London, June 20.
At question time yesterday the Prime Minister undertook to make a full statement on the shipping position shortly in a secret session. This decision to grasp one of the current nettles of criticism has given fresh impetus to a body of political opinion to which "The Times" newspaper yesterday lent its columns and a leading article.
"The Prime Minister is undertaking too much detailed work," said this school of thought. They want him to drop the work of Minister of Defence and lead a very small War Cabinet, which will apply itself solely to supreme issues.
"The Times" put the point when it said: "The nation has at its head an inspired and inspiring Prime Minister and the magnificent service he is rendering would become even more valuable if he could be relieved of some of the intolerable burdens he is bearing."
Nobody attempts to challenge his position which is unassailable, consequently even the article and leader in "The Times" did not mean that any section was willing to press the Prime Minister further than he was willing to go on war questions.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.