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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, JULY 23, 1982
PAGE 10
external, the other internal. The former refers, of course, to the suc
cessful conclusion of the Falklands war. The latter victory was achieved
this week, when she forced railway unions to abort a nationwide rail
strike.
Mrs. Thatcher borrowed a page from President Reagan's text on
throttling the nationwide air controller's strike in the U.S. by threaten
ing to hire and train new train drivers to replace striking unionmen on the
nationalized British Rail network. The strikers had been protesting BR's
cost-cutting proposals regarding "flexible time" work schedules.
But now Mrs. Thatcher is facing her toughest challenge--how to crack down
on IRA terrorists on the loose in England who were responsible for the
incredible carnage produced by two bomb blasts set off in London on July 20,
killing eight British soldiers, seven horses of the Queen's Household
Calvalry and injuring at least 55 people. The Prime Minister labeled the
back-to-back explosions a "callous and cowardly crime committed by evil and
brutal men," adding, "We shall not rest until they are brought to justice."
Shortly before the IRA outburst, Mrs. Thatcher received an unusual accolade
in the House of Commons from one of parliament's most colorful and certain
ly most eloquent MP's, Enoch Powell. His comments were reported in the
TIMES of London a few days back (exact date not known):
Mr. Enoch Powell, it will be remembered, drew attention in his
speech in the Falklands debate on that fateful April Saturday
[April 3, the day after the Argentine invasion] to the fact that
Mrs. Thatcher had rather rejoiced in the name once given her by
the Soviet Union: the Iron Lady. And he added that in the weeks
ahead we would see "of what metal she was made"••••His words vir
tually pinned Mrs. Thatcher to the back of her seat, at the time.
Defiantly she nodded agreement with him across the chamber, we
remember••••
Yesterday Mr. Powell rose during Prime Minister's question time.
"Is the Right Hon. Lady aware that the report has now been
received from the Public Analyst on a certain substance recently
subjected to analysis? I have obtained a copy of the report. It
shows that the substance under test consisted of ferrous matter
of the highest quality..•that it is of exceptional tensile
strength, is highly resistant to wear and tear and to stress and
may be used with advantage for all national purposes."
Mrs. Thatcher replied that she was grateful to Mr. Powell. "I
agree with every word," she added.
The Prime Minister, and all others present, knew what Mr. Powell primarily
had in mind with his phrase "all national purposes":
the so-called
"troubles" in Ulster. (Mr. Powell, though he is an Englishman, has been the
Unionist MP from Down South in Northern Ireland since October, 1974.)
Unique Statesman
Incidentally, the oft-maligned and generally misunderstood Mr. Powell has
just passed his 70th birthday. The TIMES ran nearly a full page in its June
14th edition detailing his rather remarkable career in public service. The
TIMES profile ;:mt to rest once and for all charges that Mr. Powell is a
"racist."
(He got into political hot water in April, 1968 for a speech