San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-22
MR. LLOYD-GEORGES SPEECH

David Lloyd-George's speech at Chi
cago was pre-advertised as his most
comprehensive American address" The
full text of it. as published. measures
zip to that description. Not only had
he treated no subject so eXhaustively in
any of his previous speeches in America.
but he would probably find it verv diff
ficult to outdo this effort If he tried. Nor
is it probable that ANYBODY else with
Europes troubles as his subject. could
surpass Mr.. Lloyd-George's Chicago
speech for either comprehensiveness or
clearness.
1t was not a lengthy speech; consid-
ering the subject, it was remarkably
brief But it was chock-full OF vital facts
simply and impressively presented. De.
spite his avowed effort to avoid the
rhetorical, the former premier could not
avoid eloquence.
What he did avoid most perceptibly
was ambiguity. No one who reads the
speech in its entirety could accuse him
OF equivocating. He left no room for
misunderstanding or doubt as to his
meaning. He was not disingenuouS;
that negative achievement, difficult I'M
der ordinary circumstances attending
public speech on controversial sub-
ject, could not but be extremely so I'M
der those which describe present inter
national relations.
Perhaps more noteworthy from the
standpoint Of possible political effective
ness is the fact that Mr.. Lloyd-George's
conclusions coincide with those already
arrived at by Americans. The people
OF this country had drawn their con-
illusions partly from impressions; in
their minds they carried an outline of
European problems. Mr.. Lloyd-George
filled in the details, and they fully con-
firmcd American impressions.
In respect Of policies, he made it par
ticularly plain that the British govern
ments attitude toward reparations is not
a factional one. Not only have three
successive ministries of that country ad-
vocated substantially the same method
Of dealing with Germany, but this
method is in keeping with a doctrine
which is traditional with Great Britain.
Germany must pay, he declared. but
she must not be destroyed. Britain, -
he said, "is opposed to any policy which
utilizes the obligation to pay repara-
tons as means of destroying prosper
ity. the well-being and integrity of the
defeated country" He invoked history
to show that Great Britain has practice!
this doctrine since time immemorial
ever striving to prevent any part OF
Europe from disrupting the whole.
The question of reparations, he went
on. is question of Germany's capacity
"lf we were convinced that Germany
was rich country shamming insolvency
i'll order to avoid payment OF her debts \ +
there is no country in the world that
would be reader to join with the pres
cnt French government in any action
that would be necessary to force Ger
many to liquidate her legitimate debts.
We are not convinced"
Germany was making payments before
the French entered the Ruhr. "The short
age i'll the coal deliveries at the time OF
the occupation of the Ruhr was trivial
Thus Mr. Lloyd-George shows the i'm
patience of the French.
Next to the matter of capacity. he
explained, the most important feature
OF the problem is show huge sums o.
money due from one country can b,