d George as Finance Minister and the possibilities are
obvious. Rapidly, drastically, and with his usual unexpectedness he
began to act. His Budget with its tax on property had alienated from
him the bankers and great financial houses, even where they were not
previously prejudiced by their Conservative tendencies, and he had
become anathema to them all. They had sneered at his originality, they
had called him an ignorant person and spat out their contempt at him,
but he had blithely brought them all to his will, whether they liked it
or not, cheerfully throwing in a few words of warning and denunciation
while he stripped them. Imagine, then, what he did in this crisis. He
sent confidently to these old enemies of his, the leaders of the
commercial and financial world, and said: "This country is thrown into
financial chaos. I want the assistance of the best brains of expert
people. I want you to give me your help as to the best way of putting
things straight. I require that help at once. Will you come down
immediately to 11 Downing Street and see me?" They went down to
Downing Street. It was no time to hesitate. The arch-fiend might yet
prove a savior. At Downing Street they found Lloyd George the most
courteous man in high position they had ever met. He sat at their
feet, so to speak. He listened attentively to all their opinions, and
evolved from their various statements a true picture of the case. Then
he took their suggested remedies one by one and quickly drew up schemes
of relief--all the time with their co-operation and advice.

His quick mind pretty soon probed the length and depth of the
situation. The firebrand and mob orator was, within a period of days,
skilfully and delicately handling the tangled skein of national
finance, winning golden opinions from his ancient opponents, not only
by his mastery of technique, but also by the bold way he welded their
views for new remedies.

Lloyd George went before the public and explained it all with a
clearness and potency which made it apparent that money was as
important as soldiers. It was in his first big speech on these lines
that he coined the phrase "silver bullets" and made the nation
understand that among his other operations was that of raising a huge
war loan, to which every patriot must subscribe. "We need all our
resources, not merely the men, but the cash. We have won with the
'silver bullet' before. We financed Europe in the greatest