THE WAR CABINET

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24851, 26 February 1942, Page 5

THE WAR CABINET

RECENT RECONSTRUCTION DIVISION OF DUTIES MR CHURCHILL'S EXPLANATION RUGBY, Feb. 24. The Prime Minister, Mr Churchill, making a statement in the House of Commons on the “major reconstruction of the War Cabinet,” said; “After nearly two years of strain and struggle it was right and necessary that the Government called into being during the crash of the Battle of France should undergo both change and reinvigoration.” Stating that in some ways the resemblance of the new War Cabinet to that of the last war was fairly close, Mr Churchill referred to the inclusion of a Minister of Labour and National Service as desirable on the grounds of the immense advances made by Labour in the State during the last 25 years. Mr Churchill went on: “ Let me explain how the duties are divided. The members of the War Cabinet are collectively and individually responsible for the whole policy of the country. They are’ the ones who alone are held responsible for the whole policy of the -country. They are the ones who alone are held responsible for the conduct of the war. The Leader of the Labour Party, as head of the second largest party in. the National Government, acts as Deputy Prime Minister in all things, and in addition will discharge his duties as Dominions Secretary. Thus we are meeting without addition to our numbers a request impressed upon us from so many quarters that our relations with the dominions, apart from those between Britain and the various Prime Ministers, upon which the dominions have been most insistent, shall be in the hands of the members of the War Cabinet. Reduction in Size “ The Lord President - of the Council presides over what is in certain aspects an almost parallel Cabinet concerned with home affairs. Of this body a number of Ministers of high rank are regular members. The others are invited as may be convenient. An immense mass of business is discharged at their meetings, and it is only in cases of serious difference or in very large questions that the War Cabinet as such is concerned. But the Minister •of State, who will soon be returning from Cairo, has as his sphere of superintendence the whole progress of production in all its aspects. The spheres of the remaining members are defined by the offices they hold. The former Minister without Portfolio, who has played a fine part in all affairs connected with the war, is busy with future plans for post-war reconstruction. The reduction in the size of the War Cabinet, which was held to be desirable in many quarters, led to the elimination lof this office. I must ask the House for a certain amount of time, but there will be no delay before I am able to submit a scheme for this essential task of preparation for reconstruction. Even though we must now prepare ourselves for prolongation of the war, through the intervention of Japan, the whole of this premediary work for the post-war period must go forward, because no one can be sure, as in the last war, that victory may not come unexpectedly upon us. "The seven members of the War Cabiriet can sit together, either as a War Cabinet of the United Kingdom, responsible to the Crown and Parliament, or in the larger gathering with representatives from the dominions and India. Both series of meetings will continue regularly as before. “A Pacific War Council has also come into being, on which representatives of the dominions specially concerned ■—namely, Australia, New Zealand, India, and the Netherlands—sit under my chairmanship or that of my deputy. I am very glad to say that General Chiane Kai-shek has just accepted an invitation that a representative of China join the Council. I can now say that all the necessary complicated machinery where many are concerned and oceans divide us is working swiftly and smoothly.”

New Leader of House

Speaking of his own functions, Mr Churchill said he had contemplated acting as Minister of Defence, with Mr Neville Chamberlain as Leader of the House of Commons; but this proposal was not found acceptable. The task of Leader of the House had weighed heavily on him. “During the period for which I was responsible I find to my horror that I made more than 25 lengthy speeches in Parliament, in public, or in secret session, to say nothing of answering questions and dealing with many current emergencies;” he added. “Although I feel a great sense of relief in laying down this burden, I cannot say Ido so without sorrow. I am sure it is in the public interest, and I am sure Sir Stafford Cripps will prove to the House that he is a respecter of its authority and a leader capable of dealing with all incidents, episodes and emergencies of the House of Commons and parliamentary life. I shall, of course, as Prime Minister, remain at the disposal of the House should the occasion require it, and I hope from time to time, though 1 trust not too often, to seek permission to give a general appreciation of the progress of the war. There is nothing which I do or have done as Minister of Defence which I could not do as Prime Minister. As Prime Minister I shall be able to deal easily and smoothly with the three service departments without prejudice to the constitutional responsibilities of the Secretaries of State for War and Air and the First Lord of the Admiralty. I have at my disposal a small staff aided by Major-general Ismay, which works on the long-established procedure and machinery of the pre-war Committee of Imperial Defence, and which forms part of the War Cabinet secretariat. While I take constitutional responsibility for everything that is done or not done and am quite ready to take blame when things go wrong—as they very often do and as they are very likely to do in future in many ways—l do not, of course, conduct this war from day to day myself.”

The Chiefs of Staff

Mr Churchill then described in some detail the work of the Chiefs-of-Staff Committee. It was his practice to leave them alone to do their work, subject to his general supervision, suggestin'!! and guidance, “ for in 1941, out of 462 meetings of the Chiefs-of-Staff Committee, most of which lasted over two hours. I presided at only 44 myself. In addition, there were, however, meetings of the Defence Committee. at which service Ministers were present as well as other Ministerial members of the committee, and there were Cabinet meetings at which the chiefs-of-staff were present when military matters were discussed, such as the machinery which, as Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, I partly elaborated and partly brought into existence, and I am satisfied that it is the best that can be devised to meet the extraordinary difficulties and dangers through which we are passing. There is absolutely no question of making any changes in it of a serious or fundamental character so Jong as I retain the confidence of the House and the country, however tempting it might be when much trouble lies ahead to step aside lightly and put someone else in to take the blows—heavy and repeated blows—which are coming. I do not intend to adopt that cowardly. course, but, on the contrary, to stand at my post and persevere in accordance with my duty as I see it.”