itical history of the early twentieth century, and the mutual
confessions of Mr. Lloyd George and Mr. Balfour gave these two men an
insight into each others' motives and manoeuvres which was almost as
revealing. "Yes, you caught me that time," Mr. Lloyd George would say,
and then he would counter with an episode of a political battle in which
he had got the better of Mr. Balfour. The whole talk was lively and
bantering, and accompanied with much laughter; and all this time shells
from that long-distance gun were dropping at fifteen minute intervals
upon the devoted women and children of Paris and the Germans were every
hour driving the British back in disorder. At times the conversation
took a more philosophic turn. Would the men present like to go back
twenty-five years and live their lives all over again? The practically
unanimous decision of every man was that he would not wish to do so.

All this, of course, was merely on the surface; despite the laughter and
the banter, there was only one thing which engrossed the Ambassador's
guests, although there were not many references to it. That was the
struggle which was then taking place in France. At intervals Mr. Lloyd
George would send one of the guests, evidently a secretary, from the
room. The latter, on his return, would whisper something in the Prime
Minister's ear, but more frequently he would merely shake his head.
Evidently he had been sent to obtain the latest news of the battle.

At one point the Prime Minister did refer to the great things taking
place in France.

"This battle means one thing," he said. "That is a generalissimo."

"Why couldn't you have taken this step long ago?" Admiral Sims asked Mr.
Lloyd George.

The answer came like a flash.

"If the cabinet two weeks ago had suggested placing the British Army
under a foreign general, it would have fallen. Every cabinet in Europe
would also have fallen, had it suggested such a thing."

_Memorandum on Secretary Baker's visit_

Secretary Baker's visit here, brief as it was, gave the heartiest
satisfaction. So far as I know, he is the first member of an
American Cabinet who ever came to England while he held office, as
Mr. Balfour was the first member of a British Cabinet who ever went
to the United States while he held office. The great governments of
the English-speaking folk have surely dealt with one another with
mighty elongated tongs. Governments of democ