Little Enthusiasm For New Foreign Secretary

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29269, 29 July 1960, Page 13

Little Enthusiasm For New Foreign Secretary

(N.Z. Press Association— Copyright)

(Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, July 28. British newspapers today greeted the reshuffle in the British Cabinet with a marked lack of enthusiasm. The main criticism is the appointment of the Earl of Home, aged 57, as Foreign Secretary—the first member of the House of Lords to be chosen for this post for 20 years.

His appointment not only draws the fire of Labour-supporting newspapers such as the “Daily Herald” and “Daily Mirror.” It is also criticised by the “Daily Telegraph” and the “Daily Express.” The “Daily Herald” headline reads: “So It’s Home. Sweet Home: What Have We Done To Deserve This.” The “News Chronicle” said the most significant of the changes was the appointment of Mr Edward Heath as what it describes as “Britain’s first Minister for European affairs.” . Mr Heath, aged 44, former Minister of Labour, has become the Government’s House of Commons spokesman on foreign affairs with the non-departmental portfolio of Lord Privy Seal. He also holds a brief for being specially concerned with European affairs. The “Guardian” said the constitutional objection to a peer at the Foreign Office, though not trivial, had perhaps been overdone. “The real question is whether Lord Home can be more than just another puppet dancing to the Prime Minister’s tune. He is an agreeable man who will represent Britain with a proper diplomatic distinction, but he is unlikely to come up with many new dens.” it said. “The Times” said most people would think the Government slightly weaker after the reshuffle than it was before. “Lord Home has not, to all appearances, been highly tested in the offices which he has held hitherto, and to the country at large his career will seem to have been insufficiently distinguished to warrant his elevation to the high post of Foreign Secretary.” it said The “Daily Telegraph” called Lord Home’s appointment “illjudged ” While Lord Home was competent and popular with Com-

monwealth Governments, he was not a figure of commanding public stature and international reputation. Stormy speeches are likely in the House of Commons tonight when Labour makes its protest at the appointment of Lord Home. Such importance is attached to the two-hour debate that the Government has issued a threeline whip. This means that party members must attend for the division. Labour will be supported by the Liberal Party and possibly by a few backbench Conservatives. The debate will be opened by the Labour leader, Mr Gaitskeil, with what amounts to a motion of censure “that this House do now adjourn.” He will say that the Foreign Secretary should be a member of the House of Commons, and may challenge the fitness of Lord Home for the post. The Cabinet reshuffle was caused by the resignation of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Derek Heathcoat Amory, aged 60, who is leaving politics. Mr Macmillan moved the Foreign Secretary, Mr Selwyn Lloyd, to Mr Amory’s post and appointed Lord Home Foreign Secretary. He gave promotion to Mr Duncan Sandys. aged 52, former Aviation Minister, by naming him for the important post of Commonwealth Relations Secretary in succession to Lord Home. He also demonstrated that he has forgiven the “revolt” two years ago of his former Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr Peter Thorneycroft, aged 51) by giving him Mr Sandys’s old job as Aviation Minister. Mr Thorneycroft, with two deputies, walked out of the Cabinet because they claimed Government spending was too high. Showing that the past is now completely buried, Mr Macmillan topped the Thorneycroft appointment by bringing another of the three “rebels,” Mr Enoch Powell, aged 48, back into the

Government as Health Minister. He replaced Mr Derek WalkerSmith, aged 50, who a few days ago resigned to return to a law career. The youngest member of the new Cabinet is Mr Christopher Soames, aged 39—a son-in-law <ff Sir Winston Churchill—who steps up from the job of War Minister to that of Minister of Agriculture in succession to Mr John Hare, aged 49. Mr Hare was appointed to Mr Heath's former post as Minister of Labour. In his reshuffle, Mr Macmillan switched Viscount Hailsham, aged 52—who remains Minister of Science—from the non-depart-mental portfolio of Lord Privy Seal to a similar sinecure office, Lord President of the Council, formerly held by Lord Home. He also promoted Mr John Profumo, aged 45, formerly Minister of State for Foreign AffMirs to a department of his own as War Minister. It was also announced that Mr Amory is to receive a viscountcy and Mr Walker-Smith a baronetcy. The viscountcy is a peerage and the baronetcy a hereditary knighthood. The Queen has approved the new appointments and has also decreed that a viscountcy be conferred on Mr A. T. Lennox-Boyd, the former Colonial Secretary, who left politics last year for a business career. Lord Home’s Career Alexander Frederick DouglasHome, aged 57, the fourteenth earl of his line, has been Commonwealth Relations Secretary since April, 1955. From the outset of his term he set out to meet an early criticism of his appointment that he had never visited an overseas Commonwealth country, Since then he has been to many, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India, Pakistan. Malaya the Central African Federation, and Ghana. Before succeeding his father in the House of Lords—where he is Government leader—Lord Home was for 15 years a member of the House of Commons. He was Parliamentary private secretary to Mr Neville Chamberlain, then Prime Minister, throughout the 1937-1940 period, and flew with him to Germany for the fateful Munich conference. For a brief period in 1945 he was Parliamentary Under - Secretary for Foreign Affairs. His younger brother is Mr William Douglas-Home, the playwright.