Just a Passing Glance

Sandwiched between President Tito and Mrs. Gandhi, Australia's conservative Prime Minister William McMahon arrived in Washington last week to discuss his country's alliance with the U.S. But who could concentrate on such matters when he brought along his wife, Sonia, a tall, smashing, 39-year-old blonde, who appeared at the White House in a white crepe evening gown that was slit up both sides, all the way from Melbourne to Brisbane? "I chose it for her," said McMahon, 63, a bachelor until six years ago. "I would never have been so daring," murmured Sonia, not very convincingly.

President Nixon asked for the couple's favorite song, and the Army Strolling Strings struck up Fascination ("Just a passing glance, just a brief romance . . ."). McMahon had sung that song to Sonia, he said, on the night he proposed to her. When she hesitated he sang the song ten times and "was just about to give up" when she finally accepted.

Deep in His Heart. Now about those official talks. McMahon was in something of an embarrassing position back home. Last July, he had just finished excoriating an opposition leader for paying a visit to China when he heard that President Nixon, too, would soon be voyaging to Peking. Nixon tried hard during their talks to reassure McMahon that Australia would be more fully consulted in the future. McMahon responded effusively: "You have taken me into your confidence in a way that I wouldn't have believed to be possible. You have told me of your grand design for the future. Deep in my heart, I feel that you will be successful."

Deeper in his heart. McMahon is no doubt hoping that he will be successful in next year's elections. But Australia's economy is in the doldrums, and McMahon, the third conservative Prime Minister in three years, has not created a strong image of leadership. Polls show that approval of his party has dropped to 43%. Even so, his warm reception in Washington--"Triumphant," the Sydney Morning Herald called it--may yet help him just enough to win re-election to a three-year term.

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