LLOYD GEORGE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16503, 2 August 1919, Page 4

LLOYD GEORGE.

CHANCELLOR, WAR MINISTER, AND PREMIER.

On an occasion, one day before the war, a man in England was telling how he saved a person from drowning. “1 swam out to him,” ho said, “made sure that he wasn’t Lioyd George, and then dragged him ashore.” That, for ten years prior to 1914, was tho attitude of the average middle-class Englishman towards this fiery little 'Welshman who is at this moment, remarks one of his journalistic biographers. enjoying a triumph probably without precedent in British politics. Conservative England hated him. and feared him. He was "the little Welsh attorney” or ‘The Nonconformist village Radical,” he was referred to, even in the dignified House of Lords in harsh, hitler, and contemptuous tonus. But lie could be neither eliminated by pi litical attacks nor suppressed by furious abuse. He remained tho most striking figure in British politics, and few escaped his sling. J4o was not always respected, but he was never ignored.

He was born -56 years ago, the son of people in humble circumstances. Two veins later Ins father died, and lie and Ids mother, left penniless, were taken into the care of his mother’s brother

Richard Lloyd, a village, shoemaker. The shoemaker was religious, a somewhat narrow Nonconformist. The natural ability of David Lloyd George demanded education, and tho shoemaker, grimly following the path of duty as he saw it marked, out of his sic-ndcr means educated his nephew, and enabled him to qualify as a solicitor.

Richard Lloyd died recently; Tho oltl Welsh Nonconformist lived to sec the boy, whom be bail educated as a matter of s>mple duty, become. Prime Minister of Britain at a time when Britain was crying anxiously for the services of her ablest son-,. What a pity i-hal he did not live a little longer, to see all England render homage to the modest little man who guided the Empire through the greatest iuter&etionai storm in history As a young solicitor George practised successfully in a village in Wales. Even before that he began to display a curious talent for making people writhe. He was only IS when he wrote violent character sketches of prominent politicians for tho Nort!; ■Wales Express, which are still remembered. About the same time be paid a first visit to London, and criticised everything with quaint, youthful confidence. The following extract- from his diary of 1881 is most interesting:— “Went to Houses of .Parliament. Very much disappointed with them. Great buildings outside, but inside they arc cramped, small, and suffocating. especially tho House of Commons. I will not say but that I eyed the assembly in a spirit similar to that in which' William the Conqueror eyed England on his visit to Edward the Confessor ns the region o£ Jus future domain. Oh, vanity!” That was in 1881. if Vi.' youth Cfuld only have, visualised lOlS! Mr. Lloyd George was 21 years of aye, before, in 1890, he stood for Parkamont. and was elecd«l for Cnrnavon Boroughs by tho narrow majority of IS. He has been in Parliament ever since. It is characteristic of him that no splash or flurry announced his arrival in the political arena. For some years he was practically not heard of.

Before the Boor war had boon long I tinder way the name of Lloyd George j was known to every man and woman ( throughout the Empire. Ho was not } famous—he was notorious. He savagely attacked tho motives which took Britain into tho war and the. British people as savagely attacked him. Tho littlo Welshman has never lacked courage, and ho is always a lighter. _ The whole country shrieked “pro-Boer' 1 at him, his life was actually in danger, tut ho defied everyone, and 3iit hack vigorously. It is not a very dignified chapter of his life, this, but it shows him as a man of uncompromising honesty of purpose, and Aidomitable spirit, who would follow the path ho believed to bo right regardless of consequences. Although he' held such unpopular views, it was known that this invaluable debater and worker could not bo kept out of any future Liberal Cabinet, So, when Sir Henry Campbell BannerIran formed his Cabinet in 1903, Lloyd George became President of tho Board of Trade. In this capacity he was a complete success. He put vitality and fire into a position that had seldom if ever been noted for driving power, and tho Board of Trade, under his direction, began to exert influence and power in the interests of the nation. This, tho attainment of Cabinet rank, in a sense, completes the first stage of the career of the nephew of the huiublo Welsh shoemaker. Lloyd George became known as a. groat adn.instrator and a fine political strategist. He was, however, never loved by the well-to-do-classes. His extreme radicalism, alarmed them. He worked constantly for the betterment of the industrial masse, 1 ?, realising clearly that there lay England’s most dangerous weakness, and lie showed no respect for wealth and birth. Tl.e aristocracy detested him. When Campbell Bannorman died, and Mr. Asquith became Prime- Minister, Mr. Lloyd George took office as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Almost immediately he produced the famous Budget ami the Veto Bill, which caused a tremendous uproar, but which unquestionably saved the. Liberal Govornmnt. His proposals for a- system of compulsory insurance against unemployment, sickness, and invalidity aroused tremendous opposition, and all employing classes called down the wrath of tho gods upon his head. But tho Cabinet went on witu the scheme. , . . Tho echoes of tho fury which the littlo Welshman had stirred up against himself in the years following on 390 b were still reverberating dully when tlio great ■war broke out, ana Lloyd George entered upon the second and most glorious stage of Fis wonderful career. Ho was then Chancellor ol tho Exchequer. Britain, as the , financial and commercial centre of the world plunging into a war that threatened to destroy tho whole economic system was trembling on tho verge of chac’s. If her financial structure collapsed, most of tho world would he involved in ruin with her. Lloyd George the power of the Government boldly firmly and ruthlessly. A moratorium was declared, and other drastic stops token Finance and commerce, tottering on tho brink of disaster, were propped up, given time to readjust themselves to new conditions, and gradually recovered, . In 1913 it was seen that tho future course of the war depended on muni-

