The sun., 1919-09-07

Here another vein of the genius OF
the man revealed INSTRUMENTATION
He called captains of industry to-
gether, got them into groups of NUM-
ton production. rearranged profits, re-
arranged wages, provided that the
Ministry should control" hundreds OF
the greatest concerns. He called to
him men who had been his political
opponents. He was frank with them
he got frankness and service In re-
turn. He did not dictate or DOM
mate. He got the best out of men by
letting them know he had confidence
in them, and when he told them what
the country wanted they did it.
1t took months before the whole of
Britain was converted into a giant
munition factory. Nothing was made
which was not absolutely necessary
for the prosecution of the war. We
British are a self-deprecatory people !;
we often made jokes about our own
lack of organizing power. Yet to our
own amazement we developed a nearly
complete machine OF war organization.
providing munitions not only for our
cwn army but for our allies and for
America And the force behind it all
was Mr.. Lloyd George
When il was seen advisable to have
coalition on national government,
Mr.. Lloyd George worked with his old
enemies, Mr.. Balfour. Bonar Law,
Lord Curzon, Lord Miner He was
instrumental in getting trade unionists
to relax some of their rules so that
patriotic amateurs could work at the
same benches with the trade unionists.
When, owing to increased cost of liv-
ing, there were demands for higher
wages and threatened strikes, Mr..
Lloyd George FASTENED down to the
disturbed areas and secured a settle.
ment When compulsory military ser.
vice was mooted there was the posi-
bility of a revolt among English work.
ingmen. 1t was Mr.. Lloyd Georges
speeches which reminded them of the
path of honor.
He was the clear thinking, strong
man, and though he was always will
ing to conciliate war weary and war
racked men he never stood any nom
sense. Many Of his old associates
thought he was drifting away; they
did not like him hobnobbing with
Tories and capitalists; perhaps he
showed too much love for the empire
to suit them. Anyway much distrust
ABOUT his future as a Radical politi-
clan began to manifest itself One of
the causes of this was that practi-
cally everybody with whom he was
formerly in antagonism, the landed
classes, the capitalists, the middle
classes, who inclined to the Unionist
party while not accepting his politi-
cal doctrines. recognized him as the
man to win the war. Those who had
cursed him a few years before became
his enthusiastic, boosters
All this time Mr.. Asquith was Prime
Minister. He was Mr.. Lloyd Georges
: chief. Mr.. Asquith is a man of high
7 dignity and noble attachments. But a
feeling gradually spread throughout
the country that as head of the Gov
YerDment he was not showing the nee
essary punch" "a and the war was
dragging on into years. All his COL
leagues had not the same tremendous
energy as Mr.. Lloyd George. Some
ought to have been displaced. and he
did not displace them. A belief grew
up that he did not use the spur suffi-
GENTLY.
Evidently Mr.. Lloyd George came to
the same conclusion. 1 have heard
some people say he plotted Asquith's
overthrow. That is nonsense, EXCEPT
that he slowly and reluctantly came to
the conclusion that AsQuith, high
prlncipled though he was, was not the
man to stimulate a tired and torn ma
tion to the supreme effort. No doubt
MI. Lloyd George thought he himself
was the man. There was no personal
quarrel; but Lloyd George, as months
went on and the war was indecisive
recognized that Asquith must cease to
be Prime Minister. The time came
wren he must present an ultimatum:
either he or Asquith must go. As
quith, like the courteous English gem
tieman he is, adopted the only course
possible to avoid a conflict. He re-
signed.
Becomes Prime Minister.
Lloyd George became Prime Min
lister. He was hailed with a shout
oy the vast majority of the British
people. But the old Liberals were an
gered. They had great esteem for As
quith and they alleged there had been
FOUL play, and that Lloyd George had
been traitor, not to his country but
to his old colleagues. Mr.. Asquith has
never made word OF complaint. At
the new year there was general cleo
ton in Britain. Many OF Lloyd
Georges old friends were now his enc
mics. AT the polls Lloyd George had
the greatest victory that has ever
come TO any British statesman. The
Asquithians, the extreme Radicals and
the Socialists were utterly routed. Mr..
Asquith himself was defeated in a con-
stituency which he had represented in
! Parliament for thirty years.
Lloyd George rides upon the storm,
When the seas are tempestuous and
the waters would engulf other men he
mounts waves and directs them. Thus
it would seem that circumstances have
carried the British Prime Minister
from a minor politician to a great i'm
perialist
Emotional and Celtic, he is infiu-
enced by the flood OF public opinion,
but in turn his personality has power
over public opinion. He has the tie
nacity of a bulldog when he is con-
WINGED he is in the right. But he never
concerns his mind about non-essen-
tials. Sometimes ne is accused OF
yielding where he is expected to stand
! Arm, and il is said that he is an OPP
portunist. I suppose he is an oppor-
! I'm fqf haYf In, Nl,a hos. - 81,