NATIONAL LEADERS: Sir Archibald Sinclair

New Zealand Listener, Volume 3, Issue 70, 25 October 1940, Page 3

NATIONAL LEADERS: Sir Archibald Sinclair

Secretary of State for Air in the Churchill Cabinet, is the man whose nightmare task it is to make the British Air Force stronger than that of Germany. One of his speeches struck the first blow which led to the complete change in Britain’s conduct of the war, and made Winston Churchill Prime Minister. Sir Archibald, a Liberal, has always had the ear of the House of Commons. To-day, he commands its closest attention. He has been in the House since 1922 continuously; flying was always one of his hobbies, but in recent years he has made a special study of economics and agricultural problems. In 1931, when the second Labour administration collapsed, Sir Archibald became Secretary of State for Scotland, his first Cabinet post, but he resigned in 1932 over the Ottawa Trade Agreement. S IR ARCHIBALD _ SINCLAIR, He is a clear and vigorous speaker, expressing his ideas with liveliness, humour and precision, and he has courage, industry, and knowledge to aid him in debate. He takes punishment with a smile, and he led his small Liberal party in the Commons with a kind of joyous faith,

Sir Archibald is not yet 50. He thinks and works at high pressure, sometimes 24 hours a day. He served. throughout the last war, and rose to the rank of major. He lives at Thurso Castle, in North Scotland, or did before the war; has four children, and saws wood to keep himself fit.