Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-06
Britain's Ruling Families.

Britain's Ruling Families.
Ramsay Macdonald has organized
the new National government SO over
whelmingly voted into office in Great
Britain on october 81. It's make
up of eleven Conservatives, five Liberals
and four National Laborites is not
proportionate to the numbers of seats
in the House of Commons won by
those respective parties. If Mr.. Mac
Donald had essayed to form cabinet
on those lines, it would have been top
heavy with Stanley Baldwin's Tories,
who comprise easily flve-sixths of the
new House. The readiness Of the Con-
servatives to content themselves with
q round one-half Of the twenty minis
terial portfolios carries out Mr.. Bald
wins post-election statement that his
party looks upon the late election as
Q victory for a National government
and not as a Conservative triumph
though that, In cold fact, is what
Il was.
Americans who have kept pace with
the kaleidoscope changes in British
public life during the past thirty years
and more will marvel at the recurrence
of familiar names in the government
Just brought into being. For the past
seven years the names of Messrs. Mac
Donald, Snowden, Sankey and Thomas
have earned worldwide renown as
leaders of the Labor party which at
tanned power twice during that period.
But Sir John Simon, the new foreign
secretary: Neville Chamberlain, chan
cellor of the exchequer; Stanley Bald
win, lord president Of the council; Sir
Samuel Hoare, secretary for India; Sir
Herbert Samuel, home secretary; the
Marquis Of Londonderry, secretary for
air; Walter Runciman, president Of the
Board of Trade; William Ormsby- Gore,
nrst commissioner Of works; Sir Philip
Cunliffe-Lister, secretary for the col
onies, and Sir Archibald Sinclair, sec
rotary for Scotland, are all men or
members Of British families who have
rat in the seats Of the mighty through
out the present generation. Half q
dozen Of them return to cabinet life for
the fourth or NTH time.
New blood Is thus conspicuously absent
from the regime established for the re-
suscitation Of the British body polite,
at least In the higher cabinet brackets.
It may turn out that John Bull will
discover governmental genius in some
of the younger men" in whose favor
the Earl Of Reading and Sir Austen
Chamberlain, who might have been in
cluded in the National government, vol
unfairly eliminated themselves. For
the time being the country's destinies
are to remain in tried and experienced
hands.
The United States, like other foreign
powers, is interested chiefly in the pol
icies which Sir John Simon, as for
eign secretary, and Neville Chamber
lain, as chancellor Of the exchequer,
will pursue. British external relations,
except in so far as they impinge upon
international economic conditions, may
be expected to be conducted along I'M
changing lines. Great Britain Is more
ardently consecrated to the ideals Of
world peace than ever before. She Is
generously minded toward Germany.
Sir John Simon, who headed the gov
ernment's commission Of inquiry on
India, is specially qualified to deal with
that particular external relation"
which is giving Britannia concern at
this time. He is agreeably remembered
in Washington from the British bench
and bar visit of 1890.
Chancellor Neville Chamberlain goes
to the exchequer in place Of the astute
Philip Snowden with avowed protec-
ZIONIST views, but he will not dominate
the governments attitude on the tarid
At the Board of Trade, which CORE
spends to our Department Of Com
merce, is the Liberal Walter Runciman,
who has strong free-trade back
ground. Indications SO far do not fore
shadow early tariff laws in the United
Kingdom, but 1892 is certain to witness
q real drive for them under the Con-
servative spur.