Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-11
CHANGES IN CABINET
Object Sought by the British
Prime Minister.
TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY
Improvement of Administration in
View of the Various
Criticisms.
70 INCREASE EFFICIENCY
Foreign Correspondence of The Star.

week were more. numerous than was ex-
pected. 1t may also be said that the list
contains several surprises. The object
sought by the prime minister is to i'm
prove the all-round administrative eff
cheney of the departments, in view OF
,crticism in different quarters.
Some of the transfers arise on the sepa-
ration of the dual offices of lord privy
seal and secretary of state for India, held
up to now by Lord Crewe. He will re-
tain his duties at the India office in the
hope Of further improvement In his
health. The position of lord privy seal
which Is one of dignity rather than re-
sponsibility. goes to Earl Darlington. who
enjoyed in a peculiar degree the friend
ship of King Edward and who had a
claim on Mr.. Asquith as parliamentary
colleague of long standing.
Most remarkable perhaps is the ex-
change of seats by Mr.. Churchill and Mr.
Mckenna- 1t may be suspected that the
government contemplateS a deal with
Germany for the reductions of ornaments
and some color to this view is. given by
Mr.. McKennas repeated hints of such a
possibility. In that event a strong min
lister. with weight as a speaker, both In
the house and in the country. is required
Mr. Mckenna's reputation has been made
been associated The home Office is tech
nically the higher appointment of the two
but the work there is much less in the
limelig'ht-at any rate. in normal times
Glad of His Transfer.
The vacancy created by Earl Darlington
passing from the board Of agriculture is
filed by Mr.. Runciman, who will doubt
less be glad to be relieved of the diff.
cult task Of dealing with the agitation
aroused throughout the country by the
famous Holmes circular which has beer
described in these letters. He has also
lists. despite his strenuous efforts to do so
His business experience has been in ship
ping, but it is to be hoped that he viii
not feel at sea when he comes to dea
with farming and the mysteries Of swine
fever and foot-and-mouth disease.
His successor, Jack Pease, is conspic-
uously a man Of tact and placidity OF
temper, and is deliberately chosen as a
smoother" During all the time that
the lord chancellor was suffering bitter
attacks from members OF his party as to
the appointment of justices Mr. Pease
managed to avoid any serious criticism
of his additions to the rolls of justices in
the Count Palatine. He is a dull debater.
and his experience as chief liberal whip
make him, with his sagacity. a tirst-claSs
worker at the head of a department..
1t seems rather strange that Charles
Hobhouse on his well earned promotion
to cabinet rank should be given a post in
volving so little labor as that of chancel-
lorship of the duchy. Every one who
knows the inside of Whitehall knows that
Mr.. Hobhouse has been unsparing in his
devotion to the public service. and no
minister has had a closer grasp of the
details of the tasks which he has under
taken. He was Lloyd Georges right-hand
aid through the stormy days Of the land
tax budgets, and did duty for him for
months during the ohancellor's absence
from the house through illness. His de-
tense of Mr.. Georges antiquities was
well-nigh impenetrable, as many a hec-
kler from the opposition side found. His
dry official humor has been one of the re-
liefs of the session.
McKinnon Wood, who is matter-of-
fact plodder He will probably feel more
at home in his new post than he was at
the foreign office.
One of Mr.. Haldane's proteges, Lord
Lucas, becomes parliamentary secretary
to the board of agriculture in succession
to Sir Edward Strachey, who retHes with
q peerage 1t has been an open secret
that friction has existed for some time
at the board of agriculture.
Lord Lucas transference gave an open
ing for relieving Mr.. Emmott from duties
in which he has not been quite happy. His
fault as chairman Of committees has not
been in the decisions he has given, but
in his manner Of giving them. and es-
pecially in the inclination to advance
reasons after apparent hesitation. He
now becomes under secretary for the col
onies, with a peerage.
Mr. Whitley, who Is to be nominated
for the approval Of the house to follow
him as chairman Of committees. has been
much quicker as deputy chairman, and
his air of quiet authority has greatly
helped him.