Lloyd-George

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

DAVID, a British statesman; born in Manchester, of Welsh parentage, in 1863. His father was an invalid and the boy was brought up under humble circumstances and in most unpromising surroundings. He educated himself and studied law. He showed great talent in his chosen field and through the winning of an important lawsuit involving the right of burial in parochial burial grounds, he be came widely known. He was elected to the House of Commons in 1890 and was re-elected without interruption. During the first ten years of his career he attracted comparatively little attention. ic notice as's bit- He first came into public notice as a bit- War. He B ter opponent of the Boer War. He and with warmly supported the Boers and with ng the this gained the reputation of being the He most unpopular man in England. He raobbed. was threatened, hated, and mobbed. ne war, however, the close of the war, however, Following ing ncreased and his his reputation rapidly increased and his evident that he ability had become so evident that he eral Ministry of was included in the Liberal Ministry of Board of Trade. 1906, as president of the Board of Trade. d Chancellor of In 1908 he was appointed Chancellor of his capacity put the Exchequer and in this capacity put age pension and through a bill for an old-age pension and for other reform measures. He was acbill aimed to tive in the passage of a bill aimed to If the House of cripple the veto power ower of the House of nted the second Lords. In 1911 he presented the second e National Inof his great reforms, the National Ino prominent In surance Bill. He was also prominent in DAVID LLOYD-GEORGE the bill providing for the disestablishment of the Anglican church in Wales, e Rule Bil and supported the Irish Home Rule Bill. campaig In 1913 he embarked upon a campaign, ee th the project of which was to free the land es and po by breaking up the great estates and profor form viding for a minimum wage for farm labor, rigid building laws, and other ts won radical measures. These efforts won for him the displeasure of the land-owning d War classes. The outbreak of the World War stions put an end to these domestic questions rt of for the time being. It was the part of the Ex- Lloyd-George as Chancellor of the Exchequer to arrange for war loans greater than ever required before, and in this he proved a veritable genius. As a result of the dissatisfaction with the problem of munitions, Lloyd-George was pointed and made in 1915 Minister of Munitions. He at once re-organized the industries of the country with marvelous efficiency and within a short time the army in France was abundantly supplied with its necessities. On the formation of the Coalition Ministry in December, 1916, Lloyd-George became Prime Minister. During this time he was practical dictator. On the conclusion of the war and the assemblying of the Peace Conference at Paris, Lloyd-George took a conspicuous and leading part. He and President Wilson were the chief figures of the Conference, and with remarkable skill, he obtained practically all the points at issue desired by Great Britain. During 1920 he put through the House of Parliament the deferred Irish Home Rule Bill and the measures necessary for financial and economic reconstruction.