Images of Lloyd George The winter 2012 issue of this Journal depicts on its front page the standard, rather intense photographic treatment of David Lloyd George. Like most photographs, it gives no indication of the Lloyd George seen in other images, such as cartoons, paintings, mugs and ceramics. Biographies and general histories contain a number of differing versions of what Lloyd George did, his motivation, the impact of his actions and the personality through which he delivered those actions. There are largely favourable biographies by Thomson and Owen, stridently critical versions by Lloyd George’s son Richard and by McCormick, and more balanced views by Rowland and Hattersley.1 Alan Mumford reviews images of Lloyd George.

6 Journal of Liberal History 84 Autumn 2014 Images of Lloyd George

uch ‘outsider’ views are in his company that flavour of the people who viewed them. For complemented and occasion- final purposelessness, inner irre- Lloyd George, the main change in Sally contradicted by Lloyd sponsibility, existence outside the political environment was the George’s own direct contribution, or away from our Saxon good increase in the electorate – from 6.7 both from reports of his speeches and evil mixed with cunning million in 1900, to 7.7 million (all and through his articles and books. remorselessness, love of power.6 male) in 1910, to 21.3 million includ- The books were, of course, substan- ing many women in 1918, then to tially concerned with presenting This caricature in words was writ- 28.8 million in 1930.8 Two paral- his own image of his role during ten at the height of Keynes’ anger lel changes were the continuing the First World War and in creat- with Lloyd George, during the increase in adult literacy and cor- ing the peace treaties, and they 1919 peace-treaty negotiations. responding proliferation of news- conflict in places with the memoirs When he eventually published it, papers (there was no radio until the and biographies of other people, in 1933, he confessed that it was an 1920s and, of course, no TV). Lloyd particularly generals, that cover the unfair portrait, having worked in George’s response to these changes war.2 Frances Stevenson (his secre- harmony with Lloyd George on found expression in his relationship tary and mistress) recorded in 1934 unemployment in the 1920s. Lloyd with the press – which he said ‘must that ‘some of his friends think that George, however, retaliated in his be squared or must be squashed’.9 he would do better sometimes to War Memoirs: ‘He is an entertaining Thus he can be viewed as the first admit that he has occasionally made economist whose bright but shal- modern prime minister in the way mistakes, and been in the wrong low dissertations on finance and he developed that relationship, for but he seems incapable of doing political economy when not taken example, holding in 1922 the first this’.3 He did not keep a diary dur- seriously always provide a source of press conference ever given by a ing this parliamentary career; and innocent merriment to his readers.’7 prime minister.10 (Unlike Church- his letters to Dame Margaret and Yet another image of Lloyd ill, radio was not a major contribu- Frances, unsurprisingly, sustain his George is presented through drawn tor to his image). self-image.4 A lot of Stevenson’s caricature or cartoons (the word used Lloyd George’s predecessors material probably reflects what throughout the rest of this article). had shuddered with distaste at the Lloyd George wanted recorded as The most frequently used illustra- thought of trying to influence news- his views; his other main secretary, tion is that by David Low, and he is a LG (Low, New papers; he, on the contrary, was A. J. Sylvester, reveals less attrac- totally different figure in this image Statesman, 16 obsessed with the cultivation of his tive aspects of his boss.5 from the one seen in most photo- March 1926) image. Beaverbrook wrote, ‘Mr However, the image that has graphs: a twinkling figure engaging From 1919 to 1922 Lloyd George likes praise but not been most frequently seized upon the viewer in a sense of fun, enjoy- Low had drawn from a delight of flattery. He likes in books is that of J. M. Keynes: ment, participation. However, just as critical cartoons a good Press as a shopkeeper likes a with the written word, the various of Lloyd George, good customer.’11 Salisbury’s com- How can I convey to the reader, cartoonists depicted a wide variety but this cartoon ment about the Daily Mail – ‘a paper who does not know him, any of images of Lloyd George, as will be (part of a series written by office boys for office just impression of this extraor- shown in this article. on important boys’12 – perhaps recognised the rev- dinary figure of our time, this people) brings olution in newspaper style and cir- syren [sic], this goat-footed out his attractive culation which formed so significant bard, this half-human visitor The context for cartoons – side. It also a feature of Lloyd George’s relations to our age from the hag-ridden electorate and press indicates LG’s with the press, and through which magic and enchanted woods of The significance of cartoons is best large head and cartoon images of Lloyd George Celtic antiquity. One catches understood within the context of short legs. became more relevant.

