NOT RUNNING SMOOTHLY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 March 1940, Page 2

NOT RUNNING SMOOTHLY

CHANGES AT WAR OFFICE. While making no claim to omniscience in the matter of the War Office changes, “Janus” writes in the “Spectator” as follows: —After full inquiry I am perfectly satisfied that Mr HoreEelisha was asked to exchange offices with. Mr Oliver Stanley simply because things were not running smoothly at the War Office under Mr Hore-Belisha. and it was thought they would under Mr Stanley. There is no question about ?/Ir Hore-Belisha’s ability, or the services he has rendered to the Army. He has always been given full credit for them. But; he has the defects of his qualities. He is always the centre of his own universe. He very markedly prefers “reclame” to routine. He is not lavishly endowed with the traits that make for good teamwork. All this was known before, and it has caused difficulty before. If the difficulties did not diminish, as they have not done, there was only one way to end them. I believe it to be completely true that no question of principle or policy of any sort was involved, and that whatever difficulties personality created they did not concern the soldiers in particular; the War Office is staffed largely by civil servants. Nor was there any question of anti-Semitism.