Hoare's transfer to the Home Office was not expected, nor was Mr, Alfred Duff-Cooper's change from the Junior to the Senior Service, although it had been suggested that a new Secretary of State for War would follow owing to the difficulty of stimulating recruiting and its concurrent embroilment of Mr. Duff-Cooper with certain "turbulent priests". Mr. Dufl-Cooper is a man whose bril-Vance of achievement has con~ sistently surprised his critics. Their surprise is more surprising than the achievement for ever since he proved to the Oxford authorities that a first-class in Modern History was not incom: patible with a talent for leading a first-class riot, Mr. Duff-Cooper has gone on from success to success, whether as a Foreign Office official, a gallant Guards officer in the field, the husband of a brilliant lady or as a young Conservative prepared to adapt his creed to modern conditions, The Admiralty will have Uttle cause for anxiety over the change at -its political head. Mr. Oliver Stanley hands over the Board of Education to Earl Stanhope and adds the Board of Trade to his record of Cabinet appointments, having been at the Ministry of Labour until June 1935 when he was there succeeded by Mr, Ernest Brown who holds that office still, despite confident predictions to the contrary. Mr. Brown evidently finds that an ability to shout down his hecklers in the House is an asset appreciated by his Prime Minister.
There have been speculations on the complexion of a Neville Cham~ berlain Cabinet. They are largely set at rest by the clear reaffirmation of the National character of its predecessor. Especially has Mr. Chamberlain refuted the notion that he would lean more heavily on his right-wing Conservative supporters, by retaining Mr. Anthony Oder: at the Foreign Office and by giving Viscount Halifax the vacant President ship of the Council. In a minor degree this tendency is further illustrated by the inclusion in the Ministry of a newcomer, Mr. RH. Bernays. Indeed, Mr. Bernays' appointment may well be taken to throw on Mr. Cham-
Lerlain's policy a specially infor-motive light. A Liberal journalist, Mr, Bernays recently endeavoured
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.