ARMS CABINET.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 17, 31 October 1938, Page 5

ARMS CABINET.

, MR CHAMBERLAIN’S PLAN. ; DEFENCE EMERGENCY. LONDON, October 17. It is expected that the Prime Minister, Mr Chamberlain, will reconstruct and enlarge his Cabinet at an early date so as to give force to an armament drive of formidable proportions. Three new Ministries are expected to be created, specifically to deal with the disclosed defence emergency.

It is suggested that there will be Ministries of National Service, Merchant Shipping and Supply. Sir John Anderson, a farmer Governor of Bengal, is expected to become Minister of National Service.

Viscount Runciman, formerly President of the Board of Trade, and re-: cently British unofficial mediator in Czechoslovakia, is “tipped” for the Ministry of Merchant Shipping. The duties of this department would be to organise British sea trade for an emergency. Possible Post for Mr Edein. The Ministry of Supply may be merged in the Department of the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence, Sir Thomas Inskip. It is believed, however, that it will be a separate entity under Mr Anthony Eden, who resigned the post of Foreign Minister on February 20. The duty of the Supply Ministry would be to rally industry to the support and execution of plans drawn up by the defence services.

In addition, Mr Chamberlain has to name successors to Air Duff Cooper*, who resigned as First Lord of the Admiralty on October 2, and to Lord Stanley, who died recently in office as Secretary for the Dominions. Earl Stanhope, President of the Board of Education, is mentioned as possible successor to the Admiralty post, and Air W. S. Morrison, Alinister of Agriculture, is mentioned as the probable next Secretary for the Dominions. Broader Cabinet Basis. Politicians are discussing the possibility of broadening the basis of the Cabinet to include, eventually, Labour and trades union leaders, tho Liberals, and some dissident Conservatives. Lord Runciman is 68. He is a son of the late Sir Walter Runciman, selfmade shipping magnate, and is himself a, power in British shipping, banking, and insurance circles.

Sir John Anderson is 56. He succeeded the late Air Ramsay MacDonald as member for the Combined Scottish Universities at a by-election last January.

Lord Stanhope, who is 58, has been Alinister of Education since 1937. Mr AV. S. Morrison, a. Scottish K.C., who was badly wounded in the war, was a few years ago frequently “tipped’’ as a coming Prime Minister. Mr Eden resigned because ho disagreed with Air Chamberlain’s policy of approaching the European dictators until they had given proofs of their sincerity and loyalty to agreements alreadv made.