The Washington times., 1922-04-09

tice document before Lloyd George
procipitated an election In Great
Britain. He wanted q vote OF
confidence and to be securely
seated In the saddle before hs
went to the peace conference. He
know how to get it, through his
weIl-oiled coalition. Before the
shouting of victory died he
csshed in upon his brilliant lead
ership. His campaign was = tri-
umph for his cause and = rout
for his opponents. He promised
that Germany should pay to
Great Britain all the costs Of the
war. And the people believed II
could be done. Perhaps Lloyd
George believed It himself. He
has genius for persuading peo-
pie to 20 along with him. Per-
haps his plausibility enabled him
to deceive himself. I would not
be surprised. for he 10 one OF the
most charming and convincing
and attractive men in the world.
Upon his arrival in rhris. after
his triumph In the British cleo
tions. there was a story floating
about that ran like this: =,
Friend to George: 81 congratu-
late you upon your election"
Lloyd George: II thank you.
1t II . great relief"
A GREAT RELIEF.
Friend to George: "Didn.t you
have to make = great many
promises that you win findl II I'm
possible to carry out. particularly
the one that you win make Ger
many pay the fun cost Of the
warY"
Lloyd George: Eyes. I made
many promises. I am glad we
held the election 80 soon. II IT
had been postponed longer I
would havs had to promise much
more"
That dialogue may have been
invented.
II It has any foundation. Il re-
calls an incident in the career of
the late Senator Vance which he
loved to tell. Approached by a
mountain constituent with the
charge that Vance had made a
promise when a candidate he had
not kept when in Congress,
Vance replied. he asking his
critic: "Do you suppose I would
let . few promises stand between
me and an election7"
One thing is sure: Lloyd
Georges pledge to make Ger
many pay to Great Britain all
that II had expended in the war
was the basis for tho reparation
troubls that to this day has Jrs-
vented q return TO stability or
normalcy. When Mr.. George
reached Paris, with that impos-
sible promise fresh in the minds Of
his constituency. the British celegs~
tion would not consider getting at
the fixed amount which Germany
could pay. Frances politicians
had also promised everything in
sight. When President Wilson
suggested that consideration must
be had. not to the cost Of the
war by all the nations. but what
Germany was able to pay with
out destroying its ability to pay.
he was assailed In Paris as lack
ing in sympathy for France and
being too easy with Germany.
France and England did not APP
proach the fixing OF, the repara-
Ntion from any economic stand
point. II was political matter
with them.
PROPOSED ONLY WAY OUT.
: The United States experts pro-
posed, and President Wilson ap-
proved, that a study should be
made Of what Germany could pay
and the sum fixed at once. They
emphasized that Germany would
not 70 to work until the people
knew what they had to Day.
French and British economists
were not permitted to aocept the
American position. the only sound
cne, because their politicians had
promised that Germany should
foot the whole bill. They were
afraid to admit that they had out
promised themselves, for fear they
would lose their Jobs. Therefore
they played for delay. And delay
meant confusion and instability
and chaos. II the German reparar
ton had been fixed t's1s.ooo. .ooc,-
600. az proposed by the American
commission. and time given to the
Germans to pay most of II, France
could have realized a billion and
tho work Of reparaNons could have
begun at once. France and Ger
many would have both gone to
work and two years ago healing
and reconstruction would have