Evening star., 1945-03-27
Britain Honors Lloyd George,
World War Prime Minister

LLOYD GEORGE.
--AP Photo.
were triumphant everywhere that
history will remember the little
Welshman. Cutting ruthlessly
through social tradition, govern
ment red tape and complacency in
high places, he mobilized 100000
British war workers, converted every
available factory to munitions pro-
duction, ploughed up the parks OF
the landed gentry to increase the
nations food supply, insisted on a
unified Allied military command
and by these vigorous measures
gave his country the extra burst
of steam needed to win the war.
David Lloyd George was born
January IT, 1868. in the grimy in
dustrial city of Manchester. When
young David was an infant his
father, William George, a Unitarian
schoolmaster, moved back to his
native Wales and shortly thereafter
died, leaving a destitute widow.
Her brother. Richard Lloyd, a
cobbler, aided her by rearing young
David and, as soon as he was able
to handle tools, employing him in
his shop. Lloyd George early showed
evidences of brilliant mind, and
his uncle encouraged and helped
him in his efforts to get an edu-
cation. At the age of IA he began
the study of law.
! 1t was in gratitude for his uncle's
kindness that the future Prime
Minister added the name Lloyd to
his own.
Fought Battles of Under Dog.
Young Lloyd George first came
into prominence as the result of a
fight in the courts to establish the
right of the non-conformists to
bury their dead in the churchyards.
There was something prophetic
about this. His career in Commons
was largely devoted to fighting the
battles of the under dog"-Welsh
miners, tenant farmers and the dis
possessed in the great industrial
cities.
When only 81 years old Lloyd
George first stood for Parliament
as the representative of Carnovan
Borough, district he continued to
serve in Commons for 40 years.
That was in 1890.
After Is years in Commons, dur
ing which he gradually became a
power in the Liberal party, Lloyd
George entered his first cabinet
post in 1905 as president of the
Board of Trade Ga position roughly
parallel to that of Secretary of
Commerce in the United States
under Sir Henry Campbell-Banner-
man. After Lord oxford (then
Henry Asquith) became Prime Min
lister, the Welshman was made
Chancellor of the Exchequer.
After bitter internal dissension
over the conduct of the war, Lloyd
George was named Minister of
MuIllllOilS Ill 1S10.
Rushed Munitions Production.
There was a serious shortage of
munitions in France. Lloyd George
surveyed British industry and vir-
tually commandeered every sort Of
plant-typewriter factories, novelty
factories, etc.-that was capable of
f,r fnr io1
With the tragic death of Lord
Kitchener, whose ship was sunk
while en- route to Russia in 1916,
Lloyd George succeeded him as Min
lister of War and later became Prime
Minister, post in which he re-
mained until 1922.
For nearly two years the fortunes
of war flowed steadily against the
Allies. Again and again it seemed
that the armies before Paris must
give way to the crushing blows
aimed against them by the Ger
mans. Frequent air raids-first by
zeppelins and later by bombers-
harried the British at home. In
1917 came the collapse of the Rus
sian armies in the East.
Through it all Lloyd George held
England to one single aim and pur-
pose-complete victory. He turned
deaf ear to all entreaties, both
from the enemy and from war
weary elements at home, for a
negotiated peace. He scoffed at the
Russian proposal for peace with
out indemnities or territorial an
nexations. Eventually his grim ef-
forts plus the arrival of fresh Amer
ican forces on the field of battle
turned the tide, and on Armistice
Day the Prime Minister led the
entire House of Commons to St
Margaret's Church to give thanks to
God for victory.
Problems of Peace Perplexing.
But the problems of peace turned
out to be no less perplexing than
those of war.
At the Versailles conference Lloyd
George occupied a position midway
between Wilson and Clemenceau
He shared the American Presidents s
dream of League of Nations to
keep the peace, but, being a Euro
pean, was keenly aware of the prac-
tical political problems that por-
tended in postwar Europe.
Although supporting the Wilson
ian program to a greater degree
than either Clemenceau or Orlando
who seemed exclusively intent on
territorial gains, Lloyd George kept
a sharp eye on British interests
London gained nothing on the con-
tinent of Europe, but received man.
dates over former German colonies
in Africa and the Pacific which
became in time virtual possessions
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