Troubled Nights

Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin is reputed a restless sleeper; he rarely gets to bed before 2 a.m. But last week, Stalin sent the world a soporific greeting (with a wakeful edge). Six British Laborites, led by pro-Communist M.P. Konni Zilliacus, visited Stalin at his seaside villa at Sochi (where he recently ended his triumphal inspection of the Soviet Fleet--see cut). To his callers, the Generalissimo said:

"The Soviet Union has always stood for improvement of political and economic relations with all countries . . . beginning with the U.S. and Britain. . . . Cooperation between different economic systems is possible. If, however, they do not want to improve their relations with the Soviet Union, we shall have to do without them. We shall be able to carry on ... until they regain their reason and understand that cooperation between nations is necessary. . . . We can wait. We are a patient people."

Could anyone in the world sleep more easily because of Stalin's bedtime message? Jan Christian Smuts is reputed a sound sleeper, chiefly because he gets to bed early, has often slept on camp cots or iron beds. But last week South Africa's weather-beaten, 77-year-old Prime Minister spoke of troubled nights. To women members of his United Party gathered in Pretoria he said: "Have you ever had the experience of waking at 2 o'clock in the morning in a sweat of not knowing how to solve the problems of tomorrow--as I have experienced throughout my life? I sometimes say that mankind today is at 2 o'clock in the morning. . . ."

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