Journal of Liberal History 84 Autumn 2014 7 images of lloyd george

The coincidence of vastly Stop Thief increased adult literacy and the (J. J. Proctor, The innovative ideas of Alfred Harms- People, 9 May worth (later Lord Northcliffe) cre- 1909) ated a larger readership. At the start of Lloyd George’s parliamen- Caption: Taffy tary career in 1890, The Times sold was a Welshman; 40,000 copies, and the top-sell- Taffy was a thief; ing London morning papers sold Chief of hen-roost perhaps 300,000. Of the Sunday robbers; May his papers, Reynolds sold 350,000 – but run be brief. the only 30,000. Only ten years later, in 1900, the In 1908 Lloyd Daily Mail was selling more than George said ‘I 700,000 copies. By the time the have no nest First World War broke out in 1914, eggs. I am the Daily Express (not yet under looking for Beaverbrook’s control) was sell- someone else’s ing 400,000; the Mail, 800,000; the hen roost to News of the World, 2,000,000; and rob next year’. The Times went up to 165,000 as The famous the result of a massive price reduc- People’s Budget tion. By the end of Lloyd George’s of 1909 proposed premiership, the Daily Express was new taxes. nearly up to the 1,000,000 of the The caption Daily Mail, compared with the makes use of Liberal Daily News at 300,000. The a then familiar Daily Herald, supporting Labour, gibe about increased from 40,000 before 1914 Welshmen. to 200,000 in 1921. Conservative- The dog is supporting newspapers outsold the presumably a Liberal papers (Daily News, Daily reference to Chronicle, Westminster Gazette and A. J. Balfour’s Manchester Guardian) by two to description of one over the period 1900 to 1922.13 the House of – Scott hoping to influence Lloyd through his newspapers, said that There was also a large readership Lords as the George while Lloyd George tried Asquith had to go, though with- for a substantial number of pro- watchdog of the to influence the content of Scott’s out necessarily supporting Lloyd vincial papers – the Manchester constitution. editorials, saying: ‘Come and see George as a replacement. North- Guardian, for example, was influ- me sometimes and correct my faults cliffe subsequently crowed to his ential outside Manchester. In 1910, or help my better self.’14 In contrast, brother, ‘who killed cock Robin’16 national and provincial papers both he was involved in the removal of – and believed he had had a major sold 3.5 million copies daily. The Donald, editor of the Liberal Daily input. LG brought him into gov- readership – and so the number of Chronicle, when he diverged from ernment to try and keep him quiet people who saw cartoons of Lloyd LG’s policies. There is little evi- – unsuccessfully: from 1918 he was George – was three or four times dence of contact with the editor of consistently an enemy of Lloyd this. We can compare this reader- the Daily Mail at one extreme or George. On 16 April 1919 Lloyd ship with the number who saw The Times at the other. George made a venomous attack on political prints in the early nine- He frequently (at least 700 meet- an unnamed newspaper proprietor teenth century, which was perhaps ings)15 saw Riddell, who was the (Northcliffe). He delivered a sarcas- 40,000 for best sellers. main director of Reynold’s News tic description of what he claimed Unlike Asquith, as in so many and the News of the World. Riddell to be this man’s ‘diseased van- other respects, Lloyd George fre- bought a house for him at Walton ity’ (tapping his head). In the same quently met editors and particu- Heath in 1912, frequently played speech he spoke of The Times as larly those of Liberal papers. The golf with him and recorded their being seen by people in France who most important relationship was conversations in two published dia- did not recognise it as ‘the three- with C. P. Scott of the Manchester ries. This seems, however, to have penny edition of the Daily Mail’.17 Guardian – who supported, encour- been a relationship as close to that Newspapers, including The Times aged, but then finally became criti- of friendship as Lloyd George was and the Daily Mail, provided exten- cal of Lloyd George – from 1900 ever prepared to engage in, as much sive coverage of the speech – but to the mid-1920s. The relationship as an attempt to influence what few cartoons. LG wrote his own with Scott is particularly interest- went into those two papers. speech; unlike Baldwin’s famous ing because it was most frequently In contrast, his dealings with attack on press proprietors in 1931, Lloyd George who called C. P. Northcliffe, owner of theDaily in which the crucial phrase was Scott to come and see him, often Mail and later of The Times, were written by Kipling. over working breakfast meetings. strictly political and full of mutual The other major involvement The relationship was symbiotic distrust. In 1916, Northcliffe, with a press owner was with Max

