y. From the summer of 1917, no matter what Germany had proposed,
Lloyd George would always have rejected it as inadequate.

In consequence of this it was quite immaterial later to the course of
the war that Germany not only did nothing whatever to allay English
fears, but, on the contrary, poured oil in the fire and fanned the
flames.

Germany, the leading military Power in the war, never for one moment
thought of agreeing to disarmament under international control. After
my speech in Budapest I was received in Berlin not in an unfriendly
manner, but with a sort of pity, as some poor insane person might be
treated. The subject was avoided as much as possible. Erzberger alone
told me of his complete agreement with me.

Had Germany been victorious her militarism would have increased
enormously. In the summer of 1917 I spoke to several generals of high
standing on the Western front, who unanimously declared that after the
war armaments must be maintained, but on a very much greater scale.
They compared this war with the first Punic War. It would be continued
and its continuation be prepared for; in short, the tactics of
Versailles. The standard of violence must be planted, and would be the
banner of the generals, the Pan-Germans, the Fatherland Party, etc.
etc. They thought as little about a reconciliation of the nations
after the war as did the Supreme Council of Four at Versailles, and
Emperor, Government and Reichstag floundered helplessly in this
torrent of violent purpose.

The military spirit flourished on the Spree as it is doing now on the
Seine and the Thames. Lloyd George and Unter den Linden in Berlin.
The only difference between Foch and Ludendorff is that the one is a
Frenchman and the other a German; as men they are as like as two peas.

The Entente is victorious, and many millions are delighted and declare
that the policy of Might is justified. The future only can show
whether this is not a terrible mistake. The lives of hundreds of
thousands of young, hopeful men who have fallen might have been saved
if in 1917 peace had been made possible for us. The triumph of victory
cannot call them back to life again. It appears to me that the Entente
has conquered too much, too thoroughly. The madness of expiring
militarism, in spite of all its orgies, has perhaps celebrated its
last triumph at Versailles.

Postscript.

Taking it altogether, the real historical truth concerning the peace
movement is that, i