Feb, 12. put in his place. So-tre survives, and if the Coalition is not actually stronger t ever, those who prophesied that it would not last*two years must be regretting that' they were so positive. The commonest charge against Mr. Lloyd George is that he governs by opportunism. But remembering the state of flux and twbulence of the past two years, the inevitable result of war, it is Avoxc the telegrams that accumulated during the China New Year holid was an account of a passage of arms between Mr. Lloyd George and the Welsh National Liberal Council, with whom the Premier seems to have been losing popularity. We did rot print the telegram because something had to be dropped out and this one was very much like other disputes between the Premier and' his followers and ended in precisely the same way. There was, however, one difference. Mr.
Lloyd George wasted no finesse on the mutineers; he rated them soundly; poured vials of sarcasm the men who could only "mock and nag at those who; were doing their best''; told them that only by throwing in its lot to work hard for. the country now—in other words, this opponents will say, for its Prime "Minister—could Liberalism be saved from eternal damnation. In conclusion he asked them, indirectly but quite plainly, who they thought would do better for them' than himself.
Whereat the Welsh Liberals caved+in completely, metaphorically, running their tongues along the ground and pouring earth upon their heads.
This is indeed the abiding, strength of Mr. Lloyd George's, position, as pointed out recently, by our London correspondent. It is easy enough to pick holes in! what he does, although outside. England his merits appeal to us more than lis defects, and neo-! not @ to see what other course possible, even if the chayge be true. Everybody had his own ideas as to how the new age was to be formed sand was so set on them that he could listen to no otligr man's, Labour, in particular, Was in a thoroughly revolutionary state, or at Jeast in the, hands of revolutionaries, and needed the greatest delicacy and tact in management. We may criticize the method, but the plain fact is that the country was somehow pulled through the railway and coal strikes without a drop of blood "shed. Again as regards Trelund, there may be better ways of dealing with the problem than that of the Government, but nothing has been suggested which gets any general support. In view of the wretched history of the past four years, the only practical course was to make an entirely new start, as has been done in the Home Rule Act, which certainly gives Ireland a greater measure of self-government than ever previously dreamed of: and meanwhile to concentrate on the suppression of Sinn Fein, trusting to the ultimate self-assertion of the good sense of the majority of Trish people. Tt is arguable that some better course might have been found. We are only trying to imagine how Mr. Lloyd George may have visualized the general situation and his own line of action amid the most difficult circumstances that ever beset a statesman. where, we have been told, more; so than in Germany. But his, bitterest opponents are nonplus-' sed when asked whom they would But if in the first wild excitement produced by victory and the confusion of bringing back the country from the arts of
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.