4 NOVEMBER 1922, Page 3

Mr. Bonar Law made his first important speech as Prime

Minister at Glasgow on Thursday, October 26th. As regards the internal policy of the new Government it had been decided to bring the Cabinet Secretariat in its present form to an end. He admitted that there ought to be an Agenda at Cabinet Meetings, but the Cabinet Secretary of the future ought to be a member of the Treasury, as the central department of Government. The affairs of the League of Nations which had hitherto been dealt with by the Secretariat would be transferred to the Foreign Office. Whenever international Confer- ences became necessary they would be managed by the Foreign Office. The immediate foreign policy in the Near East had already been laid down. As for Repara- tions, he himself had never encouraged people to expect vast sums. Perhaps now, however, there was a tendency to go to the other extreme and rather to understate the amount that Germany would be able to pay. He hoped to improve our relations with France, which had undoubtedly become bitter. America presented a much easier problem. With her we had common views and lie looked forward to the time when she would be associated with us in the work of the world. If she ultimately joined the League of Nations its value would be increased " more than words can say."