Chapter 132 Volume Four, Chapter Twenty-Second Visit to Washington

A Concerted Action Plan Needed for 1942 and 1943 Alloy Tubes: The Atomic Bomb My Letter to the King on June 16 Flying to Washington A bumpy landing in Hyde Park Traveling with the President Big Questions to Consider The Early History of Atomic Fission June 20 Talks with Presidents Roosevelt and Hopkins Heavy Water and the Danger of Nothing A meeting between adversaries on future strategy and an initial meeting with Eisenhower and Clark I handed them the documents for the cross-channel offensive Several more evening talks June 22nd Newspaper headlines June 24th A visit to Fort Jackson A tribute to the organization of the U.S. Army Auchinleck's call My reassurance to him The meeting was held in Washington on June 25 and I flew home safely.

The main purpose of my trip was to reach a final decision for the operations of 1942-1943.American authorities in general, and Mr. Stimson and General Marshall in particular, were eager to decide immediately on certain plans that would enable the United States to engage Germany aggressively in 1942 on the ground and in the air.If this cannot be done, the chiefs of staff of the United States Armed Forces may seriously revise the strategic consideration of Germany first.Another problem that also makes me uneasy is the problem of alloy tubes.The alloy tube was the code name for what was later called the atomic bomb.

Our research and experiments have now reached the point where a definite agreement with the United States is necessary; it is believed that things will only work if I personally consult with the President.The fact that the War Cabinet decided that I should leave my country and London, accompanied by the Chief of the Imperial General Staff and General Ismay, in the midst of the desert war, speaks volumes for our seriousness in solving some of the serious strategic problems we face is how important it is. In these very difficult days, where the urgency and perils of the situation were so great, I resolved to proceed by air rather than by sea.That means we only have twenty-four hours without full intelligence.Efficient arrangements have been made for the prompt transmission of news from Egypt, and for the prompt dispatch and translation of all reports, so as to avoid harmful delays when decisions are expected or actually taken.

By custom, the prime minister tends not to formally propose his heir to the king unless he is asked to do so.As this is a time of war, in answer to the king's request at his last weekly audience, I send him the following letter: 10 Downing Street, Whitehall June 16, 1942 His Majesty: In the event of misfortune on the journey I am about to embark on, I beg Your Majesty to allow me to propose that the formation of a new Government be entrusted to the present Foreign Secretary, Mr Anthony Eden.He is, in my opinion, an outstanding minister in the largest party in the House of Commons and in the coalition government which I have had the honor to chair.I have no doubt that he will conduct Your Majesty's affairs with the decisiveness, tact, and intelligence that these dangerous times require.

your faithful servant Winston Churchill Although I knew at this point that I had taken a risk flying back from Bermuda in January, I trusted my pilot, Kelly Rogers, and his Boeing seaplane so much that I specifically asked him to take charge of the air travel.Also in my party were Commodore Stewart, Director of War Office Planning (who was later killed flying home from the Casablanca conference), Sir Charles Wilson, Mr. Martin and Lieutenant Commander Thompson.We left Stranraer shortly before midnight on 17th June.At that time, the full moon was in the sky and the weather was fine.I sat in the co-pilot's seat for over two hours, admiring the glorious ocean, thinking about my problems, and thinking about the worrisome battle.I fell asleep soundly in this new house, and slept until daylight when we reached Gander.We were going to refuel here, but since there was no need to refuel, we greeted the airport and continued on our way.Flying in the sun, the days seem long.We had two lunches, six hours apart, and planned to have dinner after we reached our destination.

The last two hours were spent flying over land; at about 7:00 U.S. time, we flew close to Washington.As we gradually descended toward the Potomac River, I noticed the top of the Washington Monument, which was more than 550 feet high, roughly the same altitude as we were flying.I reminded Captain Kelly Rogers that it would be the greatest of misfortunes if, of all our goals in the world, we should end our story by hitting this monument.He assured me that he should take extra care to avoid it.Thus, after a twenty-seven-hour flight, we landed safely and smoothly on the Potomac River.Lord Halifax, General Marshall, and several senior officials of the United States are here to welcome us.I went to the British embassy for dinner.It was too late then to fly to Hyde Park.We read all the latest telegrams, nothing of importance, and dined happily in the open air.The British embassy stands on high ground, one of the coolest places in Washington; and in this respect the comparison with the White House is very fond.

