SECRET ARMIES
28
chairs.
The moment
the music stops everyone dives for the near
person standing and subject to the hil
est chair leaving the extra
arious jibes of the other players and those rooting from the
bleachers. It s one of the ways statesmen relax.
The music started and the dour Prime Minister of the greatest
empire in the world, the Minister in charge of the Empire s de
fense measures, the editor of England s most powerful newspaper,
the Right Honorable Speaker of the House of Commons, the
sister-in-law of England s leading fascist and several others started
marching while the piano tinkled its challenging tune. The Prime
Minister, perhaps because he is essentially conservative, marched
cautiously and stepped quickly between the spaces while Lady
Astor eyed him shrewdly and the others suppressed giggles. The
Prime Minister tried to maintain at least the dignity of his bank
look only a little porky" as
ing background but managed
one expressed it afterward. Suddenly the music stopped. Every
one lunged for the nearest chair. The Prime Minister managed
to get one and plopped into it heavily.
After half an hour or so some of the strategic rulers of Great
Britain got a little winded and quit. A conversation started on
foreign affairs and most of the wives retired to another room.
"to
When
the discussion was ended the
had come
to six
major
decisions
little
which
Cliveden house party
will
change the face of
the world
successfully carried through.
Those decisions (maneuvers to put some of
if
them into
effect
have already begun) are:
To inform France that England will go to her aid if she
1.
is attacked, unless the attack results from a treaty obligation
with another power.
2.
3.
To
To
introduce peace time conscription in England.
appoint three ministers to coordinate industrial defense
(conscription in peace time); supervise military conscription; and,