The appointment of Sir Ian Jacob to succeeed Sir William
Haley as Director-General of the B.B.C. ought to be received with general satisfaction. If it is not, the reason can only be that Sir Ian, who has never sought publicity of any kind yet, is not well enough known outside certain particular circles to be valued as he should be. Essentially a soldier with brains, he made his mark as Military Assistant Secretary to the War Cabinet during the War, and as Director of External Services at the B.B.C. he was an outstanding success till Mr. Churchill haled him away last April to become Chief Staff Officer to the Minister of Defence. Quiet and unobtrusive though he is, he will no doubt be firm where firmness is needed. If it had been thought that he would be released from his present post his name would have stood at the top of the list of probables for the vacant Director-Generalship. It shows a proper sense of relative values that he has in fact been released.
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