Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-11-14
ENGLISHMEN BELIEVE THE WORST
Horrible Easily Disproved but Widely
Accepted True-Fctons About Gaipoli Lloyd George
and Mysterious Disclosures From Berlin
By GILBERT VIVIAN SELDEs
Special CorrospoTdence EUeiiiii

LONDON Oct. 26.
LONDON lives on rumors Her papers
II print the news, official and semiofiicial,
Of all the belligerents. The communques
are always on the important page of the
paper. You can read them in fifteen min
utes and know what is going on, what Is
claimed by the enemy, what your own
troops have done But the good Londoner
doesn't read. He listens and he repeats
and, If necessary, he embroiders Iheh
he goes hunting for clues, for hints IN the
papers. Usually he finds them, and he has
a clue to the whole war.
For example, there is the most notorious
runor of the whole war, in regard 10 the
Gallipoli campaign. That rumor has been
given in full and nailed to the counter over
and over again You will find 1t in John
Nasedeld's book on Gallipoli. And at the
same time you will hear 1t repeated end
lessly by people who have never talked TO
an Anzac who was there and by some
who have. The rumor is that the evacua-
tion of Gallipon was such a success be-
cause it was paid for in British gold
| have heard the sum mentioned-t5,OOO'-
600 The name of the general TO "hom
II was paid was mentioned, too, and petore
| forgot 1t discovered that he hadnt oeeh
there There was never shred or evil
dence 10 support that particular rumor
The evacuation was In part mastertul
niece of legitimate delusion; In part II was
n miracle. In no part was IL disgrace
Vet the story of bribery is generally ac-
cepted, accepted in spite of facts, and II IL
still told in those private conversations.
No one ever repeats a rumor, or course.
THAT is as fact. The conversation goes on
cheerily and one man says "Ot course, you
know what rumors are. l don't pelleve
this one myself But doesn't II seem 10 ex-
ND "A
again.
lust now the two favorite rumors are
about the casualties on the Somme and
about Lloyd George. Then there is spe-
cial rumor, engineered largely by certain
periodicals, about "the unseen hand or
German influence still holding British states
men in their hands There are runols
about Greece and about Italy and about
Russia and about France. There are no
rumors about the United States.
Difference Between Asquith and Lloyd
George
Az for the Somme, II Is quite useless CIV
ing figures, for no two figures agree The
casualty lists are published, but no one
counts them, and you are always az hoerty
10 believe that they are not complete But
Won are certain 70 hear that they are ter
Tible," dreadful" astounding" The fact
that the British have the offensive at last
and tho added circumstance that the Of
fengive is always costly, do not make any
difference. All you need 70 do is to get
your figure, say that you heard H. and be
careful not to tell exactly where, and stick
TO H. There will always be people who are
ready 10 believe the worst Some or them
are in London Just now.
The Lloyd George legend can hardly be
explained to those who still believe that
the Minister for War is the idol Of Great
Britain. He is no such thing. Asquith is
nearer 10 that, and In the course of a long
sunmer's day you may not hear pleasant
word spoken Of him. Both men have ardent
admirers. but Asquith understands English
men and Lloyd George bullies them. But
since he is not the prophet, NOS even the
high priest, there are bound TO be stories
| a little bit richer than most. II begins with
a note by Lloyd Georges most enthusi-
| astic journalistic supporter to the effect
| that certain things were all right, and
civilian official interference would not be
| necessary. That note was reprinted in
nearly every paper in London with the
| added suggestion that It was inspired by the
! War Minister'S visit to France, II Is known
| that Lloyd George made a faux pas there,
| did something which he might not have
| done But no one knows what he did, no
| one knows the first thing about its Inn
portanee, and everybody talks OF H. The
day after the first note appeared another
| influential journal openly remarked that
| II the thing happened again II would feel
| obliged to tell all the facts. IL has hap
pened again, and the facts have not been
told-in print But privately you win hear
OF the terrible conversation which took
place between Sir Douglas Hais and Lloyd
George shep the latter ventured suEEes'