The New York herald., 1921-07-03


at last, after long innings when il was
in complete mastery of the nations life
and thought. and Lloyd George. who,
by sheer magic of his personality. by
wonderful political alertness and by
exchange and mart of principles. is
now fighting for his life against a
formidable combination of enemies
within and without his camp. Like the
old wolf that was the leader of his
pack until his strength failed HIM. he
is now attacked on all sides by those
who followed the trail with him. He
has no friends, but those who still be-
lieve in his cunning are bound to him
by fear and favor. This little group of
favorites and parasites are making
desperate efforts to save their master
lest they themselves be lost, and as
they dominate the press of England
their fight will be with strong arms
and ammunition, but they have over
whelming forces against them.
Tories Much Alarmed.
The Prime Minister'S most danger
Gus enemies are the Unionists of the
Coalition, who belong to the old Tory
party by instinct and by tradition.
These men have at last been scared
stiff by the immense increase in TAX
alton on capital, by the enormous
losses in export trade and by Govern
ment waste of public money They see
their old class threatened with ruin and
their political power extinguished by
the sudden uprising of free lance poll
ticians calling themselves anti-waste
candidates. and by the rapid advance
of the labor ranks in the political
world. Instinctively and intellectually
they are opposed to Mr.. Lloyd Georges
methods of buying off the Danes like
King Alfred-that is to say, by keep
ing labor quiet with unemployment
pensions. subsidies for Improbable in
dustries and increased wages under
pressure OF strikes For a long time
they gave him free hand that way
because it kept them in office, but now
they see their offices are doomed if
that policy is continued. and after
ward they will be not only doomed, but
damned.
So that there has been a secret con-
spiracy among them during recent
days to throw the pilot overheard. In
deed. 1t has been almost a mutiny, and
Lloyd George would have been de-
posed already if Andrew Bonar Law
had been willing to betray him.
Liberals BusiIy Plotting.
On the other side. Liberal members
Of the Coalition have been plotting
busily. They see that there will soon
be break up Of the present system
and that they will have to stand alone
again before the public. with what
rags of Liberalism they can cling to
as q cover for their nakedness. For
their Liberalism was swamped by the
Tory spirit Of the Coalition. and they
have many sins on their conscience
which they are now protesting, with
many promises of contrition and
amendment. to small groups of Inde-
pendent Liberals who have departed
from them and scorned them Over
breakfast tables and luncheon tables,
which is our English way, they are
trying to get together again and
formulate new programme Of Lib
eralism with or without Mr.. Lloyd
George. as they think will pay them
best. Their old leader. in spite Of his
wizardry. is no longer safe card. BY
his recent defiance Of Labor in order
to placate the Tory wing of his Coali-
tion he lost his place with democracy.
They have vowed vengeance against
him and they will have it. although
they wait ten years or more for 1t. His
support of a coercive policy in Ire
land also raised hordes of enemies
against him. and it is doubtful whether
the last hour effort to get terms with
De Valera will do any good at all with
those who look back on his policy in
Ireland with detestation and horror.
Lloyd George at Bay.
So this man who held the British
people in the hollow of his hand now
is very lonely and stands at bay. look
ing this way and that for any reen-
forcements. but he sees only a gather
ing Of hostile bands who once were
his supporters. 1 know him too we'll
to think he will accept defeat easily
or will be defeated inevitably. He has
lost none of his cunning in state
craft. He is of nimbler wit than any
man against him. He will play them,
one against another And listening to
the voice OF the people and their ur-
gent clamor. he will once again offer
them leadership to land their hearts
desire with a spell of words as allur-
ing as the music of the Pied Piper of
Hameln.
What I have just written will
seem rather small stuff to my readers