Next morning, the 19th, I flew to Hyde Park.The President was already at the local airfield watching us land in the most turbulent conditions I have ever experienced.He welcomed me with great cordiality, and drove me himself across the Hudson to the lofty cliffs where his family home in Hyde Park stood.In order to let me see the beautiful scenery of Hyde Park, the President drove with me all over the park.During this drive I had many moments lost in thought.Mr. Roosevelt was always handicapped and could not use his feet to use the brakes, clutch or accelerator, but his arms and wrists were exceptionally strong and able to deal with all situations with agility.He asked me to try his physical strength, saying that a famous boxer was also very envious of it.This was reassuring; but, I admit, there were a few times when the car maneuvered or backed up on the edge of the grass on the bluffs beyond the Hudson, and I wished there was nothing wrong with the mechanics or the brakes.We've been talking about business; and while I've been careful not to distract him while driving, we've probably made more progress in our conversation than in a formal meeting.

The President was very pleased to hear that I was here with the Chief of the Reich General Staff.He recalled his youth with great interest.The president's father once entertained General Brooke's father in Hyde Park.Mr. Roosevelt therefore showed a keen interest in meeting the son of a friend of his father's generation who had reached such a high position.When they met two days later, he received him with the utmost cordiality, and General Brooke's person and manner formed with him an almost intimacy which greatly aided the conduct of business. I have told Harry Hopkins the main points of the resolution I want to reach, and he will pass it on to the President, so that he can prepare in advance, so that the President has a clear idea of ​​​​the various issues.Of these problems, alloy tubes are one of the most complex and, as later shown, absolutely important.

I can best illustrate the situation by quoting a statement I made after the atomic bombing and ruins of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945: By the year 1939, the possibility of emitting energy from atomic fission had been widely recognized by scientists of all countries.However, the problems to be solved before this possibility became a practical achievement were varied and numerous, and few scientists at the time dared to predict that an atomic bomb would be built by 1945, but for use.Nevertheless, the potential of the project is so great that His Majesty's Government rightly believes that research should continue despite the many different demands on the manpower of our scientific community.At this stage the research work is largely carried out in our universities, the main ones being Oxford, Cambridge, London (Imperial College), Liverpool and Birmingham etc.

When the Coalition Government was formed, the Ministry of Aircraft Production was responsible for coordinating and advancing the work, with a committee of leading scientists chaired by Sir George Thomson as advisors. At the same time, according to the prevailing agreement at the time, the collection of scientific information by the universities was carried out, and there was a full exchange of views between the scientists who carried out this work in the United Kingdom and the United States. By the summer of 1941 such progress had been reached that the George Thomson Committee was able to report that, in their view, it was quite possible to build an atomic bomb before the end of the war.At the end of August 1941, Lord Cherwell, who was responsible for keeping me abreast of all these and other technical developments, reported that we were making great progress.Sir John Anderson, Privy Councilor at the time, was in charge of scientific research carried out by various technical committees.In these circumstances (and also in view of the effect of our recent stockpile of ordinary high explosives), I referred the matter to the Chiefs of Staff Committee on August 30, 1941 in the following memorandum:

General Ismay, Transfer to the Chiefs of Staff Committee Personally, although I am quite satisfied with the explosives as they exist, I do not feel that we should stand in the way of improvements in this direction, and therefore I think that action should be taken in the manner suggested by Lord Cherwell; It was Sir John Anderson. I would like to know the opinion of the Chief of Staff. The Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces suggested that immediate action should be taken with the utmost priority.Therefore, we set up a special agency in the science and industry departments to guide this work, and the Bunemen Company also agreed to transfer Mr. W.A. Aix to be in charge of this work that we call the Alloy Management Bureau for the sake of confidentiality. .Sir John Anderson became Chancellor of the Exchequer after being Privy Councilor, and I ask him to continue in charge of the job, as he is particularly qualified for it.Under his chairmanship, an Advisory Council has also been established to serve as his advisers. On October 11, 1941, President Roosevelt wrote to me suggesting that our efforts in this direction should be combined.Therefore, all the work of the British and American sides has been combined, and some British scientists concerned have gone to the United States.By the summer of 1942, this expanded research program had also confirmed on a more precise and extensive basis the promising predictions of the previous year, and the time had come to decide whether to proceed with the construction of large-scale production plants. Time to decide. When the President and I met in Hyde Park, we touched on this issue. I had the papers with me, but since the President needed more information from Washington, the discussion had to be postponed until the next day, the twentieth.After lunch, in a small prominent room downstairs, we held talks.The room had no sunlight and was very dark.Mr. Roosevelt was seated at a desk the size of the room.Harry sat behind it, or stood.These two American friends of mine don't seem to mind the scorching heat. I outlined to the President the enormous progress we have made, and our scientists are now absolutely certain that results can be produced before this great war is over.People on their side are also making progress, he said, but no one can say whether there will be any real problems until full-scale trials are carried out.We both felt deeply the danger of getting nothing done.We know what efforts the Germans are making to obtain a supply of heavy water. Heavy water is a dreadful, criminal, and unusual term which has unconsciously begun to turn up in our secret intelligence.What would happen if the enemy got an atomic bomb before us?However skeptical one may be about the assertions of scientists, which are disputed among scientists and expressed in jargon that is difficult for laymen to understand, we must not, within this frightful sphere of activity, risk The mortal danger of falling behind others. I urge that we collect all intelligence at once, work together on equal terms, and if any results are obtained, share them equally.Again, the question of where the research plant should be located arose.We already know the enormous costs that must be borne, and the consequent massive diversion of resources and talent from other systems of wartime work.Given Britain's frequent bombing and constant surveillance by enemy aircraft, it seemed impossible to build the huge and high-profile factories required in the British Isles.We consider ourselves at least as advanced as our great ally, and, of course, factories could be built in Canada.Canada makes an important contribution through its own supply of actively harvested uranium.Difficult to decide on, costing millions of pounds and tying up valuable combat capability for a program with no guarantee of success for scientists on either side of the Atlantic. Nevertheless, if the Americans are not willing to take the risk, we can certainly go on in Canada on our own; and if the Canadian government dissents, then factories can be set up in other parts of the British Empire.But I'm very happy when the president says he thinks America is determined to build factories.We then took a decision together and reached the basis of the agreement.I will continue to relate this matter in a later volume.But, at the same time, I have no doubt that it was we who informed the President of the progress we had made in Britain and of our scientists' belief in eventual success, which led him to take the momentous and fateful decision. On the same day, I submitted the following note to the President regarding the urgent strategic decisions facing us: secret June 20, 1942 1. The continuous mass sinking of ships at sea has become our greatest and most urgent danger.What further steps can now be taken in order to reduce the sinking of ships beyond what would necessarily be suffered in actual combat?When did the convoy regime begin in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico?Are there any unwanted shipments that should be reduced?Should we reduce the tonnage of merchant ships and build more escort ships?If so, to what extent? 2. We must persevere in the preparation of the Bolile Operation Plan, if possible, in 1942, but certainly in 1943.Full work on this plan is in progress.We are making arrangements to land on the northern coast of France in early September with six or eight divisions.The British government, however, disapproves of a military operation that is sure to be catastrophic, since it will not help the Russians, whatever their situation, and it will implicate the French and expose them to German vengeance; would seriously delay the main campaign of 1943.We firmly believe that unless we will stay in France, there will be no substantial landings in France this year. 3. Barring a complete demoralization of the German Army (which is unlikely), no responsible British military authority has so far been able to formulate a September 1942 campaign plan with any hope of success.Do the US Chiefs of Staff have any plans?Where will they attack?What landing craft and ships are available?Who is the officer who is going to direct this military operation?What kind of troops and assistance does the UK need?If a suitable and promising plan could be found, His Majesty's Government would warmly welcome it, and should fully share in the danger and sacrifice of our American comrades.This has always been our unwavering and consistent policy. 