THE NEW BRITISH CABINET

Northern Advocate, 31 May 1937, Page 4

THE NEW BRITISH CABINET

The retirement of Mr „ Baldwin from the Prime Ministership of Britain, and the appointment of Mr Neville Chamberlain as his successor, have caused a reshuffling of Cabinet portfolios. The Cabinet remains distinctly Conservative in character, but Mr Chamberlain has included sufficient Liberal and Labour elements to, bolster his claim that the Government is National. Some outstanding changes have been made so far > as members of the old Cabinet are concerned. Sir John Simon, who had a striking-career as Foreign Secretary, but who was subsequently relegated to the post of Home Secretary, has been appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer. This is a new role for the brilliant lawyer, who is recognised to possess one of the clearest brains in Britain. His occupation of the Chancellorship will be watched with interest. Sir Samuel Ho are, whose work* as Foreign Secretary revealed him to be a far-seeing statesman, has become Home Secretary. The most noteworthy appointment of, all is that of Mr Hore-Belisha to the War Office. Mr Hore-Belisha has made his| mark as Minister of Transport, and the powers of organisation displayed by him in that role may be expected to make themselves felt to advantage in an office which has assumed tremendous importance in view of Britain’s rearmament policy.. Mr Hore-Belisha replaces Mr Duff-Cooper, who has been appointed First Lord of the Admiralty. Just why Mr DuffCooper has • been transferred from the War Office to the Admiralty is not clear to observers at this distance, but the capacities of Messrs Hore-Belisha and Duff-Coober have no doubt been fully weighed. It is very-likely that a disappointed individual is Mr Winston Churchill, who, rumour had it, was looking for appointment to the War Office or the Admiralty. New Zealanders will be particularly interested to learn of the appointment of Mr Oliver. Stanley,as President of the Board of-Trade, and of the eon-i 1 tinuanee in office of Ml- W. S. Morrison as Minister of Agriculture. These are Ministers who ■ come into intimate associations with the Dominion in respect of • marketing our primary products. I; It is not to he expected that the < new Cabinet will meet with uni- i

' versa! approval, but Mr Chamberlain seems to have made a satj isfaetory choice from the material at his disposal. It is believed, 1 however, that some disgruntled ' Parliamentarians will not help to ; lighten the Prime Minister’s 1 heavy burden. This would be re- : grettable, as the need at the moment is for the wholehearted co-operation of which Mr Baldwin has spoken so earnestly.