CABINET RECONSTRUCTION

Evening Star, Issue 21219, 28 September 1932, Page 7

CABINET RECONSTRUCTION

NUMEROUS CHANGES PROBABLE MR MACDONALD'S PROBLEM Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, September 27. Several newspapers connect the King’s return with extensive Cabinet changes, which are likely to be announced during the week-end. The ‘ Daily Herald ’ says that the Prime Minister is reconstructing the entire Cabinet, and that Sir John Simon is likely to be removed from the Foreign Office, “where he has given universal dissatisfaction except to the French.” Elsewhere it is suggested that Sir John Simon and his followers will quit voluntarily if Sir Herbert Samuel and his followers go, with a view to a reunion of the Liberal Party, but they will support the Government during the national emergency in everything except its fiscal policy. FULL MEETING OF CABINET RESIGNATION OF LIBERALS EXPECTED. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 27. (Received September 28, at noon.) The first fully attended meeting of Cabinet since the House of Commons adjourned will take place to-morrow, and there is now little doubt that the Liberal Ministers, Sir Herbert Samuel (Home Secretary) and Sir Archibald Sinclair (Secretary for Scotland), will take this opportunity of announcing their retirement. It is generally anticipated that Lord Snowden will adopt a similar course, that the Undersecretaries associated with Sir Herbert Samuel and the Liberal Party will also retire, and that the group will support the Government in Parliament on all questions except the tariff. LAST-MINUTE PRESSURE MR MACDONALD’S INTENTIONS. LONDON, September 27. (Received September 28, at 11.40 a.m.) There is no longer any doubt that Lord Snowden, Sir Herbert Samuel, Sir Archibald Sinclair, the Marquess of Lothian, Sir Robert Hamilton, Mr Isaac Foot, Mr Graham White, Mr Russell Rea, Major Mackenzie-Wood, and Mr Harcourt Johnstone are resigning to-morrow. It is believed that their resignations have been in the hands of Mr MacDonald for a week, since when every effort has been made to persuade them to remain in the Cabinet, at any rate until after the World Economic Conference. Mr MacDonald has been arguing that the existing agreement to differ covers all the Ottawa decisions. If last-minute pressure upon the Liberals to remain fails Mr MacDonald intends to fill their places in a manner which will preserve the national character of the Government. There is no likelihood op Sir John Simon and Mr Walter Runciman retiring.

It is expected that most of the seals of office will be exchanged by Friday, when the King receives the outgoing and incoming Ministers. There was much activity throughout the day at Downing street, where Mr MacDonald and Mr Baldwin were receiving many visitors. The ‘ Daily Telegraph’s ’ political correspondent expresses the opinion that Mr MacDonald will not automatically appoint nine Liberals to replace the retiring Cabinet members, nor will he allocate all the vacancies to Conservatives, but will fill the offices with the best men available without strict adherence to party labels.