4. But what are we supposed to do, if no large-scale fighting is possible in France in September 1942, in the absence of any plan in which the responsible authorities have great confidence?Can we allow nothing to happen in the Atlantic theater during 1942?Shall we prepare some other military operation within the general system of the Polile plan to gain certain favorable positions and also, directly or indirectly, to lighten the burden on the Russians?It is in this environment and context that military operations in French Northwest Africa should be studied. Late at night on the 20th, the President's special car took us back to Washington; we arrived in Washington at around 8:00 the next morning.We arrived at the White House under strict security.I was again housed in a spacious, air-conditioned room, where the temperature was about thirty degrees cooler than most other rooms in the White House; there I lived comfortably.I read the newspapers and telegrams for an hour, then went to breakfast, found Harry in the hall, and then went to visit the President in his study.General Ismay came with me.After a while, a telegram was sent to the president.He handed the telegram to me without a word.The telegram read: Tobruk surrendered, twenty-five thousand people were captured.This is amazing, I can't believe it's true.I then asked Ismay to call London to inquire.Within minutes he brought the following call from Admiral Harwood in Alexandria: [1] [1] On May 31, Admiral Harwood succeeded Admiral Cunningham as Commander of the Mediterranean Fleet. Tobruk has fallen, the situation is deteriorating, Alexandria may be about to come under serious air raids; and in view of the approaching full moon period, I am sending all Eastern fleets south of the canal just in case.I hope HMS Queen Elizabeth will be out of dock this weekend. 【１】 [1] Admiral Harwood made this decision because Alexandria would be attacked by dive bombers under the cover of fighter jets at this time. It was one of the biggest blows I can recall during the Great War.Not only was its military repercussions severe, but it also affected the reputation of the British Army.In Singapore, 85,000 surrendered to the outnumbered Japanese. Now in Tobruk, 25,000 (actually 33,000) battle-hardened soldiers surrendered their guns to an enemy perhaps half their size.If this was typical of desert army morale, the disaster facing Northeast Africa would be even more overwhelming.I'm not trying to hide my shock from the President.This is a painful time.Failure is one thing; shame is another.Nothing is more precious than the sympathy and chivalry of my two American friends.They did not reproach, nor did they say anything unkind.Roosevelt said: What will we do to help you?I immediately replied: Give us as many Sherman tanks as you can pull out, and send them to the Middle East as soon as possible.The President sent for General Marshall.Within minutes General Marshall arrived, and the President informed him of my request.Marshall replied: Mr. President, the Sherman tank is only just entering production.The first few hundred vehicles have already been allocated to our armored divisions, who had to settle for obsolete equipment until then.It is very difficult to remove weapons from the hands of soldiers.Nevertheless, if the British need it urgently, we shall do so; besides, we can give them a hundred self-propelled guns of 105 cm caliber. To complete the matter, I must make the statement that American actions speak louder than words.Before the engine was installed, three hundred Sherman tanks and one hundred self-propelled guns were loaded on six of the fastest American ships and headed for the Suez Canal.A boat with all the tank engines, sunk by a submarine off Bermuda.Without us saying a word, the President and General Marshall put another batch of engines on another Clipper and sent them off to catch up with the convoy.A friend in need is a true friend. Shortly thereafter, General Brooke and Harry Hopkins joined us for a meeting to discuss future strategic issues.General Ismay kept a record of his military conclusions. 1. The planning and preparations for Operation Bolero in 1943 should be as large as possible, and should be carried forward extremely quickly and with full force.The main thing, however, is that the United States and Great Britain should prepare for the offensive in 1942. 2. Successful operations in France or the Low Countries in 1942 would yield greater strategic and political gains than operations in any other theater.Plans and preparations for this field should be advanced with all possible speed, strength, and tact.The dangers and difficulties evident in such an operation must also be overcome with the most determined efforts.If sound and wise plans are possible, we should not hesitate to carry them out.If, on the other hand, exhaustive examination shows that, despite all our best efforts, victory is unlikely, we must prepare another plan. 3. The possibility of a campaign for French North Africa (Sportsmen's Operations Plan) will be carefully and consciously examined, and the various plans should be concretized as early as possible.Troops to be used in the Sportsman's Operations Plan can be sourced primarily from those participating in the Bolero Operations Plan that have not yet left the United States.The possibility of combat operations in Norway and the Iberian Peninsula in the fall and winter of 1942 should also be carefully considered by the Joint Staff. 