• * * *. In spite of—or, perhaps better, because
of—Lord Reith's dis. appearance from the ranks of Ministers, it will not be inapposite to print a paragraph that was written for this column last week, but held over for want of space : There is One characteristic of engineers, as contrasted, for example, with lawyers. They get things done or made ; tha is their business in life. Lord Reith was once an engineer Familiarity with blue-prints no doubt fits him to some extent for the direction of Works and Planning, but drive and vigour, qualities which the first Director of the B.B.0 possesses in a marked degree, are needed even more for helping to win the war than for preparing to rebuild after int war. That may be worth remembering when the nen Ministerial shake-up comes. A man who has been general manager of Beardmore's, and chairman of British Imperial Airways, can hardly be short of executive ability.
It may be that the Prime Minister has something of importana in reserve for the late Minister of Works and Planning. If he can afford to dispense altogether with men with such records and qualifications we must be considerably richer in executive talent than any visible indications would suggest. * * * *
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