SHE KEPT SECRETS

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 449, 3 June 1937, Page 7

SHE KEPT SECRETS

Woman Behind The Scenes It is. generally 'the male, thinking himself the superior' creature, who proclaims that no wbiuau can keep a secret, when most . people know from experience that t»ie wo. ids prime gossips are men. There is a woman in London, writes a correspondent in the Sydney Morning He>i-ld, who has been keeping secrets tor 15 years—not just ordinary little secrets, but secrets of State, and of international Importance. She is Mirs Rose Rosenberg, who has been private secretory to Mr. Ramsay MacDonald ever since he really counted in politics. Her good_bye to Whitehall will be sj.id at the end. of May, whim, Mr Ramsay MacDonald (now Lord President of the Council), leaves office. Probably no woman holding an official position has been so much “in the know’’ in big sense as Miss Rosenberg. She was behind tiiie scenes at 10 Downing Street, and in the Prime Minister’s.' confidence during the formation of lie first Social. Ist Government in 1924. She watched from the inside“'the Socialist Party's first, hesitant approach to power and, responsibility, and the occasional private clashes of Socialist personalities during an historic period. She Occupied a similar position during the four following years, when Mr. MacDonald was Leader of 'the Opposition, returning to 10 Downing Street when he became Prime Minister in the second -Socialist Government in 1929, Miss Rosenberg remained at the Political “holy of holies” after her chief became head of the National Government in 1931, until he resign, ed the Premiership in 1935 land became Lord President of th e Council, when she moved with him into the Privy Council offices in Whitehall. During this period the has seen and heard all. or nearly all. Certainly enough to strain her sense of disere , tion to its limit. And she has never been known 'to say anything on any subject that mattered to 'anybody ex cent those entitled to consult her "oo* judgment and unusual experience As to divulging a secret. eve „ a tiny one, such a possibility has never entered her, or anybody else’s head.' -he is a mme of secrets, and even the American journalists and “snoopers" iled to “explode" her when she went o the United Stales with Mr. MacDonaffi in 1929 to keep a record of djs discussions; Miss Rosenberg is (10 leave Wliite hall because she is not a Civil &er . vant, but one of those .competent persons who are “temporarily” intro duced because of their pe culi ar m’r I's. in private life, her interests are bound U p with read ,. ig a "leetmg peo ple . lt h . quite probabte however, that one so practical as Bhe ’ w>U not be content with social aln .„ "les. None of her numerous friends’ and some of them are very p ower . would be surprised if s he WP ,. P ’“vited to fil! another Which discretion and the art of keep . mg a quiet 'tongue were the essential Qualifications.