8 Journal of Liberal History 84 Autumn 2014 images of lloyd george

Aitken, who became Lord Beaver- published between October 1920 appear in the Dictionary of National brook at the time of the creation of and November 1923 with a print Biography, as do Poy and E. T. Reed the new government in December run of 30,000. (but not, strangely, Strube). 1916. Beaverbrook wrote some bril- These attempts to create news- The political impact of newspa- liantly readable but not fully accu- paper support must be seen in the pers is now thought by experts in rate accounts of his involvement in context of a press environment in this field to be most often to con- this change of government and the which the majority of newspapers firm views that the readers have later fall of Lloyd George, and his were Conservative-supporting and already developed. And this goes, (exaggerated) contributions to these presented him as at best devious too, for cartoonists, since they gen- events.18 (The ‘honours scandal’ of and at worst as a liar (see, for exam- erally produce cartoons that fit the 1922, which contributed to Lloyd ple, the Marconi debates in 1913 and political views of their paper. When George’s downfall, was initiated by General Maurice in 1918). In such Illingworth took over from Stani- the Duke of Northumberland, who a newspaper context, more often forth on the Western Mail, his politi- protested about the number of hon- unfavourable than complimentary, cal views differed from those of the ours for people in the press.) what was the contribution of car- paper. But ‘Nobody suggested ideas In 1901 Lloyd George brought toonists and how did they make it? The First when I started on the Western Mail. about changed ownership of the Benefits (Will I knew very well what the poli- Daily News, which thereafter sup- Dyson, Daily tics of the paper were, and I knew ported moderate pro-Boers instead The significance of political Herald, 1912) which side my bread was buttered. of Liberal Imperialists. Much cartoons The cartoonist must have a prag- greater was his financial involve- Political cartoons describe and eval- Caption: [The matic approach.’19 ment in the purchase of the Daily uate, often with pungency. In the Worker is Chronicle in 1918; not only did he days before TV they created a visual supposed to get direct its political views, but it image more powerful than pho- benefits from Style of cartoonists added to the Lloyd George politi- tographs. Low’s cartoon of Lloyd Lloyd George’s Act Throughout the period of Lloyd cal fund when he sold shares in it in George is more likely to stay in the while he is unwell, George’s career, cartoons were 1926. Perhaps the most extraordi- mind than the verbal caricature by but the Insurance more often intended to produce a nary involvement, had it come off, Keynes. The award of a knighthood Financier smile or even a laugh than many of would have been with The Times to John Tenniel in 1893 signified certainly gets ’s cartoons. However, there upon the death of Northcliffe in recognition of the fact that politi- benefits from were significant developments in 1922. Lloyd George sought to get cal cartoons had a more than trivial it all the time.] the style of cartoons: a decline in the financial backing to take over place in public interest. Beerbohm, The Insurance references to the classics; more use the paper and even discussed with Partridge and Low were later simi- Financier: ‘I think of up-to-date symbols and meta- Frances Stevenson the idea that he larly honoured; the award to Francis now you may phors. From the first significant should become editor and give up Carruthers Gould (FCG), however, give what is left cartoon of Lloyd George in 1894 in his major political involvement. was explicitly for his support for to the deserving the Western Mail, and through to This was on top of having set up his the Liberal Party. All of these car- poor, who have 1912, the general content was con- own coalition Liberal magazine, toonists were significant enough to provided all sistently moderate by today’s stand- this rare and ards – JMS, FCG and the Punch refreshing fruit. cartoonists in that sense remaining Unfortunately in the tradition of most of their pre- they will not be decessors. Criticisms of individuals able to judge and policies there were, but often of its refreshing more through the title and text qualities, but accompanying the cartoon than by they will never any portrayal of the participants in be at doubt for a physically exaggerated form. moment as to its FCG deployed what Low later rarity!’ called ‘tabs of identity’ portraying Chamberlain with his ever pre- Lloyd George’s sent orchid and monocle, with a 1912 Insurance mild emphasis on his sharp nose. Act produced However there was no tab, no great the first state- exaggeration in his version of Lloyd based scheme George. FCG appears in cartoon for sickness and histories frequently, although he unemployment. worked for a small-circulation Most of the (though politically influential) attacks on it newspaper, because he was the had been from first, and because he republished doctors and his cartoons in a series of books. He employers but made two comments which are of this cartoon particular significance in relation provides to Lloyd George. He said that he a different aimed to use ‘vinegar not vitriol’. criticism. And in relating his cartoons to his

