IF I WERE LLOYD GEORGE.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXVII, Issue 7920, 18 August 1917, Page 3 (Supplement)

IF I WERE LLOYD GEORGE.

A FEW FRIENDLY HINTS TO THE PREMIER.

Jij- HOIUTIO BOTTOMLEY, (Editor of “John Bull. )

f I hid week Mr. Bottomley—who oorrectly describes himself .as the “ utnoffieial M.P. lor the Man in the Street” —indulge.! in some timely, but at th-j same time friendly, criticism of the English Prime Minister, and offers ham various’ hints for the strengthening of his hands.

V F I were Lloyd George! Well, oi A course IF 1 were, 1 should have done whatever Lloyd George has done. *So 1 Lad better suiv “If 1 were in Lloyd George’s place”; that sounds a little, more modest than “ If I were Premier” —which reminds me of that play or hook 1 have seen somewhere, “ If I were King.”

The first is that he should prove himself great enough to at once undo some of the mistakes which anybody except a superman—and, thank God, we don’t breed supermen in Britain! —was bound to make in getting a Government together under the circumstances which were imposed on him. Mark that, please. I say the conditions under which he 'went to work at Cabinet-making were none of his fault. But they were such conditions a.-' made mistakes inevitable. Undo these mistakes to-day! Believe me, there is no shortage of men so far the problem of finding Ministers is concerned.

I need not say that I am no carping critic of the “ Little Man from Wales.”

\\ ithout ever having placed him upon a pedestal of super-manhood, I have always recognised that in the accidents and mutations of politics, Destiny pointed to him at the Coalition Gov- j ernment was breaking up. And cer- 1 tainlv since liis accession to power he has thrown himself heart and soul into his work —just as he did when, at that critical period in the war, he went to tho Ministry of Munitions. I am his candid friend, and l want to give him a friendly hint. To be qu'ite frank, there is just a vague suspicion of an idea on tho .part of the man in tho street —whose unofficial “M.P.” I profess to be—that there is a danger of the present Government “coining undone"—and that is wha we all wish to prevent happening.

My next advice to the Premier is either to close up Parliament altogether or be there to lead it when it is/ in session and refrain fr„om making amv speeches anywhere else. There is a restraint about the atmosphere of the House of Commons which is most desirable in war utterances, and there is always the spectre of “ Hansard” to keep one in check. And those constant trips to tho Continent. It is very plucky ot him to defy the danger of the submarine, but the Premier’s place is at home.

And, speaking of submarines, what about the munitions for the Navy? Mr. Lloyd George got the right guns and shells for “ Tommy”—can’t he do ditto for Jack? Why not call all the “Inventions Boards” together, sit them round a table and tell them that unless within a -certain time they can discover thi> winy to tackle tliese super-monsters of the deep they must pack up tiheir traps and “get”? We’ve got the men, we’ve got the ships and! we’ve got the money to down every submarine that ever made a German seasick, and, what is perhaps more important, we’ve got tho brains. Come, Mr. Lloyd George, let’s use them all —all our resources—and start at once as soon as you have finished reading this article. Never mind about visits to France, or Italy, or Jerusalem for that matter. Mr. Asquith, I am sure, would make a perfect plenipotentiary for the nation oil such expeditions. Audi I believe him to bo such a patriot that he would gladly take on the job. We want you to concentrate on the thing for the moment. Sink all other interests and then we aro confident that you will sink the submarine.

What then, is the explanation of the change of feeling of which one finds evidences in mixing with the people, as' I do? I have thought a good deal about the matter, and have come to tho conclusion that it is due to wlnt is), perhaps, the greatest defect of the Premier’s qualities—he is rather too often in

a hurry. Now I come to think of it, I fancy I see a certain meaning in that remark of Mr. Asquith when be went out of office—something about Bustle not being synonymous* with Business. Subtle phrase-maker is Asquith! Let us see how this defect of temperament works. Surely. Mr. Lloyd George was in a hurry when he formed his Ministry ! Would it be too much to say, in tho words of Mr. Churchill, that the War Cabinet was “a hastily clampedi-to-gether instrument of Government”?

What, proper place, for instance, have my Lords Curzon and Milner in the inner war circle? I don’t greatly object to my good friend Henderson being there, because, in theory at any rate, his presence is a connecting link between the Military and tho Civilian population, and should afford confidence to the great industrial class from which the bulk of our new armies! is) drawn. But clearly the other two members should have been Admiral Jellieoe .and Sir William Robertson. I am wondering whether whenever they are called in for consultation they feel the same reticence in expressing their views as that wo read about —in stomewhat similar circumstances—in the Dardanelles Report!

Tl ).on this food fcoleqv. lam only an outsider —but how many weeks ago is' it sinoo I said “Do it NOW, Devonport”? And now w’e are told we- must- wait for a month or two —when women’s hats may be included in the Order. Minister of FOOD —women’s hats'! OLD women’s hats! Apparently wo are to wait till all the corn in the country has been oaten —and then issue Bread Tickets! Surely this is one of the things for the Premier to see to. Better by far than robbing horses of their nosebags!

And look at some of tho other Ministerial appointments. Surely the

“Little nian” is handicapping himself too heavily. I am very fond of Sir Edward Carson, and am one of hisi .sin -

And national Service? We have shaken off the shibboleths of the Manchester School—don’t let us replace them with tho Blunder*) of Birmingham. Can’t the Premier issue instructions to every Department to at once “call up” such of those who have “enrolled” as tiny/ canut ilise, instead of shrieking for further applicants for work that is not given them?

eerest admirers —but is he occupying h position that gives the bes't scope to his talents? Docs he know very muon about ships and submarines? I once crossed the Channel with him—and my recollection is that lie is anything but a good sailor.

1 make no complaint about the retention of Mr. Balfour, so far as) Ins present post is concerned. He is, to my mind, well qualified for the position of Foreign Minister—courteous, cultured and courtly, and. withal, well-versed in international affairs. He is also : n political life a cruel and caustic critic—and it was a wily step on the part of the Premier to give him a portfolio. In the same way, 1 would certainly have

In a sentence, let the Premier be Boss—be Commander-in-Chdef of his Majesty’s Civilian Forces—ignoring the pedantry of the politician and the flyblown theories of the Economist—both dead to the clarion call of war-time necessity; and leave the fighting men alone. In Naval affairs consult the man in the short reefer and not the one in the long robe—and, at the War Office, him in the khaki, and not the one in the eut-awav.

endeavoured to secure the co-operation of Mr. Asquith, who is still, perhaps, the greatest political personality—as he is undoubtedly the greatest narliamentaiian—of our day. He should have been made Lord Chancellor, a post n which .ill of his best qualities would have had full play, and the duties of which—like those of Lord Reading, our wonderful Chief Justice—would have left him free to assist the Government wtli his counsel on any special problem w hich might arise. Whatever the shortcomings of thi‘ late Government, Mr. Asquith is to-day a wasted asset. So is Mr. Churchill.

Above all, no Secret Sessions. Tell us the truth. Let us have a. Whitehall Washington for once. Banish soothing syrup from the natinoal rations. Don’t let one member of the Cabinet Choir lull the nation with “Ring Ale To Sleep” while another frightens all the old women of the country with “The Bogey Man.” You must all sing in harmony if we aro going to have a song of Victory.

Finally,give the cranks and faddists) a wide berth. Don’t under the guise of war emergency let thorn exploit jvou. Remember that you are the guardian And now, “Techyd da i ckiwi!”

I*t me now venture to offer a few friendly hints to the Premier himself.

HORATIO BOTTOMLEY