A Spectator's
Notebook
IAM inclined to think a rather extensive Cabinet reconstruction is a good deal nearer than most people imagine. Everything hangs, of course, on the intentions of the Liberal Ministers. As to that the predictions of the newspapers seem to be governed com- pletely by their desires. Read the Conservative Press and you will conclude that, of course, there will be no resignations. Read the Liberal and you • will learn that the exit of the Liberals is as good as settled. For my part I believe the thing is not merely as good as Settled, but settled. It may, of course, get unsettled again before next week's Cabinet. No doubt the Prime Minister will make every kind of effort to keep his Government together. But fate is against him. By his statement of Monday (it is a strange world when you hear die-hard Liberals praying for Sir Austen back again) Sir John Simon has not merely made it easier for the Liberals to come out if they want to, but a good deal harder for them to stay in in any case. For if Liberals care about anything just now it is disarmament.. I shall be surprised if the resignations (Sir Herbert Samuel, Sir Archibald Sinclair, Lord Lothian, Mr. Foot, Mr. Graham White, Sir Robert Hamilton and half a dozen others, together with Lord Snowden) are not announced after Wednesday's Cabinet—with Ottawa not the only raison d'être. If that happens the question obviously arises whether Mr. MacDonald will feel he can carry on. All the odds arc that he will. Sir John Simon and Mr. Runciman, Mr. Thomas and Lord Sankey would still be left to give a Conservative Cabinet a National colour. And the retiring Liberals would only go into friendly, not antagonistic, opposition.
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