of the Union Flag, Stars and Stripes and D-Day landings Churchill and Eisenhower look out on a world that owes so much to their leadership.

The cover also depicts Britain’s 1965 Churchill Crown and the USA’s 1976 Eisenhower Silver Dollar. Together they represent so much more with their facing images symbolising the bond of friendship between these men and their nations. A mint set of Royal Mail 1974 Churchill Centenary stamps was cancelled with an exclusive postmark featuring Blenheim Palace.

The cover was part of a Bletchley Park celebration of the life of Winston Churchill. Called “Blenheim to Bletchley,” it traces his life from birth to international acclaim as a wartime leader. The work of Bletchley Park code breakers provided Churchill with the information essential to decisive action.

Just 100 of the double coin cover will be issued at £75 (£65 to ICS members) A single Churchill Crown version will be available for £25. Proceeds will go to support the work of Bletchley Park Trust in preserving this historic site. Details can be obtained through the website www.bletchleycovers.com or from Bletchley Park Post Office, The Mansion, Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes, MK3 6EB, England.

Heritage Fund Addendum

LAUREL, MD., DECEMBER 10TH— Because of an error in our database we omitted the name of John Plumpton, who donated $1000 to the Heritage Fund Drive in 2001. The list of donors appeared on the back page of the 2002 Heritage Fund brochure recently mailed to members in the United States. Our apologies from The Churchill Centre staff. —Lorraine C. Horn