In a somewhat left-handed compliment, UN Secretary-General U Thant described Russia's new bosses as competent and unpretentious.

The Ministry had their candidate, a stalking-horse, useful only to receive the purely Ministerial votes. The votes, thus divided, gave no result.

When Mrs C. described this to me the next day she shuddered all over, but also evinced, in her manner and choice of words, an unmistakable relish.

The nineteen rocky, treeless Matsus, covering twelve square miles, blocked the port of Foochow on the Chinese mainland, just ten miles away, while the Quemoys, covering sixty square miles of land which supported several thousand farmers and fishermen, blocked the port of Amoy, only two miles away.