The sun., 1919-09-07

Lloyd George Can Sway Individuals
as Readily as Crowds to
Whom He, Crates

Labor. was a working engineer: even
the Lord Chancellor of all England
Lord Birkenhead, IA years of age and
looking boy, started life as Frederick
smith, the son Of not very success
tui real estate agent at Birkenhead
the name assumed by his brilliant son
when he was made a peer. Men of
aristocratic birth do not attain high
position because of their birth they
reach there. however, like Mr.. BAL
four, because of their qualities. And
there Is nothing to hamper the deter
mined man, with no lineage. from at
tanning the highest office in Great
Britain. Indeed most of the men who
have the control of the British Empire
to-day started their careers on the
lowest rung of the ladder And the
most striking example is Mr.. Lloyd
George.
L remember him we'll in the early
days of his political career when. hav-
Ing done fairly well as an attorney
in a little Welsh town, his ambitions
became political and he at last found
himself a member of Parliament. He
was slim, dark haired man in those
Gays and not being well to do. lived
with his family in one of the cheaner
suburbs of London. He was not much
or speaker; he was labored in man
ner and was not very original. Like
most Welsh NJ. P.'s he was an adj
vanced Radical, a supporter of Home
Rule for ireland. an opponent to the
Established Church of England Che is
BaptisD, an antagonist TO the House
or Lords, an advocate of all which
goes by the description Of progressive
democratic legislation.
He did not spring into fame: his
Journey toward public recognition was
long and delayed. But 1 recall how in
tnose times, when debates were dull
and the House was near empty. Lloyd
George used to sit for hours in his
corner seat listening even to the
dreariest men and studying his fell
iows-and 1t is knowledge of men
quite as much as his energy and eIo-
quence, which has been the cause of
his success. / first met him at a lit
tie dinner in the House of Commons
twenty-six or twenty-seven years ago
He made remark across the table
which, have always remembered;
The best way for an unknown poIi-
dcian to become known is to attack
big man. He will get many knock
down blows, but he must Jump I'D and
continue the attack and never cease
Then the public will take notice of
him."
That remark 1 think was part of a
conversation about the way Lord
Randolph Churchill had achieved no.
toriety by his persistent and reIent-
less onslaughts on old man Gladstone.
Mr.. Lloyd George followed the same
tactics toward Joseph Chamberlain.
then the doughtiest fighter and
strongest Minister in Parliament. IT.
was at the time of the South African
War. The Welshman was opposed to
that war; he was among those called
Ero-Boers and was anything but pop
ular with the mass of Britishers. He
was denounced as a traitor to his
country. I have heard men proclaim
that he ought to be shot for deliver |
ing seditious speeches.
But the fierceness of his Welsh |
spirit was aroused. Night after night !
ne attacked the Colonial Minister. as
Mr.. Chamberlain then was. He
found himself" as a speaker. He
was vituperative, bitter; his words /
Missed and stung, and while the House |
ragged with anger Joe" lay back in |
his seat, his eyes closed, his sharp |
features alabaster in hue, pretending |
not to take the slightest notice. He |
was master Of invective himself, and |
often did he swing the lash around !
the shoulders of the member for Car |
narvon. This did not daunt Lloyd !
George; it spurred him. He never |
held up in the fury of his criticism.
Then he developed a new vein, the |