Tho inner meaning of Mn Lloyd George's reply seems to
be that he is confident of carrying. his audience with him when once he is back in the House of Commous, as he has done over and over again,, by sheer dialeetieal brilliance. Meanwhile hie reply is fired through the telephone to give his critics something which will appease. them.for the time.being.. As for the indemnity actually to be got from Germany, we hold that a full statement of expenses, including the cost of the war; ought to be laid before Germany, for only in this way can the full extent of her wicked- ness be put on record. If she pays. less, she will be"conscious of having got off easily. As we have argued several times in the Svectator, the Allies have a complete moral right to make the full claim. But we cannot honestly imagine-that Germany will ever be able to pay all she owes. What we can do and ought to do is to put Germany as rapidly as possible into .a "paying condition" so that we can extract the uttermost-possible amount that can be yielded by active industry and a physically capable population.. Unless these conditions be observed, we are likely to get almost nothing.
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