PHYSICALLY FIT

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 150, 28 June 1938, Page 17

PHYSICALLY FIT

PROMINENT NI.P.'S FLEET-FOOTED SECRETARY (From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, June 1. Parliamentary Secretaries are not usually noted for their agility, physical at least, but a lesson in "fitness first" was given to politicians as well as the public last week by Mr. Robert Bernays, the 38-year-old Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health. He entered for a 100 yards race at a National Government demonstration— and won it. Two prospective Parliamentary candidates and two City Councillors gave him a run for his money, but he beat them easily. Mr. Bernays has travelled considerably—though not perhaps so hurriedly—during his notable career. Before leaving Oxford he went to America with a debating team. A few years later he was foreign correspondent to a well-known London newspaper. He went to India, Germany, and then Austria. He has been an M.P. since 1931. In 1934 he was given his first important political appointment as Parliamentary Private Secretary, to Sir Robert Hamilton, the then Under Secretary for the Colonies. Another English M.P. who takes a keen interest in sport is Mr. Leslie Burgin, the Minister of Transport. Mr. Burgin is a cricketer of no mean ability—a good bowler and a quite useful bat—as the Eton team discovered when he played in the Lords and Commons team against the famous school. Mr, Burgin is also good at tennis, is an expert skier, and a useful golfer. He has always been interested in Association football. So far he has not played bowls with the Labour members of the House; they prefer bowls to golf, which is indulged in more by the Conservative members. the Privy Council, and the Committee of Imperial Defence will be split up. The man who will emerge on the Service side will be Colonel Hastings Lionel Ismay, deputy secretary of the Committee of Imperial Defence. Colonel Ismay was appointed to his present post two years ago. He had a distinguished Army career, served in Somaliland during the war, and in 1920 commanded the mounted column which suppressed the "Mad Mullah." From 1933 to 1936 he was head of the Intelligence section of the War Office for the Middle East, Far East, Russia, Poland, and the Balkans. He is 51 years old, dark and tanned, with magnificent physique, a square, determined jaw, wide mouth, and short upturned none. His friends call him "Pug." His greatest assets are tact and drive, and a capacity for getting things done.