4. The planning of Operation Polilero remains concentrated in London.Plan sports operations are concentrated in Washington. On June 21st, as we were sitting around after lunch, Harry said to me: The President would very much like you to meet with the two American officers because they are highly valued in the Army, with Marshall and with the President himself.So, at five o'clock, Major Generals Eisenhower and Clark were brought into my air-conditioned room.I was immediately impressed by these two brilliant but previously unknown individuals.Both of them came from the president.They were all meeting the president for the first time.We are talking almost exclusively of the 1943 cross-channel attack on the Continent.This matter was called the plan of encirclement and annihilation at that time, and their thoughts were obviously concentrated on this aspect.We talked happily for over an hour.In order to convince them of my personal interest in the project, I gave them a copy of a document which I had written to the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Services two days before departure, on June 15; Preliminary thoughts on the method and scale of such a combat operation.In any event, they were satisfied with the spirit of the document.At the time, I thought the spring or summer of 1943 was the time for the attack.I decided that these two officers were going to play an important part in the battle, and that was the reason why they were introduced to me.Thus began a friendship between us; which I have maintained to this day with great satisfaction through the vicissitudes of war. A month later, in England, General Eisenhower, apparently eager to test my zeal, asked me if I would send a copy of my paper to General Marshall.I did. At 9:30 p.m., we held another meeting in the presidential chamber.All three chiefs of staff of the U.S. military participated in the talks.Discusses the alarming news about the naval situation and the sinking of ships by German submarines off the east coast of the United States.I urge Admiral King to immediately extend the convoy regime to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.He wholeheartedly agreed, but thought it best to wait until he had suitable escort ships at his disposal. At 11:30 p.m., I had another meeting with the President.Marshall, King, Arnold, Dill, Brooke and Ismay all participated.The talks centered on the deteriorating situation in the Middle East and the possibility of sending a large number of U.S. troops to that theater, following the dispatch of the 2nd Armored Division, which has been specially trained for desert warfare.It is agreed that this possibility is to be carefully studied, especially in connection with the shipping situation, and, at the same time, with the full consent of the President, I shall inform General Auchinleck that in August he expects to receive a highly trained, Reinforcements of American armored divisions with Sherman and Lee tanks. Meanwhile, Tobruk's surrender reverberated around the world.On the 22nd, Hopkins and I had lunch with the President in his room.A short while later Elmer Davis, chief of wartime intelligence, arrived with a bundle of New York newspapers.The papers carried headlines about Britain being outraged, the fall of Tobruk likely to lead to a government reshuffle, Churchill to be subject to a vote of no confidence, and so on.General Marshall has invited me to visit an American barracks in South Carolina.We will set off on the train with him and Mr. Stimson on the evening of the 23rd of June.Mr. Davies asked me solemnly whether I still thought that the carefully planned visit schedule should be carried out in view of the political situation in the country.Would it be misleading for me to inspect troops in the United States when something so significant is happening in Africa and in London?I replied that I was sure to carry out the planned review, and that I doubted I would be able to provoke the two dozen MPs to come to Parliament to oppose the government on confidence issues.In fact, that's the approximate number that disgruntled people finally came up with. So I took the train to South Carolina the next night.The next morning we reached Fort Jackson.The trains stop on open plains, not at stations.It was a scorching hot day, and we got out of the car and walked straight to the parade ground, which reminded me of the Indian plains in a hot climate.We first went under an awning to review the formation of the US armored and infantry.Then, we watch skydiving maneuvers.They are touching and convincing.I've never seen a thousand people parachuting through the sky at the same time.They gave me an intercom for me to carry.This is my first time using such a handy tool.In the afternoon, we watched a large number of American divisions conduct live-fire field exercises.At the end I said to Ismay (to whom I owe my narration of the incident): How do you feel?He replied: To use these troops against the German army is to send them to death. To which I replied: You are wrong.They are special material that can be learned quickly.With my American masters, however, I always emphasize that it takes two years or more to train a pawn.The troops we saw in South Carolina, two years from now, they will certainly behave like veterans. I must here record what I said in 1946 after the war.I was then received in a private capacity in the opposition by the chiefs of the armed forces who were meeting at the Pentagon in Washington. I have tremendous admiration for the way the US military is organized.I think it's the miracle of organization, the miracle of improvisation.There are many instances in which a strong nation is willing to raise a large army, and, because of money, time, discipline, and loyalty, can raise a large army.However, not long before the war, the U.S. military had only a few hundred thousand people. On the basis of such a small army, it was a miracle in military history to build a powerful army of several million people. Two or three years ago, when I came to America, I visited with General Marshall the regiments of the United States Army training in South Carolina, where we saw what you might call mass-produced divisions.They are formed in large-scale and rapid