OCR Text |
Show k B R ifTS H CABINET CHANGES IMPEND Will Be Reduced to 12; Milner and Balfour to Retire. By Universal Service. LONDON, July 20. Premier Lloyd George, the Daily Express und or stands, ' will, without delay, reduce the cabinet to its old number, twelve. Viscount Milner, Mil-ner, General Smuts, A. H. Illingworth and Arthur James Balfour will retire, accord- ; ing to the same source. The premier is expected to make an important speech on the peace treaty In the house of commons tomorrow. The positions held by the members of the British cabinet said to be about to retiro are: Viscount Milner and General Smuts, members without portfolio; A. II. Illingworth, postmaster general, and Arthur Ar-thur James Balfour, secretary of state for foreign affairs. The change said to be contemplated would virtually amount to the abolition of the war cabinet and the revival of the prewar ministry of twelve members. General Jan Christian Smuts's resignation resigna-tion lias been rumored ever since, at the peace-signing ceremony at Versailles, he sprung a sensation submitting a memorandum declaring the terms too harsh. A few days ago he repeated tliis. advocating a policy of reconciliation toward Germany. Foreign Secretary Balfour's Bal-four's retirement would be a bard blow to Premier Lloyd George, whose right hand he has been ever since the premier supplanted Asquith. To Balfour is credited cred-ited tne bulk of the success of the British peace delegation's work at Paris. |