Evening star., 1933-10-08
WAR MEMOIRS OF DAVID LLOYD GEORGE
19l4-1915. Boston: Little, Brown Co.


Memoirs from a Punch cartoon
called Delivering the Goods we'll
typifies his war policy. 1t represents
Lloyd George driving fiery pair of
horses, with collars bearing the in
scriptions Capital" and "Labour," which are
hauling q dray full Of munitions of war. In the
background are smoking factory chimneys. As
the only member of the British cabinet who
remained in Office throughout the World War,
Lloyd George has much to tell and his memoirs
when completed are to fill four volumes. This
first volume covers the remote and immediate
causes of the war; which he says no one wanted,
except perhaps the Austrian premier, Berchtold,
upon whom must be fixed the chief RESPONSE
bility for most of what happened" He con-
tinues: The last thing the vainglorious Kaiser
wanted was a European war" The story Of
Englands reaction to the crash of August, 1914,
has been often told Lloyd George tells it from
the inside, but, like other statesmen when they
write memoirs, probably does not tell all he
might. His chapter on Sir Edward Grey, who
has died very recently, is frank Sir Edward
Grey belong to the class which, through heredity
and tradition, expects to find a place on the
magisterial bench to sit in judgment upon and
above their fellow men before they ever have
any opportunity to make themselves acquainted
with the tasks and trials Of mankind-and some
of them preserve those magisterial airs through
life" He considers that Sir Edward Grey Wis
count Grey of Fallodon) had no training for
leadership in foreign affairs was 'insular" and
knew little Of foreigners, and missed most Of
his opportunities.
The problems of munitions and labor inter-
related, were among the earliest to confront
the cabinet Because the Office at the
outset jealousy retained all contracts in its
hands, 1.-The result was shortage. delays, mishts
and muddles." The reports which began to
come from the front that the British troops
were inadequately provided with munitions
caused national alarm and political crisis in
May, 1915. The coalition government was
formed. Lloyd George, then chancellor of the
exchequer, became minister of munitions. He
organized the manufacturing resources Of the
nation, with the one objective of war equipment,
mobilzed labor, controlled the drink tra1hc.
These are probably his outstanding contribu
tions to the conduct Of the war-important
ones The first volume ends with lone culmi-
mating illustration at this period of our military
leaders capacity for blundering," the recon-
mendation by the general staff, favored by
Kitchener that the Salonika expedition should
be recalled, which was followed by the justi-
fable furious protest Of France that such q
course would be regarded throughout the East
as a token of weakness and irresolution. and
would mean the utter loss of the Balkans"
The comments of Lloyd George upon fellow
statesmen are often caustic as we'll as reason
ingly critical. Apropcs Of his failing to reach
Mr.. Asquith on one occasion, because Of his
absence at a wedding, he says: He had a queer
liking for weddings and funerals and rarely
missed one which he might be expected to
attend" Mr.. Asquith it seems, did not like
Theodore Roosevelt. At a luncheon party given
by Sir Edward Grey to Roosevelt, at which
Lloyd George was also present, lit was obvious
during the table talk that Mr.. Asquth had an
instructive dislike, which was not far removed
from contempt, for the dynamic American.
The prime minister made no allowance for the
real greatness of the man. He irritated by
his mannerisms." The observations about Bal
four Winston Churchill Foch, Haig, Joffre
Col. House. Lord Northcliffe and many others
are Illuminating. In the next volume there
will be comment without doubt, on Woodrow
Wilson and many other Americans
POOR SPLENDID WINGS. The Rossettis and
their Circle. BY Frances Winwar Boston:
Little, Brown & Co.
THE neurotic, appealing, artistic pioneers, the
! Raphaelites, whose poor splendid wings
were 80 frayed and soiled and torn," are the
living figures in this biographical narrative,
which is based on authoritative sources but
reads lilo q novel Frances Wnuar iS Cicilian