Boom After Byng

Having served the British police to the best of his ability, His Lordship Viscount Byng of Vimy published a report a month and a half ago that crimes of violence were increasing alarmingly, and retired (TIME, Oct. 5). Last week Scotland Yard had a new police chief. Following the British tradition, the appointment was given to a man who had no previous police experience whatever, Hugh Montague, Baron Trenchard.

Lord Trenchard does know all about airplanes. He was until last week Marshal of the Royal Air Force. In 1912 he taught himself to fly within a week. During the War he organized and commanded the secret air squadrons whose mission was to wreak frightfulness on German cities in retaliation for Zeppelin raids over Britain, a dangerous duty little reported in the British Press. In the army leather-lunged Lord Trenchard was known as "Boom," because of his reputed ability to turn an entire brigade into a column of fours without the aid of a megaphone or relayed commands. Last week Lord Boom, successor to Lord Byng, spared the ears of the Press by saying nothing at all, sailed for Canada on a business trip. He is expected to take up his duties at Scotland Yard Nov. 1.

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