Lord Irwin's Appointment By appointing Lord Irwin President of the
Board of Education the Prime Minister has materially strengthened his Cabinet. At the same time—and this no doubt supplies the main raison d'être for his choice—he has materially strengthened that section of the Cabinet which thinks as he himself does regarding India. As a former Minister for Education Lord Irwin can be counted on to discharge .the immediate tasks of his office with complete efficiency, and his presence in the Cabinet will be an immense re- assurance -Co everyone who attaches importance to the faithful and punctual execution by the Government of its declared Indian policy. It should, moreover, go far to restore the confidence of the Indian Liberal leaders who, very unfortunately have taken such strong exception to the new procedure announced by Sir Samuel Hoare. The appointment of a Conservative to succeed Sir Donald Maclean, of course, upsets the political balance in the Cabinet, but no Liberal who accepted office to-day could claim to be representing anyone but himself, and if the vacant post had to be filled by a Conservative most Liberals would no doubt rather see Lord Irwin in it than anyone else. The return of the ex-Viceroy to active political work is an unqualified gain to the public life of the country.
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