The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-04
WAR STORIES

London March 14.-f Special Tine great European war has made aad un- made many regulations, but 10 one has grown so In the public esteem. in England at least. as David Lloyd George. the chancellor of the ex- chequer. on whom the task of financ- ing the war has fallen. And it is not in England alone that he is now ac- claimed as a great financier. France and Russia. to whose aid he has como with funds from John Bulls pocket, both hail him as the financial Nose of the age
 If anyone had asked the man h tho street few years ago what he thought of Lloyd-George as q possible linanes minister feven in times of peace, he would have been met with d seornful laugh. There has been no greater sur I.rise in English politics than the de- velopment of this-a few years ago -unisnown Welsh lawyer into q mas ter of finance. for that is the position that Lloyd George undoubtedly ecu pies today. Then he was known as a fiery agitator, a great man in opposi ton to worry and harry the govern ment and q wonderful mob orator. No one believed in his administrative pow CTS and when he entered the liberal government as president Of the Board of Trade there was good Geal of fear that he would make mess even of that then unimportant office. Lloyd- George, however not only did mol make a mess of it; he made it one Of the most important offices in the govern ment and he showed, by the Gse of his incomparable tact and ability in negotiations, how fl could be made a great engine for the preservation of ia- dustrial peace.
 When he was promoted to the chan cellorship of the eNchequer cautious men. still shook their heads and his first work there did not inspire con hdence in the moneEed classes. He fathered the national insurance act, which had practically eNery enlploSer in England bitterly opposed to it, and right up to the beginMng ,of the War he was the busbear Of, the moneyed and financial classes throughout the whole empire. f4. sa
 When the war began Iloyd-George again displayed his wonderful tact and it is to this quality alone that he owes his present reputation. He was a big enough man to realize that the task of financing the greatest war in history was too big even for a Welsh lawyer with no previous experience of high finance, and he called in the men who knew. It ,iid not matter to him that these men had heen his bitterest enemies. The country needed them, and he determined to make them his friends. Among the men whom he summoned to his aid were Lord Roths- rhild head of the world famous family of I ,1xepS and Iord-fban tiuullffo the chairman of the Bank of England In his choice of these two advisers among others he again showed wisdom for he combined in them practically the whole field of finance. Lord Rothschld represented the international side and Lord Cunliffe the home side of England s b; rking interests.
 l am told that both great financlers were, to put it mildly, surprised at the summons Like patriotic men, however they sank their own feelings and obeyed it. and they at once fell under the charm of Lloyd Georges personality. Now they are working day in and day out at the treasury. practically as unpaid managing clerks for the little Welsh attorney, whom they never tired of denouncing Q few months ago, and the nation is get ting the benefit of their vast financial experience and influence.
 I.loyd-George has not been unsrateful. Lord Cunllffe great Work TOT thsldilu mas been recognized by a peeraSe, and it is an open secret that some great honor is in store for Lord Rothschild when the war honors come to be dis tributed Some enthusiastic persons are sossipins about a dukedom, but an earl dom is more likely. Lord Rothschid is now baron.
 Another man who has given great aid to Lloyd-C George in his financial planning is Lord Reading, the lord chief Justice of England. who is better known as Sir Rufus lsaacs. He was on the stock ex- cl,Dnge before he took up the law, and when he was at the bar he was recog- nized as one of the greatest financial ex- perts in England. He has given up his