PEOPLE

"It is quite possible," said an official Soviet release on the rise of Aleksei Nikolaevich Kosygin to the Russian premiership, "that 60-year-old Kosygin owes his ability to work to his devotion to sport. In summer he does not refuse to play volleyball or in winter to go skiing and skating. On a Sunday, he may spend several hours at a skating rink."

After reviewing the case of the Yankees vs. the Cardinals in New York, Chief Justice Earl Warren adjourned to a local refreshment stand and lamented having to miss New York's third World Series game because his Supreme Court was reconvening in Washington. "Suppose," someone supposed, "the Washington Senators had won the pennant. Wouldn't you have recessed court until the Series was over?" Pondering his precedents, the Chief Justice advised, "I do not believe the court will have to make such a decision during my lifetime."

His Young Highness, Prince Albert of Monaco, a robust 6-year-old, romped out on the field at Monte Carlo's Louis II Stadium in an informal debut as a soccer player (below). Albert's princely parents may not have thought to warn him, but if tough old Jack Kelly had been around you can bet he would have told his grandson that one of the best ways to lose a royal tongue is to stick it out in a football game.

Because a visiting sportswriter made a joke, a rumor got started that Buffalo Bill Quarterback Jack Kemp was refusing to hand off to Running Back Cookie Gilchrist because they were on opposite sides of the political fence. Since Republican Kemp had been accused by at least one critic of handing off to Democrat Cookie too often, the rumor didn't make much sense but it was noisy enough to draw indignant denials from both outraged partisans last week. "Sure, I'm for Goldwater," said Kemp reproachfully, "but Cookie and I are the best of friends. We respect each other's opinions." Gilchrist was equally firm. "Jack is a pro," he snapped, "and a pro would hand off to Castro."

What may be the most expensively seductive Italian imports since Sophia Loren arrived in midtown Manhattan last week. Italy's slickest boat builder, Carlos Riva, opened his New York showroom. Steering a deft course through a sea of beautiful prospective clients, the jet-set Gar Wood explained how everybody who is anybody on the Mediterranean is finding la dolce vita on Riva boats that range upward from $8,990 for a cute little 20-footer. "We make a boat to look like a beautiful woman," he said with a knowing wink that made boating sound downright wicked, "but to be strong like a man, eh?"

Senatorial Candidate George Murphy may think he has the sportsman's vote pretty well tied up in California because his father was head coach of a U.S. Olympic team. But Murphy's opponent, incumbent Senator Pierre Salinger, boasts an athletic distinction of even greater rarity. A Salinger backer (?) disclosed last week that powerhouse Pierre won a World War II Navy boxing match by a knockout. According to his eyewitness report, Salinger launched a roundhouse wallop of such prodigious sincerity that it missed his opponent completely, went the full route and landed on Pierre's own chin, thus making him the only boxer in service history to KO himself.

All was sun and games in Jordan at King Hussein's Florida-type water carnival in Aqaba until the Israel air force showed up. A team of visiting aquabats from Cypress Gardens were there to mingle with the native Aqabans, and the King himself jumped on water skis to greet them, raising one skied foot in salute as he sped past the grandstand. Then two Israeli pilots a grenade's throw from the border decided to drop over and have a look. Jordan responded to this unseemly curiosity by calling out a squadron of its own royal air force to chase them away. But by the time the Jordanians were in the air the Israelis had departed. "We have a line air force," said the happy King as peace broke out once again at his carnival, "and a great tourist potential."

Nigeria's Commercial Consul in the U.S., somber-suited Aggrey K. Oji (below), and his pretty wife Udo seemed to take their nation's pugilistic reverses with diplomatic aplomb. But Oji's aide, Ifeanyi Brooks, looked as startled at the defeat of his old friend Dick Tiger by America's Joey Archer as the rest of the crowd at Madison Square Garden was by Brooks's native costume—a dazzling robe of bright pink stitched with gold. "Something's funny," he mumbled in disbelief as he wafted his way like a bright-pink thundercloud back to Tiger's dressing room, and New York's rude boxing fans snickered agreement.

Former Heavyweight Champion Rocky Marciano lost a rematch with his gardener last week. A Fort Lauderdale, Fla. judge awarded the decision to Gardener Cooper Kirk, who collected the $706 purse he had won in an earlier bout with the Rock in civil court. Pugilist Marciano, who owed Landscaper Kirk the money for mowing the lawn, was told to pay up or face 30 days in the county jail.

A dedicated hot rodder, young (21) Prince Panya Alain Souvanna Phouma, son of the Premier of Laos, intends someday to be the first Laotian to compete for the world driving championship. On a recent trip to the U.S. he ordered a brand-new Cobra and flew off to Paris with the word that he would be competing at Le Mans next spring.

TWO PHOTOS