Journal of Liberal History 84 Autumn 2014 9 images of lloyd george

The Responsible Party (JMS, Western Mail, 14 November 1904)

Caption: Robber (Mr Lloyd-George): If yer don’t ’and over the blooming swag at once an’ without no trouble, I shall ’old yer responsible for all the devastation an’ damage as’ll take place.

Lloyd George’s political career had started with a victory over the established church in Wales. In 1904 he was battling to reduce the control that the church had on schools.

A Counter Attack (FCG, Westminster Gazette, 3 July 1913)

Caption: The Tory Party: Deary me! What a dreadful, savage, dangerous creature! And we were only beating him with a broomstick! [The Tory criticism of Mr Lloyd-George’s speech at the National Liberal Club on Tuesday is on the lines of ‘Cet animal est méchant; quand on ‘lattaque, il se défend’.

Lloyd George had a continuing belief that the taxation of land would provide him with the additional revenue he needed. His attack on landowners stimulated Conservative attacks on him.

Insurance Act, and post-war dur- ing the 1918 general election. His cartoons are of great significance to cartoon historians but they only appeared in a paper with a small circulation (40,000) in Dyson and Lloyd George’s heyday, although Lloyd George reappeared when Dyson rejoined the Daily Herald with a much larger circulation (over a million) in 1931. However no other cartoonist followed his style. Another major change came with the arrival of Low in political beliefs (he was awarded page of the Daily Herald in 1912, in 1919, with a much more emphatic a knighthood at the suggestion of broke with this tradition. He line in drawing. Low in his autobi- the Liberal Prime Minister Rose- criticised policies and individuals ography said: bery) he commented, ‘I have never, both through dramatic aggressive since I devoted my pencil and my attacks on policies and sweeping I always had the greatest dif- pen to the service of the party, seen physical exaggeration. He was a ficulty in making Ll.G sinister any part of my duty to attack my socialist drawing for a paper sym- in a cartoon. Every time I drew own side. When my Conservative pathetic to socialism and concerned him, however critical the com- friends have asked me “why don’t to develop support for the working ment, I had to be careful or he you sometimes caricature your classes, regularly drawing a bloated would spring off the drawing own people”, I have replied “that’s capitalist figure. Lloyd George board as a loveable cherubic little your work not mine” ’.20 was one of the individual politi- chap. I found the only effective Will Dyson, whose cartoons cians he attacked, both pre-war, for way of putting him definitely began to appear as the full front example in relation to the National in the wrong in a cartoon was

