[IV.]
MEETING ENGLAND'S PREMIER
N Sunday, September 10th, I had the good fortune to meet Lloyd George. He had been paying a visit to General Joffre, and was registered at the same hotel as the Commission. Through his secretary, and through the persistence of some of the commissioners, arrangements were made to meet this celebrated man. I happened to be the first one of the commissioners introduced. During my youthful days, while a clerk in a company store at Niles, Ohio, I had learned some Welsh, and in this language I greeted Lloyd George. He seemed surprised and was kind enough to remark "That is very good Welsh". This put me in close touch with him and I had quite a conversation. He fired questions quite rapidly. He asked me what business I was in and at the same time what chances Hughes had for being elected. I told him I had been in the steel business for a great many years, and that I was a delegate to the convention which nominated Hughes. I told him I had heard Mr. Hughes' father preach at Mineral Ridge, a suburb of Niles. All the other commissioners were introduced. During the interview, Mr. George made this remark:
"I hope your mission will be successful and help France; I hope you can also help England, and when we have settled our little difficulties, help Germany. The world is big enough for us all."
Mr. George spoke very kindly to me of both Hughes and Roosevelt, and at the close of the interview said with earnestness:
"We are fighting the battle for all civilization. We are fighting for you as well as for ourselves, and you are deeply interested."
I had the impression that the famous Englishman was of large stature, but was mistaken. He is a man about five feet, five inches tall, of slender build, with keen, penetrating eye and somewhat nervous manner; he is certainly one of the great men of the world.
In the afternoon with Dr. Mailloux, a member of the Commission, I paid a visit to General Gosselin, formerly chief of munitions, who had been in America on business for the French Government. He spoke very highly of the steel material furnished by the various American manufacturing plants, and said it would have been impossible for the French to succeed as they had without this help. He urged the shipping of steel on contracts with all possible dispatch. General Gosselin is an important personage, quiet and modest. I was told he had already been of great service to his country.
[Illustration: Lloyd George, Who Says "England is Fighting a Battle for Civilization.">[