Evening star., 1936-12-27

FOuT pOLDCTJuG WSMOeTS OF
the British cabinet. Left to
right: anthony Eden, Prime
Minister Stanley Bdldioin and
Sir Samuel Hodre. Lo1Der. Sir
John Simon.
A. P. and Wide World Photos.
Of the cabinet room and which con-
sists solely Of books presented by cabi-
net ministers. There are few cabinet
ministers who have not in their time
been authors, so that most of them
present their own books and leave
them as mementoes in the room where
they have spent 50 many fateful hours.
I am, Of course. prevented by my
oath Of secrecy from going far into the
details e cabinet meetings. A mul-
titude Of questions arising all over the
empire have to be decided within
about two hours. and not q second can
be wasted. Speeches are short. with
no ''frills;". any one who spoke for
more than five minutes would be
regarded as . bore. Ministers who
have no new point to make do not
speak for the mere purpose Of giving
their opinion. On each subject proba-
bly, only four or five ministers take
part; the rest merely indicate whether
they agree with them or not. At the
end the prime minister interprets the
general sense Of the Cabinet and it Is
only on the rarest occasions that q
formal vote Is taken. I have never
known any meetings so efficiently con-
Quoted as those Of the cabinet, and It
Is only on account of this that the
innumerable questions raised week by
week in the government Of the British
Empire can be answered In q couple
OF hours by . single body of men.
Hurries To Luncheon.
Az soon IS the cabinet meeting has
ended the minister will hurry to a
luncheon engagement. Unlike Wash
ington, London is q great commercial
city. and host Of societies, institu-
tions and official bodies have their
annual meetings in London, accom-
panied by luncheon or q dinner. All
Of them aim at securing q cabinet
member to speak, and our minister
will f1nd himself at one Of them, re-
plying to the toast of His Majesty's
Government" He will not have time,
however, to stay to the end Of the
festivities. for he must be in his place
for question hour in the House of
Commons.
This brings me to the most striking
difference between the position of cab
met members in the United States and
In England. In the United States q
cabinet official Is not q member of
Congress and does not sit in either the
Senate or the House Of Representa-
tives. In England he is q member of
Parliament, usually of the House of
Commons, and has to spend from soon
after lunch until II, II, /, 2 or 3
o'clock In the morning in the House.
Our minister arrives in the House of
Commons at q quarter to 3 for uues-
ton hour. II ever any Of my readers
visit the House of Commons, I would
advise them to 60 there at question
hour, which has been described as the
best entertainment in London. He will
rec sitting on the right hand side of
the speaker, on the treasury bench
running along the floor, the prime
minister with the cabinet ranged on
both sides Of him. Any member Of
Parliament may put . question to any
minister on any subject within his de-
partment. His replies will have been
carried down to the House by his mes
senger In one Of the famous red mo-
rocco dispatch boxes, stamped with his
ONCE and the royal arms, which have
almost become Q part Of the British
constitution.
During the question hour the min
bter is making or unmaking his repu-
tation. The government departments
have . wholesome respect for the par
question, for q minister who
u "let down" because the questions
have revealed something for which
there u no proper defense will visit
his wrath upon the responsible on
cials. The House Of Commons has de.
vised no more effective method of
bringing the searchlight Of publicity to
bear upon cabinet ministers and the
entire public service behind them.
House Proceeds With BIN.
At 3:45 questions end and the House
proceeds to deal with the blu that is
put down for that day. In the Ameri-
can House Of Representatives the real
discussion Of bills takes place IN com
mtttee, but In the House Of Commons
he committees play quite Q subordi-
nate part and the House keeps an the
important debates Ia its own hands.
. II our minister u In charge Of the
Dill he win sit In his place hour after
hour listening to the amendments
moved by various members. stating his
opinion on each and inviting the
House to vote IN accordance with his
new.
BY 8 O'Clock at night the most Inn
portant amendments win probably
haye been disposed Of and the Min
(CohtinnSd a rass D.3. Column y
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