10 Journal of Liberal History 84 Autumn 2014 images of lloyd george

Party Paint (Frank Holland uses the famous Three Graces statue in his cartoon for John Bull, 21 June 1913)

Caption: A Marconi Study in Black and White

Lloyd George, Rufus Isaacs and the Master of Elibank were accused of profiting from inappropriate purchase of shares in the American Marconi company. A select committee of the House of Commons produced three reports: the Liberal majority exonerated (whitewashed) the three; a minority led by the Conservative Robert Cecil condemned them; and the third was selectively critical.

The Modern Artful Dodger (Matt, Daily Dispatch, October 1913)

Caption: In bringing this famous Dickens picture up to date our artist has adhered rather too closely to precedent by showing the modern Dodger with his hands in his own pockets.

Lloyd George’s speech in Limehouse, London, on 30 July 1910 in defence of his budget was regarded by his opponents, both Conservative and Liberal, as an unacceptably violent attack on the aristocracy. This was still a reference point in October 1913 when Lloyd George referred inaccurately to pheasants eating mangel wurzels.

by misplacing his quality in sardonic incongruity – by sur- rounding the comedian with tragedy.21

I have difficulty identifying this radical policies chimed with what as a gentle genius: ‘I don’t mind his in Low’s cartoons of him. Cer- seemed to be Low’s own politi- attacks because he never hits below tainly much more damaging to cal beliefs. Like Dyson, Low was the belt. Now Low is a genius but Lloyd George was Low’s wonder- sometimes accused of being a he is evil and malicious. I cannot ful invention – in 1920 when he socialist but, unlike Dyson, was bear Low.’24 Low in fact criticised worked for The Star – of the coali- in reality only mildly radical and Strube for being too kind to politi- tion as a two-headed ass.22 Interest- mildly left wing, though strongly cians; certainly Strube’s cartoons of ingly Low depicts this figure in a anti-establishment. Lloyd George created mild amuse- relatively abstract form, without Low’s companion in the Bea- ment rather than shock. However applying the faces of Lloyd George verbrook stable, Strube, differed in he also created ‘tabs of identity’ for and either Bonar Law or Aus- drawing for the larger-circulation Lloyd George. In a speech in 1913 ten Chamberlain. Lloyd George Daily Express and Sunday Express, Lloyd George had claimed incor- was still a significant figure when and in his political views – mildly rectly that pheasants eat mangel Low moved to the London Evening conservative.23 His cartoons were wurzels (and that the pheasants of Standard in 1927, by which time certainly very different from those the rich were eating the mangel Lloyd George’s change to more of Low. Baldwin described Strube wurzels of the poor). Strube for

