MR. LLOYD GEORGE'S POLITICAL STRATEGY. [To the Editor of the
SPECTATOR.] SIR,—One of Mr. Lloyd George's most remarkable character- istics is his faculty for acquiring a reputation with no achieve- ment to back it. Everyone—including himself—takes it for granted that he is a great -political strategist. On what grounds ? There is one authentic instance—publicly so proclaimed by himself—of his political strategy, namely, the attack he made in Paris during the War at a critical time on his Commander-in-Chief in the field. " I know something
about political strategy and I am going to Paris to make an unpleasant speech," said Mr. Lloyd George. And he certainly did, but his strategy failed. His strategy to secure a General Election last January failed—killed by his own kite-flying. His Carlton Club strategy failed, as anyone who understands English psychology could have foreseen. If you are out to stampede English people you must not let them see through the game. " It ain't fair ; it ain't reasonable ; and we won't be druv.' " They immediately become awkward and obsti- nate. The strategist of the Liberal Party in pre-War days was not Mr. Lloyd George, but the late Master of Elibank. The fact is that Mr. Lloyd George's temperament is entirely destructive of all strategy, which is a cold, calculating science. Mr. Lloyd George may be the greatest spellbinder who has ever faced an audience. But spellbinding is as different from strategy as a cavalry charge is from the scientific deliber- ations of the Headquarters Staff. As a strategist Mr. Lloyd George has no discoverable form at all. And he is fated to split his forces instead of consolidating them.—I am, Sir, &c.,
STRATEGIST.
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