lions. A huge organisation linrl to he cioatod, embracing; ovary industry, employing millions of operatives, stretching' its tentacles into remote lands after ■ cutial raw materials. Who was to n-dortake this colossal task? From

cry quarter, the call for Lloyd George ~;v-,e, strong and insistent. The little Welshman became Minister for Muni-

lons. In a. few weeks great munition

series sprang up all over England and Scotland, existing industries were bout to new purpose, and shipping, railways, labour, and supplies of raw material, were, controlled and co-ordinated so ns to give in the shortest time the desired result—namely the supply of munitions in cvcr-incrcasing quantities to our now armies.

In June, 1916, tha whole Englishspeaking world received a paralysing shock in the death of Lord Kitchener, Minister for war. Who was to become Britain’s military director? The question was asked hopelessly—but the man was waiting. David Lloyd George banded over the Ministry of Munitions, already running smoothly, and became Minister for War. Again he displayed that wonderful eapaett-y for taking control of a strange, machine that has made him an administrative wizard. One can imagine no more difficult task lor a civilian and a pacifist—for Lloyd George has always loathed war, and gloried in tiro name of pacifist—than that ol directing the enormous war organisation of Great Britain. He carried out the diifie.nlt and dangerous task, with complete -success. His personality, in the home of convention and red tape, was like a frc.sh wind. He made changes, selected his stall with keenness and insight, aroused little hostility, and put new life into the whole department.

The war went badly. Russia collapsed, tho submarine campaign threatened to cripple tho Allies, U looked like a drawn battle on the West front. Ihe country lost confidence in the Asquith Government, clamour arose against it, and it had to go. . Who was to lead Britain from'this desperate situation lo victory? Was it possible to find such a man? The voices of the nation, and particularly of the wealthy and aristocratic classes, iormerly his Utter enemies, was unanimous and unmistakable —’‘Send for Lloyd George.” So ho came into the highest post in the .gift of the Empire—the little Welsh solicitor, the nephew ol the village shoemaker, already proved to be the nation's greatest administrator and organiser.

lie led tiro British people through some black and terrible days, but he never faltered and never lost heart, Hi a voice was always a clarion cry to more work, further sacrifice, more staunch endeavour, so that victory might be certain. Cnlike most war leaders, ho hacked his optimism with performance. Two things among a thousand which he did. brought victory to us unexpectedly in 1918. Ho secured, in the face of bitter opposition, and shameless intrigue. the unified command, and he organised, almost at a week's notice, an enormous increase m the transportation of American tmojis to France. Without these performances, the Allied troops would not have seen the Rhino until the summer of 1919. What did Lloyd George do to bring complete victory' to Great Britain? His official positions during the wav period speak for themselves—Chancellor oj exchequer, Minister for Munitions. Secretary of State for War. Prime Minister. But ho lias done more titan that. He has expressed, in his own person, the characteristics which made the British people dominant in Utis war—namely, ,t passionate love of liberty and justice, unbreakable tenacity of purpose, an apparently limitless capacity for organisation. and re-organisation to meet new conditions, course in adversity, and an inextinguishable faith in the ultimate triumph of right. Is d any wonder that Britain docs homage to the little Welshman?