Word: spaak
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...Spaak was elected president of U.N.'s General Assembly, where the world for the first time noticed the big Belgian's political skill, his moving oratory, his practical internationalism. He hulked over the nations' quarrelsome confusion with patience, fortitude and humor (rumor had it that he read mystery stories during the duller speeches...
...Leopold and the monarchy rocked Belgium to its commonsensible core. The Socialists were bitterly opposed to Leopold's return, the Catholics strongly in favor. A regency was set up under Leopold's Eton-educated brother Charles, an able, inoffensive prince who is interested in archery. Thanks to Spaak's efforts, the "royal question" was put well back on the shelf...
...Hour Has Come . . ." Today Spaak lives simply in a modest bourgeois neighborhood, with his tall, good-looking wife, his son Fernand (who served in the British navy) and his two younger daughters. He used to be an inveterate tennis player, once was tactless enough to beat King Gustaf of Sweden ("Am I a courtier? I am a Socialist!"). Lately Spaak (a 200-pounder) has given up the sport, presumably haunted by the memory of his belt giving way on a Brussels court...
...invariably gets up at 6:30, often receives early callers in pajamas, works till late into the night. There is much to do. No man in Europe has had a greater part in preparing the way for Western European Union. Says Spaak...
...Spaak's Belgians are no more attracted by sacrifices than other Europeans. Certainly, they have no wish to see their economic standards reduced to those of Western Europe, even if the latter were thereby slightly raised. Rather do they hope that the rest of Western Europe will come up to Belgian standards...