PURGE CABINET.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 164, 12 July 1940, Page 7

PURGE CABINET.

FEELING IN BRITAIN.

Position Of Four Leading

Statesmen.

ME. CHURCHILL'S PROBLEM,

LONDON', July 9,

The "News Chronicle" publishes the result of a survey of opinion last week, in which a nation-wide crosssection of voters was asked about Mr. Chamberlain, Viscount Simon, Sir Kingsley Wood, and Viscount Halifax: "Do you think he should be dropped from the Cabinet or do you favour his remaining 1 ?"

The percentages favouring that they should be dropped were: Mr. Chamberlain 77, Lord fSimon 03, Kingsley Wood 55 and Lord Halifax 57.

Mr. Chamberlain is now Lord President of the Council; Lord Simon, formerly Chancellor of tho Exchequer, is now Lord Chancellor; Sir Kingsley Wood, formerly Secretary for Air, is now Chancellor of the Exchequer; and Lord Halifax has retained the portfolio of Foreign Secretary, which he held in Mr. Chamberlain's Government. The "News-Chronicle" says, in an editorial: "We do not want to add to Mr. Churchill's problems, but it is of first importance that at the moment of crisis Cabinet and public opinion should be in step." A resolution of the shop stewards' committee, claiming to represent 14,000 employees in Electric and Musical Industries, Limited, describes Mr. Chamberlain and hie associates as "men who aided and abetted Fascism."

Bookshops at the week-end prominently displayed a half-crown book entitled "Guilty Men" (Gollancz), published anonymously under tho nom-de-plume "Cato." The writer attempts to disprove the argument that the arms shortage was caused by the lack of money in previous years. He contends the men guilty of shortage and other wartime setbacks are Mr. Chamberlain, Lord Simon, Sir Samuel Hoare, Lord Baldwin, Lord Halifax, Sir Kingsley Wood. Mr. Ernest Brown (the former Minister of Labour), Mr. H. D. R. MargesEOn (former Secretary to the Treasury), Lord Caldecote (formerly Minister for Co-or-dination of Defence), Dr. Burgin (former Minister of Supply), Mr. W. S. Morrison (former Minister of Agriculture), Sir Reginald Dornian-Smith (also a former Minister of Agriculture), and others. It is reported that the big wholesalers, W. H. Smith and Simpkin Marshall, have refused to handle the book.