Boothby and the Czechs

Brown-eyed, heavy-jowled Robert Boothby, M.P., is a natty and exuberant fellow who used to be Winston Churchill's private secretary and was expected to go far in politics. But Bob Boothby has sometimes been a little careless about the means he employs to make money. Once he made speeches in the House of Commons plugging a vitamin product in which he had been financially interested. When Britons learned that he had severed his vitamin connections they forgave the irregularity.

Last week light-living Bob Boothby was found to have been guilty of more serious financial carelessness. After Germany took over Czecho-Slovakia and Czech funds in Great Britain were blocked, he acted as front man between British Treasury officials and Czech citizens who were trying to get some of the blocked funds. A Parliamentary committee investigating his activities reported last week that Go-between Boothby had received some $4,000 in expenses and had also had a financial interest of $96,000 in the unfreezing of certain Czech assets. This circumstance was made worse, the committee found, by the fact that Bob Boothby had "expressly protested" to the Chancellor of the Exchequer that he had no financial interest in the Czech money matters he was constantly bringing before the Treasury, ostensibly on their merits.

Found guilty of "conduct contrary to usage and derogatory to the dignity of the House," Bob Boothby resigned as Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food.

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