British War Cabinet

Timaru Herald, Volume CLI, Issue 22203, 21 February 1942, Page 5

British War Cabinet

Sir Stafford Cripps to Lead Commons British Official Wireless (Received 9 p.m.) RUGBY, February 19. THE APPOINTMENT of Sir Stafford Cripps as Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Commons was announced from No. 10 Downing Street in a statement of Cabinet reconstructions, which have been approved by his Majesty the King. Unchanged are the appointments of:— MR CHURCHILL, as Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister of Defence. SIR JOHN ANDERSON, as Lord President of the Council. MR ANTHONY EDEN, as Foreign Secretary. MR ERNEST BEVIN, as Minister of Labour and National Service. MR OLIVER LYTTELTON becomes Minister of State. MR C. R. ATTLEE becomes Dominions Secretary, and remains Deputy Prime Minister. The above will form the War Cabinet. The announcement adds: “Lord Beaverbrook was invited to join the new War Cabinet, but declined on the grounds of health.” He will shortly proceed to the United States, where he will carry on the work which he has already begun in regard to the pooling of resources between the united nations, together with such other special duties as may be entrusted to him from time to time by the War Cabinet It was intended that as a Minister of State he should be a War Cabinet Minister, exercising general supervision over production. The newly constituted War Cabinet is thus reduced from nine to seven members, two Ministers who no longer have a seat in the Cabinet being Sir Kingsley Wood and Mr Arthur Greenwood. Political circles consider it probable, however, that Sir Kingsley Wood will retain the office of Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Mr Greenwood also will continue with his present duties in post-war planning. Mr Oliver Lyttelton, who has been representing the Cabinet in Cairo, is returning to supervise production. The former Dominions Secretary was Lord Cranborne. The appointment of Sir Stafford Cripps to the office of Leader of the House of Commons means that a good deal of his time will be spent in the House both answering questions and making statements.

Washington Pleased The Washington correspondent of the “New York Times” says that official circles are pleased by the reorganisation of the British War Cabinet. They regard the continuance of Mr Churchill’s Government as a fact of major importance which would thwart any new home political move against Mr Churchill. Lord Beaverbrook’s intention to come to America indicates Britain’s most serious determination to step up American output of planes, tanks, etc. The appointment of Mr Attlee as Dominion Minister is regarded in Washington as an important step in view of Australia’s critical attitude toward London’s Far-Eastern actions, and also in view of the new danger to India after the fall of Singapore. Officials anticipate that some British circles will possibly dislike Mr Churchill’s insistence on retaining the Defense Ministry, but Washington wholeheartedly approves and points out that President Roosevelt, who is Chief Commander here, needs the most authoritative British counterpart and. therefore, Washngton would have felt the keenest disappointment if Mr Churchill had not kept the Defence Ministry. Sir Stafford Cripps’ elevation is viewed in Washington with interest, and is regarded as a sign of increasing Labour influence in the British Cabinet. While some official circles in Washington view the increased voice of British Labour sympathetically, others feel some unhappiness in view of the fact that Sii' Stafford Cripps publicly advocated the granting to Russia certain influence in zones in Europe after the war. “Mr Churchill has earned the thanks and congratulations of his countrymen. He has again shown himself possessed of leadership that is simultaneously capable of inspiring and responding to public opinion.” declares “The Times” in a leader. “He has swept away a system of administration which, by successive partial adjustments and compromises had become unwieldy and anomalous and has given the country a new instrument of supreme policy well fitted to communicate a fresh impetus to the war effort. The

new members of the War Cabinet are nearly all free from routine duties. Sir Stafford Cripps is not only a most able parliamentarian but represents a broad and considerable section of public opinion. By making Mr Attlee Dominions Secretary Mr Churchill formally acknowledges the supreme importance of the commonwealth partnership in the war effort. The Inclusion of Mr Eden and Sir John Anderson completes

as strong a muster of construction ability as the House of Commons can provide.” Tire “Daily Express”, in a leader, says: “Mr Churchill has not gone all the way the critics demanded, but has met them squarely by the inclusion of Sir Stafford Cripps, a political outlaw, and Mi- Oliver Lyttelton, an industrialist who is out of politics and infuses new blood into the reduced War Cabinet. We appeal to critics to give the new team a fair chance. Britain more than ever must set an example of unity and strength of purpose to the whole alliance, thereby convincing Russia, America and China that we are putting the need to win the war ahead of every other interest.”