South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-09-05

as 10 how she wished 10 be served.
AS for Lloyd George, there is no
parallel for him in American politics.
or in world politics. for that mat
ter. So completely does the quick
silver quality OK the man defy terse
Characterization that 1t Is perhaps,
the safest course 20 let his political
record define him. II was By rea-
son OF his savage assault upon
England's esta blished order and the
English ruling class that Lloyd
George first rose 10 power. The
house Of lords was anathema TO him,
and not even William u. Haywood
ever inveighed so elOquently against
the tyTannies and expressions OF
special privilege and vested interest.
IL was In England in 1910 at the
time when he was driving through
the parliament act that stripped the
lords of their veto power. and every
true BritOn able 20 support a white
collar and top-hat cried out against
the Welshman as an assassin who
meant TO murder them in their beds
a form OF death that, for some rea-
son, seems to hold a peculiar horror
for Englishmen.
BY his passionate championship
Of labor and his strenuous advocacy
idol Of these groups, and Asquith,
forced TO recognize his power in the
liberal party. had TO make a place
for him in the cabinet. Growing in
radicalism, in order 70 effect a dis
tinction between himself and Mr..
Asquith's more conservative leader
ship, there is no doubt that Lloyd
George was reaching out for the
reins Of power, but the sudden eX-
plOsion Of war compelled q change
in his plans. His patriotism may
not be questioned, but even the most
ardent patriotism can be made 10
take on the color of ones desires.
out of his alliance with NOrthcliffe
came the bitter. unceasing attack
upon ASquith that eventually en-
abled Lloyd George 10 aid in the
overthrow Of his party leader with
every appearance Of sincere purpose.
He failed, however, to carry the bulk
of the liberal party with him in his
desertion, and this compelled an al
lance with his ancient enemies, the
tories No matter what the country,
reactionaries are ever hard bargain
ers and skillful traders, and While
Lloyd George rose to be premier, the
price that he paid was the recanta-
ton Of many OF his labor principles,
complete abandonment Of home rule.
and the placing of such tories as
BOnar Law, Carson, Miner, Curzon
and Balfour at his right hand in
! seats of power.
From that day TO this his career
has been marked by one patent op-
pOrtunism after the other Even
while basing his December campaign
upon assertions that Germany would
be squeezed to the last pfennig and
/ that the kaiser would be tried and
/ hanged in the Tower of London, he
\ was solemnly assuring the liberal
thought of England that he would
/ stand for the League Of Nations and
/ a peace of Justice In Paris he
| fairly lubbled with enthusiasm over
| the rights Of small people and at
the same time ordered fresh troops
to Ireland, Egypt, and India to
crush the rebellions of unhappy peo-
! pies. one moment with Clemenceau
and Sonnino, the next a fine sup
/ porter of the president, he swung
I like a pendulum between the COM
/ pulsions Of his own decent principles
/ and the necessity Of placating his
( tory masters. To quote the words
/ Of DR.. Dillon, an Englishman and a
! former admirer of the premier, his
/ conduct appeared to careful ObSerV-
/ ers TO be traced mainly by outside
/ influences, and as these were vari-
/ Gus and changing, the result was
/ ZigZag. one day he would lay down
/ q certain proposition as a dogma not
/ TO be modified, and before the week
was out he would advance the con
I trary proposition and maintain that
I with equal warmth and doubtless
/ with equal conviction. Guided by
/ no sound knowledge and devoid of
/ the ballast of principle, he was
tossed and driven hither and thither
| like a wreck on the ocean
"A CURIOUS compound OF drama,
! oratOry, craft cynicism, vision, dem
! agogism, and idealism, the perfec-
| ton OF the blend made Lloyd George
] at once a hope and a depair. Only
/ the brilliant aUdacity Of the man,
| his humor. bubbling gaiety, and
/ charm, enabled him TO carry off sit
} uations that would have shamed an
other.
I AT no time was the president de-
/ ceived as TO the character or intent
| OF his colleagues. one of his most
/ valuable possessions is an unCanny
I gift of appraisement, and from the
! first he assessed each man fairly and
| accurately. The impassioned ma
/ tiOnaliSm OF ClemenCeau, the medi-
I eNdIlSln OF oOnnlnOs ana the grass
/ hopper mind Of Lloyd George were
/ simple of understanding after the
/ first few meetings. and with every
personal obstacle clear in his mind,
I he set 10 work on the accomplish
ment OF the purposes that had
I brought him 20 Paris Mr.. Keynes,
with glib authoritativeness, may de-
clare that the president had thought
/ out nothing; when ii came TO prac-
/ tice. his thoughts were nebulous and
! incomplete, but the facts dispute
I this impudent assertion at every
: turn. What the president carried
| TO the peace conference was a defn-
/ tie, concrete plan for a League Of
/ Nations, not as an afterthought, but
as an integral part Of the treaty, its
I very foundation, in fact. for he saw
/ plainly that the one hope OF a Just
| peace, a world peace, was in the
/ quick creation Of an independent,
/ impartial machinery of adjustment
and adjudication.
I'm driving 70 his goal however,
\ he was arbitrarily limited both by
J internal and external restraints.
/ Every war impulse of hts nature
/ stirred 70 the pathOs OF the desc