Evening star., 1942-01-03
Calls Attention to Democracy
In Action in British Cabinets.

In Action in British Cabinets.
To the Editor Of The Star:
Will you allow an English visitor TO
correct certain inaccuracies in Bertram
Benedict's interesting article on The
Evolution Of the Prime Minister'S
ONCE" printed in The Star for Decem-
ber 90?
Horace Walpole was neither the first
nor ever Prime Minister. Mr.. Benedict
evidently is confusing him with very
different person-Sir Robert Walpole.
The Prime Minister does not as
rule hold any other cabinet position.
and the recently instituted salary Of
$4,000 double that Of any other caol-
net minister) does attach to the post.
There is no true analogy between the
Prime Minister'S selecting his cabinet
and the King his Prime Minister. The
Prime Minister, in practice as well as
theory, chooses his cabinet, but the King
acts on the advice of his ministers
Constitutionally, neither the Prime
Minister nor other cabinet ministers
reed be members Of the House OF Com
mons, Even today one or two members
are peers. But in 1910 the House OF
Lords was shorn of practically all its
remaining power and 1t Is improbable
that there ever again will be Prime
Minister who is q peer. The decisive
factor in excluding Lord Curzon OF keo-
lesion from the premiership-for which
he had claims immeasurably greater
than those of Stanley Baldwin-was his
being a peer. With an upper house
whose sole remaining power Is to delay
bills for a year or so (but not money
bills, England alone of great powers Is
governed by the almost dangerously
democratic system Of single CHAMBER
government.
It is not the case that until the
advent of Lloyd George in 1916 the Prime
Minister had always been recruited from
the upper classes. often from the peer
age" Lloyd Georges immediate prede-
cessor. Asouith, was of humble origin;
| Campbell Bannerman "a most 1mpor-
tant but much overlooked Prime MIN
lister. whose reign was marked by the
| disappearance of the last vestiges OF
British imperialism, Peel and Glad
stone came of prosperous business fam
! lilies of "self-made" men, while Dis
raeli's father was . writer OF mediocre
means OF 21 Prime Ministers since
| Pitt Is have been commoners. only SAX
were peers and two of those were created
during their lifetime. It may be men
toned that the habit Of really olstin-
guished Englishmen not to take tltles
perhaps originated with Pitt. OF the
seven most recent Prime Ministers three
came from the humblest homes three
from the middle class and only one from
the upper class"-Winston Churchill
who, by an interesting paradox, is q
self-made man in the best sense, since
he threw over the advantages OF hi
birth when, as a young man, he tooA
As his political leader Lloyd George, ther
a radical extremist, and has always
earned his living by the exercise OF MI
own talents as journalist and author
But the roots of England's democracy
strike deep. Even in the days befor'
Prime Ministers, the most powerful lead
ers of the realm frequently came from
the people. Instances are: Henry V1111
great ministers, Wolsey and Thoma
Cromwell, and Elizabeth's Cecil (after
ward Lord Burghley). John Churchill
Oater Duke of Marlborough, stranor'
and Laud and oliver Cromwell were o
the yeoman class.
The British cabinet usually has abou
20 members-twice - many - tn
American. It's chairman II the Prim
Minister. Each member has . vote an
the Prime Minister may b outvoted b
his own cabinet. This is . striking dif
ference from the position Of the Presi
! dent (the story os Lincoln taking tn