The New York herald., 1922-10-20
LLOYD GEORGE LAST
OF THE Big FOUR
Wilson. Clemenceau and
Orlando Preceded Him
in Quitting Office.
HE LED THE COALITION
Merger of Conservatives
and Liberals Formed to
Carry OH the War.
CALLED AN OPPORTUNIST
Attacks Started by Northcliffe
Brought to Head by His
Near East Policy.

with WnOn he sat at HarlS as the DIG
Four" of the peace conference long ago
had been toppled over. Premier Or
lando of Italy was the first to go. His
Cabinet resigned in June, 1919. The
following January Clemenceau was de-
feated in a vote Of confidence in the
French Chamber and stepped out of
the Premiership. Two months later
the Senate Of the United States refused
for a second time to ratify the peace
treaty Woodrow Wilson had brought
home from Versailles. and in the elec-
tons of 1920. his party was beaten.
Lloyd George then became the most
outstanding figure among all the men
of the world who were engaged in public
affairs. His position, constantly in dan
ger from possible dropping away Of
one of the groups forming the coalition
on which his Government rested, was
strengthened, so far as history Is con-
cerned, after all the other war states
men had gone because it was he who
acted as Great Britain's spokesman In
the parleys last winter with the rebel
lous Irish leaders-parleys which led to
the creation Of the Free State and peace
after 700 years of strife between Eng
land and Ireland.
Had Many Foes.
On the other hand, bitter foes OF the
Prime Minister and his policies made
themselves heard. Lord Northciiffe in
the Times and in the other papers he
controlled attacked him savagely for his
course in Mesopotamia, the inability to
reduce Government expenses from war
TO peace footing, his continental policy
and his anti-French attitude.
The Asquithian Liberals, though few
in number, harried the Government on
it's international policies and the Tory
die -hards attacked II on home issues and
the Irish question. The last and SEEM
ingly fatal issue on which his enemies
fell upon Lloyd George was his Near
East policy. particularly the appeal to
the domnions regarding their attitude
should the Empire ask for troops. This
note. said TO be the handiwork Of Win
ston Churchill, was generally con-
demned.
1t was frequently said of him that no
statesman ever changed his mind on
important questions as many times. BY
some he was regarded as an opportun-
list who switched his position with great
speed and dexterity whenever the band
wagon seemed to turn In an unexpected
direction Nobody could ever tell what
he was going to do next.
Rise and Fall of Coalition.
The Coalition Government was formed
as war measure in 1915 by Premier
Asquith who appointed Lloyd George
minister Of munitions. He so distin-
guished himself in this work that with
the fall of Asquith and the declination
of Bonar Law to take the place. he be-
came Premier. During the war the Con-
servative and Liberal elements of the
Coalition worked together smoothly
enough. but, after peace came they be-
gan pulling in opposite directions, bring
ing on many internal crises. al, Of which
the sllillful and adroit Lloyd George
managed to adjust.
In December, 1918. following cam
paisn in which the coalition candidates
led by Lloyd George promised TO punish
Germany 70 the utmost he was elected
for a five-year term. Th@ coalition elected
AIS members to 229 Of the opposition. OF
whom 73 were Sim Feiners and did not
take their seats. The Unionists had
y
George Liberals only 1913. This re-
suited in sharp controversies. but as a
rule most of the Unionist leaders sup
ported Lloyd George in his policies.
Thus Lloyd George managed to keep in
power until it came to the Near East
issue. which precipitated the Conserva-
tive revolt.
His Romantic Rise.
The rise OF Lloyd George was an ad-
venture in politics filled with as much
romance as the lives OF those famous
Americans who, as the school books
say. came up from log cabins to the
white House. Although he is popularity
referred to as the welsh Wizard he
was born in Manchester. England, jan
uary IL. 1858.
For eighteen years he was a Liberal
member OF Parliament, representing
Carnarvon. Then came rapid rise 10
fame. His ascent to n place among the
mighty began In 1908 when Asquith be-
came Prime Minister. The little welsh
lawyer with the sparkling eyes
entered the Cabinet as Chancellor OF the
Exchequer. The next year In the great
Budget Battle" he routed the once
powerful House Of Lords. His achieve
ment in this fight was called the first
victory against the privileged citadel
of wealth in the modern world With
the coming on of the war Lloyd George
convulsed the country by introducing
drastic reforms In taxation which put
new burdens on the wealthy classes and
confiscated part OF the unearned incre-
ment' of land
Minister Of Munitions.
In 1916 when England was threatened
with strikes and Germany was scoring
heavy successes on the Western front
Lloyd George left the Chancellorship OF
the Eycheduer to become Minister OF
Munitions and with no other equipment
than private secretary and an ONCE
table. staked his reputation and his flu
ture on mobilizing the industrial re-
sources Of the nation before II was
too late
In this tremendous task he succeeded.
and so when Kitchener of Khartoun"
was lost az sea the Weshman took his
place as Secretary OF state for War.
With sir Eric Ceddes he pitched into
the work of reorganizlng the railway
system supporting the British armies in
France. Then. on December 6, 1916. he
was called to the Premiership. Almost
Immediately he substituted a small COM
pact war Cabinet for the larger and
more unwieldy Ministry that had gone.