CABINET CHANGES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 February 1942, Page 3

CABINET CHANGES

•.CL £..•" IY. I VI. ■> 1 W-i'.'CL V IvMSKAK. • —<> ADDITIONAL APPOINTAIENTS IN BRITAIN SIR JAMES GRIGG MADE WAR SECRETARY. SEVERAL MINISTERS DROPPED. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, February 23. New Cabinet appointments have been announced as follows: — Secretary of State for the Colonies: Lord Cranbcurne. Secretary of State for War: Sir James Grigg. President of the Board of Trade: Dr. Hugh Dalton. Minister of Aircraft Production: Colonel J. J. Llewellin. Minister of Economic Warfare: Lord Wolmer. Minister of Works and Buildings and First Commissioner of Works: Lord Portal.

Those who are dropped from the Cabinet are Captain Margesson, former Secretary for War, Colonel MooreBrabazon, former Minister of Aircraft Production, Lord Reith, former Minister of Works, Lord Moyne, former Secretary for the Colonies, and Mr Greenwood, who was Minister without portfolio. Sir James Grigg has been Permanent Under-Secretary of State for War since 1939. His appointment is the first time a permanent secretary has been promoted straight from his department to the Ministry. He employs forthright methods and has a reputation for getting things done. It is understood that it has not yet been decided whether he will be found a scat in the House of Commons or will go into the Lords.

STERN BUT JUST MAN. The political correspondent of the ••Daily Express” says a close friend of Sir James Grigg described him as the toughest man in Whitehall who is so ruthless in his insistence on efficiency that he cares for nobody—brass hat, Minister, or civil servant. He does what he thinks right, whatever anybody says or does. He is a stern but just man, full of ideas and determination.

Sir James Grigg had a brilliant career at Cambridge in mathematics, and was principal private secretary to a long succession of chancellors of the Exchequer. Eight years ago he went to India as finance member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council, which virtually made him India’s Chancellor of the Exchequer. He returned to England to the War Office. Lord Cranbourne is taking over the leadership of the House of Lords from Lord Moyne. Lord Wolmcr was formerly assistant Postmaster-General, but resigned because of differences with the Civil Service. A successor to Mr Lyttelton as Resident Minister in the Middle East is being announced shortly. The “Daily Mail's” political correspondent understands that Mr Churchill has asked Mr Duff Cooper to become Resident Minister in Cairo. LORD HALIFAX’S POSITION. Lord Halifax’s position has not been clarified. His name is not contained in the new list of members of the War Cabinet, and therefore it can be assumed that he is no longer a member of the Government. The name of the Ministry of Works and Planning has again been changed to Works and Buildings. The “Daily Mail,” in a leader, says: “One of the most disappointing features of the Cabinet appointments is that they do not include the name of anyone unknown to past or present administrations except Sir James Grigg. It is another reshuffle. There is no business man included. Particularly for the Minister of Aircraft Production, it would have been better to appoint a first-class industrialist knowing modern production methods. Dr. Dalton has gone from post to post without betraying exceptional brilliance, but at least at the Board of Trade his talent for the more sublime type of optimistic oratory will be curbed. It is clear that we must look more to the new War Cabinet than to the Ministers outside for the new spirit which must infuse our war effort.”