A STRONGER CABINET

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 192, 10 May 1940, Page 9

A STRONGER CABINET

Desire Of British Press INTERPRETING VOTE All Parties Determined To Intensify War Effort (By Radio—Daveutry.) LONDON, May 9. Last night’s vote in the House of Commons at the conclusion of the two-day debate on the events in Norway is still being eagerly discussed. The vote is interpreted in various ways, but nearly all sections discuss the possibility of changes in the Government. The British Press is unanimous that Cabinet must be strengthened and that the country’s war effort must be increased. The main problem is how best to put these into effect.

“The Times” stresses that the events of the past few weeks have served to emphasize the rising tide of public dissatisfaction, but it expresses regret that the Labour Party should have forced a division. The time is opportune for all parties to take, their full share of government, it states. The “Daily Telegraph” says that both sides in the House voted for the same thing—a niore intensive war effort. The Government had emerged very creditably from the debate, but it seemed clear that new blood was needed in the Cabinet.

The Drench newspaper “L’Oeuvre” remarks that painful as the debate was to Britons, it has served to increase the prestige of the country by coming into the open. “Changes Almost Certain.” The London journalist, Mr. Cyril Lakin, reviewing the situation, expressed the opinion that a reconstruction of the Cabinet was almost certain. This appeared the unanimous desire of Parliament, the Press and the public. There was no denying, he said, that as the debate progressed, Mr. Chamberlain’s position became more and more distressed. The question whether Opposition leaders' would come into any reconstruction proposals rested with them, and the Labour Party’s attitude would doubtless be determined at the party’s conference to be held shortly. If Mr. Chamberlain were unsuccessful in broadening the Government, the Labour Party could 1 scarcely do so, having insufficient, numerical strength. Some form of Coalition would be essential to them. The possibility of Lord Halifax leading such a Government was being discussed, and from the general trend of the debate there was no reason to believe that Opposition members would not be prepared -to serve under Mr. Churchill.