But offsetting all this is the man's persuasive and pleading personality
which always gets him over the shallow ground of ignorance. This is one
reason why Lloyd George has always been stronger in attack than in
defence. His tactic has always been either to assault first or make a
swift counterdrive. He is a sort of Stonewall Jackson of Debate.

Then, as throughout his whole career, he showed an extraordinary
aversion to letter-writing. He became known in Parliament as the "Great
Unanswered." He used to say, and still does, that an unanswered letter
answers itself in time. This led to the tradition that the only way to
get a written reply out of Lloyd George was to enclose two addressed and
stamped cards, one bearing the word "Yes" and the other "No." More than
once, however, when friends and constituents tried this ruse they got
both cards back in the same envelope!

Not long ago a well known Englishman wanted to make a written request of
Lloyd George and on consulting one of his associates was given this
instruction: "Make it brief. Lloyd George never reads a letter that
fills more than half a page."

There is no need of rehearsing here the long-drawn struggle through
which he made his way to party leadership. In Parliament and out, he was
a hornet--a good thing to let alone, and an ugly customer to stir up.
Whether he lined up with the Government or Opposition it mattered
little. Lloyd George has always been an insurgent at heart.

The crowded Nineties were now nearing their end, carrying England and
Lloyd George on to fateful hour. Ministries rose and fell: Roseberry and
Harcourt had their day: Chamberlain climbed to power: Asquith rose over
the horizon. The long smouldering South African volcano burst into
eruption. It meant a great deal to many people in England but to no man
quite so much as to Lloyd George.

Now comes the first of the many amazing freaks that Fate played with
him. The Institution of War which in later years was to make him the
very Rock of Empire was now, for a time at least, to be his undoing.

Before the conflict with the Boers Lloyd George was a militant
pacifist--a sort of peacemaker with a punch. When England invaded the
Transvaal Lloyd George began a battle for peace that made him for the
first time a force in Imperial affairs. He believed himself to be the
Anointed Foe of the War and he dedicated himself and all his powers to
stem what seemed to be a hopeless tide.

It was a cour