It is not often that two major headships of houses,
one at each university, have to be filled at the same time. Today all Oxford is wondering who will be the next Warden of All Souls, and all Cambridge who will be the next Master of Trinity. There is an interesting distinction between the two vacancies. All Souls Fellows, I believe (like those of most colleges), elect their own Warden.. The Mastership of Trinity*is a Crown appointment, which means in effect that the Master is nominated by the Prime Minister. Though this is Dr. G. M. Trevelyan's last term—the normal age-limit of 70 was extended in his case to 75—Mr. Attlee has not yet indicated his intentions, and while two names, those of Professor E. D. Adrian and Sir Lawrence Bragg, have been prominent in unofficial Cambridge specula- tion, there is no ground for predicting that either of them will • be the Prime Minister's choice As for All Souls, there is such a galaxy of talent available among both resident and non-resident Fellows that the difficulty will lie rather in elimination than in selection. Age will no doubt disqualify some otherwise desirable' candidates. For the rest, something besides intellectual dis- tinction is needed in a successful Head of a House. Both Mr. Humphrey Sumner and his predecessor, Dr. W. G. S. Adams, presided over a high table which included many men who had made greater names for themselves in the world, but not many who would have made better Wardens.
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