BRITISH CABINET

Evening Star, Issue 20943, 6 November 1931, Page 9

BRITISH CABINET

APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCED m CHAMBERLAIN SUCCEEDS MR SNOWDEN (British Official Wireless.) Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. RUGBY, November 5. (Received November 6, at noon.) The following Cabinet appointments have been made: — Prime Minister and First Lord of tlie Treasury, Mr Ramsay MacDonald. Lord President of the Council, Mr Stanley Baldwin. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Neville Chamberlain. Secretary of State for Home Affairs, Sir Herbert Samuel. Lord Chancellor, Lord Sankey. Secretary for War, Lord Hailsham. Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Sir John Simon. Secretary for India, Sir Samuel Hoare. Secretary for Dominion Affairs, Mr J. H. Thomas. Secretary for the Colonies, Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister, Secretary for Air, the Marquess of Londonderry. Secretary for Scotland, Sir Archibald Sinclair. Minister of Health, Sir E. HiltonYoutjg. President of the Board of Trade, Mr Walter Runciman. Lord Privy Seal, Mr Philip Snowden. First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir Bolton Eyres-Monsell. President of the Board of Education, Sir Donald Maclean. Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Sir John Gilmour. Minister of Labour, Sir Henry Betterton. First Commissioner of Works, Mr W. G. Ormsby-Gore. In the new Cabinet, apart from the Prime Minister, the following Ministers retain the portfolios which they held when the Cabinet of ten was formed when the National Government took office at the end of August—namely, Mr Baldwin, Lord Sankey, Sir Samuel Hoare, Mr Thomas, and Sir Donald Maclean. As was anticipated, the services of* Mr Snowden have been retained. New appointments were made to the Exchequer, Foreign Affairs, and the Board of Trade, which arc generally regarded as most important offices in the National Government. MR CHAMBERLAIN. Mr Neville Chamberlain (a half-bro-ther of Sir Austen Chamberlain) is chairman of the Conservative Party. Ho has identified himself closely with the movement for tariff reform and Imperial preference, for which his father (Mr Joseph Chamberlain) was famous. SIR JOHN SIMON. Sir John Simon, who is the most distinguished counsel at the English Bar, was one of the law officers in the prewar Liberal Administration. Since the war ho has served as chairman of some important commissions, including the Indian Statutory Commission. He is the head of the group of National Liberals who separated from the main body of the Liberal Party before the election on the fiscal issue, and who during the election advocated a completely free hand for the Prime Minister in any measures that he considered necessary to restore the balance of trade. MR RUNCIMAN. Mr -Runciman is a member of tlio Simon group of Liberals. He is a well-known shipowner and is a director of the Westminster Bank. Ho was a member of three Liberal Governments before the war, and was President of the Board of Trade from 1914 to 1916. LORD HAILSHAM, Lord, Hailsham (formerly Sir Douglas Hogg) is the son of the famous philanthropist, Quinton Hogg, tb* founder of the Polytechnic. Ho was Attorney-General in two Conservative Governments since the Avar, and was later Lord Chancellor. SIR PHILIP CUNLIFFE-LISTER. Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister was President of the Board of Trade in the late Government, which position lie also held in the post-war Conservative Administrations. LORD LONDONDERRY. Lord Londonderry, the new Secretary for Air, was Under-Secretary for that department in 1920 and was First Commissioner of Works in the'' last Conservative Government. SIR ARCHIBALD SINCLAIR. Sir Archibald Sinclair lias been a Liberal member of Parliament for a Scottish constituency since 1922. SIR E. HILTON-YOUNG. Sir E. Hilton-Young, who is a barrister, was formerly a Liberal member of Parliament, but since 1929 he has represented a Kent constituency as $ Conservative. He has acted as chairman of many Royal Commissions of inquiry, including the question of East Africa union. SIR JOHN GILMOUR. Sir John Gilmour was Secretary for Scotland in the last Conservative Government, in which Mr Ormsby-Gorc, now First Commissioner of Works, was Under-Secretary for tlio Colonies. REFLECTS PARTY POSITIONS NOT LIKELY TO RUSH TARIFF PROGRAMME LONDON, November 5. (Received November 6, at 11.55 a.m.) As anticipated, Mr MacDonald’s allocation of the offices—eleven Conservatives, four National Labour, three Liberals, and two National Liberals — seeks to reflect the position of the parties in the country.

Sir John Simon’s inclusion was expected, but it was a surprise that he goes to the Foreign Office. Mr MacDonald was guided by a feeling that Sir John’s keen mind would be able to unravel the difficult problems of reparations and currency with which Cabinet must shortly be confronted, Mr Runciman, President of the Board of Trade, balances Mr Neville Chamberlain, Chancellor of the Exchequer. Sir 8.. Eyres-Monsell, a highly popular Whip, should be equally welcome as the civil head of the Navy. The average age of Cabinet members is fifty-seven years. Mr Snowden and Sir Donald Maclean are sixty-seven, being the fathers of the Cabinet, while Sir Archibald Sinclair (forty-one) is the baby. Lobbyists are of the opinion that the appointments mean that Cabinet will not hurriedly adopt a tariff programme. EARLIER COMMENT MR MACDONALD'S PERPLEXITIES LONDON, November 5. Mr MacDonald’s method of choosing a Cabinet has not impressed the newspapers. The public recognised that the formation of a Government on a national basis was a delicate and complicated matter, but it was certainly not facilitated by the departure of the Prime Minister from London. The opinion is expressed that what happened is that Mr MacDonald went to Lossiemouth with a list which settled matters in the main, and that several acceptances were expected by post or telegraph. He had himself, no doubt, prepared alternatives in the event of a hitch, but it is more than a suspicion that at least some difficulties have arisen from a desire not to present to the House of Commons or the country a Ministry full of tariff supporters occupying the most important posts. Mr MacDonald, it is believed, is especially anxious to keep Mr Neville Chamberlain from the Chancellorship. It is regarded as certain that Mr Baldwin will reside at No. 11 Downing street, where he will be in daily touch with Mr MacDonald. All the papers describe how inaccessible the Prime Minister has been all day long, as he has been busy with the formation of the Cabinet. The ‘Daily Telegraph’ says: “The country does not want a Cabinet of amiable gentlemen whose motto is compromise. It demands action in respect of drastic reductions in public expenditure and the prohibition of dumping, which is assuming the proportions of a scandal.” Ono minor embarrassment of delay concerns the invitations to the Lord Mayor’s banquet on November 9. The ‘ Daily Express ’ understands that Mr Thomas will remain Secretary for the Dominions, and will start immediately on a tour of Canada, Australia, and New Zeaand in connection with Imperial agreements, as part of the new Government’s policy. SIR AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN LONDON, November 5. , It is stated that Sir Austen Chamberlain was offered, but declined a peerage. EMPIRE UNITY SUGGESTION OF BIG MUTUAL TRADE SCHEME. LONDON, November 5. A ‘ Sun ’ correspondent has ascertained that developments which will enable the beginning of an Empire unity movement on a far bigger scale than' anything thus far contemplated in the Empire’s history may bo expected soon after the new Cabinet meets. It involves a ten-year, perhaps a twentyyear, plan initiated from Britain, and it can be regarded as a long range mterimperial trade policy aimed to rehabilitate and bind the Empire for such a period, culminating in permanency. The process will incur all-round sacrifices, and will be based on Britain’s purchasing of raw materials and foodstuffs exclusively from the dominions in exchange for their concentrating on the purchase of manufactured articles from Britain.