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Notes on a Prime Minister's Chef du Cabinet.

1.

The British Practice.

Perhaps a short outline of the British practice might be
useful.

The Prime Minister has the following assistants:-

A. A principal private secretary with, as a rule, one assistant.
This is an official chosen from fairly high up in one of the Government
Departments, and seconded for the purpose. It is a stepping
stone to a high departmental post. For example, Sir Robert Vansittart
is now Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office, and Sir
Patrick Duff at the Office of Works. The principal private secretary
spends his time between the Prime Minister's room at the House
of Commons and 10 Downing Street. He arranges for all important
interviews, writes all the more important letters, which the P.M.
signs, and takes general supervision of the P.M.'s engagements. He
is the medium through which the Palace communicates with him, and all
Government Departments. He never accompanies him on any speaking
tours, but always remains at headquarters to supervise the P.M.'s continuing
work. He is in a strict sense his official private secretary.

B. Personal private secretaries. These look after the P.M.'s
private engagements, such as dinners, visits, etc., and personal
correspondence, and continue with him when he is out of office.
Mr. Baldwin has had Sir Georffrey Fry for a good many years, and a