WAR CABINET

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 October 1940, Page 5

WAR CABINET

CHANGES IN BRITAIN MR N. CHAMBERLAIN RESIGNS SUCCEEDED BY SIR JOHN ANDERSON. TWO OTHER MINISTERS ADDED. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, October 3. Mr Neville Chamberlain, Lord President of the Council, has resigned. Sir John Anderson leaves the post of Minister of Home Security and becomes Lord President of the Council. He joins the War Cabinet in Mr Chamberlain’s place. Mr Churchill also announces the addition of two members to the War Cabinet. They are Sir Kingsley Wood, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Mr Ernest Bevin, Minister of Labour and National Service. This makes a War Cabinet of eight members. Mr Herbert Morrison succeeds Sir John Anderson as Minister of Home Security. Sir Andrew Duncan, formerly president of the Board of Trade, succeeds Mr Morrison as Minister of Supply. Captain Oliver Lyttelton, who has been Controller of Non-Ferrous Metals, succeeds Sir Andrew Duncan. Sir John Reith, who has been Minister of Transport, becomes Minister of Works and Buildings, a new department, and First Commissioner of Works.

Lieutenant-Colonel Brabazon succeeds Sir John Reith as Minister of Transport. Lord Caldecote becomes Lord Chief Justice .in succession to Lord Hewart, who has resigned. Lord Cranbourne succeeds Lord Caldecote as Dominion Secretary. Mr Churchill and Mr Chamberlain have exchanged letters. Mr Chamberlain stated in his that he came back to London after his recent operation hoping that he would have 'an increased capacity for work and be able to meet any calls that Mr Churchill made on him. Unfortunately the minor difficulties following the operation and the unusual stress of war conditions made this impossible, and it would be a long time before he was able to exercise the duties essential to a member of the War Cabinet. He expressed his unshaken confidence in Mr Churchill’s leadership in overcoming the forces of barbarism which had reduced the greater part of Europe to slavery. Mr Churchill in his reply stated that he had feared this resignation for some time. He admired Mr Chamberlain’s nerve and perseverance. The willing

help Mr Chamberlain had given him since ceasing to be his chief had helped to tide through what might well prove to be the turning point of the war. He would look back on a year of comradeship with feelings of the deepest respect and regard for Mr Chamberlain. Sir John Anderson has been in the Cabinet only since last , year. As Minister of Home Security he was mainly responsible for air raid precautions, and this job now falls on Mr Morrison. Sir Andrew Duncan, Minister of 1 Supply, is a big figure in the shipping | world and the chambers of commerce. Captain Lyttelton served in the Grenadier Guards in the Great War and had been in business since then. He was managing director of the British Metal Corporation and did a littleknown but important job as Controller of Non-Ferrous Metals. It is stated that he had secured the nation s requirements for three years at a much lower price than that which obtained in the last war and had made his purchases within the Empire. Sir John Reith has now been created a baron. The appointments will lower the average age of the War Cabinet. None of the appointees is yet 60. Sir John Anderson is 58, Mr Morrison 52, Lord Cranbourne and Captain Lyttelton 47, while Sir John Reith and Lieut.-Col- ; onel Brabazon are on the right side of 60. The last-named was the first person . in England to hold a civilian pilot’s ■ licence. '