Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-04-11
LLOYD GEORGE DISSECTED

HibtNN "i' l'N NV Dl'u vi "nbH more
l. contradictory estimates have been re-
corded than of David Lloyd George. the
British premier. Observers of his course at
the Peace Conference have found it difficult
to understand him. as they failed to COM
prehcnd him in the earlier stages of his
career. One Of the best analyses of the dis
tingushed statesman is made by Z. Il. Ray
mond. an English journalist. 1t was first
printed in. Everyman in London and has now
appeared in collection of essays on Eng
lish statesmen. Mr.. Raymond uses a recent
portrait of Lloyd George as his point of
departure. Following are some of the in
tcresting and Illuminating things he has to
say:
ENTR. AUGUSTUS JOHNS notable
4'1 canvas will tend to avoidance of the
grosser kind of error concerning Mr.. Lloyd
Georges character. In regarding
it one begins to understand why tho subject
stands where he is today. Ore realizes for
the first time that there is great strength in
the man. Physical strength. first. DESPITE
lack of i:.ches: sturdy build. bull neck. pow
crful shoulders. the whole man approximate
ing TO that southern European type which
produces the greatest masters of swordsman-
ship. II type that surprises in the test of
battle those northerners who are prone to
overvalue mere stature. In fea
lures can be read an inhexibility of purpose
compatible with infinite plability of method :
an mpatience of opposition even a certain
ruthlessness-one of the ADLER Roman en-
perors of the later period from Ilyria or
Spain, might have had just such face.
GIT is not the face OF great master of
L statecraft: the brain behind those
rather skeptical eyes is quick and vigorous
but neither capacious nor subtle: il pniOys
an Intellectual game of draughts but chess
is rather beyond it. Still, so far as tbey
see, tho eyes see clearly. and the. brain.
within it's limits, is an admirable instrument
For the special purposes Of its owner per-
haps as good an instrument as he couId
| have. For Mr.. Lloyd George belongs essen =
| tally to the empirical school Of statesman
| ship. lie does not look before and after,
but only about him. He stands in small awe
| of precedent, principle or doctrine; he is
| always reader to experiment than to think.
Intensely interested in the things of the mo
ment, in himself and the people he likes. in
| the causes which appeal to him in his
| varying moods, no man has less sense ot
| the continuity of human things For hin,
| the present tick of the clock has all the
| dignity Of the eternal. Occasion
ally. like the German emperor. whom he
somewhat resembles in his krack of sayino
memorable things on trivial occasions las
WELL it may be added. as trivial things on
some memorable occasions, he rises TO YER,
considerable heights.
tNTNIIE fever of doing the gust and mas
l. sion of perpetual movement, the revo,,
against pagsivity are in his very blood II
thought is a malady. he is of ali mon tb,
most healthy, His poor acquaintance wifi
history and literature is less the conso.
ouence of lack of opportunity than of hi,
innate dislike of hard study. He ia in
sense indolent through excess of energy
What can be done at a sitting he does n,
well as most men but he quickly tire. .,
monotonous application, and his only idea
of repose is change OF effort. Tenc. th'
Just criticism that he raises many ouestion,
and settles few. that whatever he tou,ba,
he leaves n litter for some less gifted nsr
son to clear Up, aud that the more n.s
sionately he advocates a policy the less 4,
clusion."
u