rotations, and they are further advanced to the stage of perfection.I have seen the building of this mighty army out of such a small number, in such a short time, that they have always been invincible in all battles against the enemy.This is an achievement that the military of every nation should always study with admiration and envy. But that's not the whole experience, or even the biggest part of it.Building large armies is one thing; leading and managing them is quite another. It seems to me that there remains an unexplained mystery, namely, how the United States, maintaining a small military workforce in peacetime, was able not only to create various armies and air forces, but to elect leaders and large staffs, With these personnel it is possible to manage large armies, and to move them farther than they have ever been before the war, and very quickly. On the afternoon of the 24th, we flew back to Washington.There, I get all kinds of reports. There is a letter from General Auchinleck: General Auchinleck to Prime Minister June 24, 1942 I am deeply sorry that you have been hit hard by the severe defeat of the army under my command in such critical times.I am afraid the situation is the same as it was when I took over the command a year ago, except that the enemy has now occupied Tobruk; and Tobruk is very useful to the enemy, not only in terms of supplies, And also because the enemy no longer needs to send troops to contain this place. After explaining his deployment, he added: To you and to the President of the United States we are deeply indebted; for you have proposed to him generous aid to us, and you are arranging to send it to us as soon as possible.The US 2nd Armored Division was indeed a welcome reinforcement, just as the Grant and Lee tanks would be brought in from India.You ensured that the Indian infantry divisions and Indian armored brigades do not need to be transferred back to India now, which greatly eased my difficulties in Iraq and Persia, especially in security issues in oil-producing areas. Lieutenant General Ted informed me that sending aircraft to this field would increase our strength infinitely. I am personally grateful for the help and support you have given me in the past year, and I deeply regret the failures and setbacks I suffered in the past month.I take full responsibility for this. Before I left Washington, I assured Auchinleck of my complete confidence in him. Prime Minister to General Auchinleck June 25, 1942 Let me inform you that the President of the United States has suggested that the Second American Armored Division be assigned to you, and that this division will be transferred to the Suez Canal area around July 5.We feel that there are great difficulties in transporting this division within the next month.General Marshall then made a proposal which the Chief of the Reich General Staff considered more favorable on your side, since you would be provided with a large quantity of the most modern equipment and at the same time the reinforcements you would receive from England would not be affected. Influence.We therefore accept the following recommendations. The Americans will send 300 Sherman (M4) tanks and 100 105cm self-propelled howitzers to the Middle East as an emergency operation.The equipment is to be transported to the Suez Canal area on or about the tenth of July in the two sea-cargo convoys allocated from the Havana sugar fleet; at fifteen and thirteen knots, respectively, and with as much speed as possible. open line.A small number of essential U.S. personnel will escort the tanks and artillery. Don't have any worries about the development of domestic affairs.Regardless of my opinion on how the war was fought, or whether it should have been fought earlier, you have my full confidence and I fully share your responsibility. Please tell Harwood that I am troubled by reports of excessive dismay and panic in Alexandria, and the eagerness of the Navy to withdraw to the Red Sea.While various precautions can be taken, and while the Queen Elizabeth should be dedocked as soon as possible, I believe a firm and confident attitude should be maintained.The President had received intelligence from Rome that Rommel was expected to delay for three or four weeks before he could storm the Matruh position.I think the delay may be longer. It is my hope that this crisis will inspire the highest fighting spirit in the Nile Delta from all military personnel and all loyal manpower capable of fighting.You have more than 700,000 people in the Middle East leading the military pay.Every man who can fight should be trained to be a warrior who is not afraid of death and fights for victory.There was no reason why the battalions and departments should not be strengthened by sending thousands of officers and support personnel so that the various units defending Matruh's position could be reinforced.You are in the same position as we were in the event of an invasion of the British Isles, and should be filled with the same nervous and determined spirit. On the twenty-fifth I met with representatives of our Dominion and India, and attended a meeting of the Pacific Warfare Committee.That night I went to Baltimore, where my seaplane was parked.The President bid me a warm farewell at the White House, with Harry Hopkins and Al Harriman seeing me off.The narrow, covered makeshift gangway leading to the river was heavily guarded by armed American police.There seemed to be an air of tension, and the officers looked serious.Before we took off, I was told that a plainclothes officer on duty had been arrested; the man was fingering a pistol and muttering that he was going to kill me and other nasty things.The police swooped down on him and arrested him.後來，發現他是個瘋子。瘋子在公職人員看來特別危險，因為，瘋子對叫走開，走開是不理會的。 第二天早晨，我們到巴特伍德降落加油，在飽餐一頓新鮮的龍蝦之後又起飛了。此後，我在想吃的時候那就是，在正常兩餐之間的時間裡吃了點東西，而且，什麼時候能睡就睡。在飛過北愛爾蘭之後，黎明時臨近克萊德河，那時我就坐在副駕駛員的座位上。飛機安全地降落了。我的火車在等著。我的私人秘書之一，佩克也在那兒；還有一大堆箱子和四五天的報紙。一小時內，我們又出發到南部去了。由於在莫爾頓選舉中的徹底失敗，我們喪失了一個補缺選舉的席位。這是托卜魯克的副產品之一。 這似乎是我的一個倒霉的時期。我躺在鋪上，隨便翻閱了一會兒公文，然後睡了四五小時，一直睡到倫敦。睡眠是多麼幸福啊！戰時內閣人員在月台上歡迎我。我很快就回到內閣辦公室工作了。