scue and entered upon his career
of patriotic salvation. Britons all over the world will ever remember
this distinguished statesman with the utmost gratitude as one of the
greatest of their Empire's sons.

Only those who were in any degree associated with Mr. Lloyd George in
this time of trial can fully realise the awful responsibility which
rested upon him, and the difficult nature of the problem he had to
solve. His work was done in face of a dead weight of senseless but
powerful opposition, all of which he had to undermine and overcome.

In later pages of this volume I shall refer again to the subject of
deficiencies in armament and ammunition. I have mentioned it here
because I am firmly convinced that, had my advice with regard to it
been listened to and acted upon at the time, the War would have
finished long before it did, and untold suffering would have been
saved to the civilised world.

I think it was on September 24th that a few 6-inch siege howitzers
arrived and proved of great help to me.

As I am about to recount the _pourparlers_ with Joffre which led up to
our move north, I am reminded that it was during these latter days of
September that my friend, Winston Churchill, paid me a visit. I think
of him in connection with this subject--quite apart from any question
of Antwerp, which was not then in danger--because it was at
that time that we first discussed together the advisability of joint
action by the Army and Navy. It was then that we sketched out plans
for an offensive with one flank towards the sea, which, although the
subsequent fall of Antwerp effected a drastic change in the
conditions, were the same in principle as those which took substantial
shape and form in the early days of 1915, and which will be recounted
in their proper place.

I cannot adequately express my sense of the valuable help which I
received throughout the War from Winston Churchill's assistance and
constant sympathy. Not only have I always indignantly repudiated the
shameful attacks which his countrymen have so often made upon him, but
it rejoices me to know that I have been able to do so--having a full
knowledge of all the facts--with a deep and true sense of the horrible
injustice of the charges brought against him. I shall have more to say
on this subject later.

On September 29th I addressed to the French Commander-in-Chief the
following note which was conveyed to him that evening by General
Wilson:--

"Ever since