Journal of Liberal History 84 Autumn 2014 11 images of lloyd george decades continued to draw Lloyd described him as the ‘first gentle- 40,000 in 1870 and had reached George with pheasants and man- man of Fleet Street’, which perhaps 120,000 by 1930. Its rivals such as gel wurzels also present, as Lloyd sums up the nature of his cartoons. Judy and Fun had largely ceased to George’s son was delighted to point be important by the time Lloyd out in his nasty biography of his George achieved prominence. father. Earlier he showed Marconi The publication of cartoons Another magazine, Vanity Fair (cir- shares peeping out of a pocket or The decision by papers on whether culation 2,500), survived and pub- the £100 per week Lloyd George to use political cartoons changed lished a cartoon of Lloyd George in was earning as Chancellor. Strube during Lloyd George’s lifetime (and its last year, 1913. Magazines such said that Lloyd George has changed twice since). Political as London Opinion, John Bull, Passing cartoons gradually started to appear Show, and Bystander regularly car- … was the major reason why I regularly in newspapers after first ried cartoons, as did the short-lived took up political cartooning. He (circulation Lloyd George Liberal magazine – had all the qualities that a car- around 10,000) from 1888, and then though the long-lived Liberal maga- toonist dreams of. Apart from (circulation zine rarely did. None of the ‘heavy’ his great oratorical powers, he 20,000 in early twentieth century), political journals used cartoons, had expressive features, which decided to publish FCG. Both were the one temporary exception being were a delight to draw whether London evening papers. Only in the New Statesman, which printed as a conjuror, wizard, pirate, the first decade of the twentieth a supplement in 1926 of cartoons puck, doctor, farmer or a wasp century did a majority of the popu- drawn for it by Low, including under an inverted tumbler … lar papers start to regularly include one of Lloyd George. (Circulation, Even if he were tucked away in them – with the exception of the however, was then around 10,000). an odd corner he was still the Daily Mail, which held off until The national ‘heavy’ newspa- sparkle of the cartoon.’25 1918. The most important decision A Slight pers – The Times, the Daily Tele- was by the London Evening News, Discrepancy graph – published some cartoons The pheasants lasted longest in the which brought Poy from the Man- (E. T. Reed, The during the First World War. The cartoons and were an example of chester Evening News: his cartoons Bystander, 29 Observer did not use cartoons until Strube’s mild humour rather than were often reproduced the next day December 1915) the 1960s. The Sunday Times and savage criticism. In later years in the Daily Mail. provincial papers sometimes had Strube used Lloyd George’s cloak Newspapers had been much Caption: Hasquith cartoons by their own cartoonists and long hair as ‘identifiers’. later in using cartoons than maga- (to his pal Jawge): but often repeated those from Lon- In terms of the number of read- zines, and it was the establishment ‘ ’Ere! Not s’much don papers. ers who saw his cartoons in the Eve- of Punch in 1841, in particular, ’o your “Too ning News and Daily Mail, Poy was which gave impetus to the latter. Late”!!! What’s the Strube’s main rival. Northcliffe Punch had a circulation of about blinkin’ good o’ The involvement of newspaper me a ’ollerin’ aht owners what I’m a ’ollerin’ There is very little information aht, if you go a available about the decision to ’ollerin’ aht what carry cartoons, and then which you’re a ’ollerin’ cartoonists to use and which line aht?!!!’ should be taken. Beaverbrook, as owner of the Daily Express, Sunday Asquith in 1910 Express and London Evening Stan- told the Tories dard, was involved in all aspects of that they should his papers while constantly deny- ‘wait and see’ ing it. His personal role in relation what might be to cartoons was most evident in the done about case of David Low, who he pursued the creation of for several years to try and attract a majority of him from the London Evening Star Liberal peers. to his own , finally The phrase achieving this in 1927. He already became a had Strube for his most popular criticism of paper, the Daily Express. The Eve- his general ning Standard (circulation 334,000 approach. In in 1929) aimed at a slightly higher December 1915 market than its evening rivals and Lloyd George was thought to be read by ‘impor- made a speech tant people’. regretting that Low and Beaverbrook both actions were claimed that he was never censored constantly by Beaverbrook or anyone else at too late. Lloyd the Standard. In fact, at least forty of George obtained his cartoons were not used, usually the original after an editor or other executive drawing. had consulted with Beaverbrook;

12 Journal of Liberal History 84 Autumn 2014 images of lloyd george however, none of these relate to The Crisis (Bert Lloyd George.26 (Since Strube Thomas, London offered his editor a choice of five Opinion, 16 or six cartoons, the situation did December 1916) not arise for him.) Beaverbrook had a continuing interest in car- Caption: Lloyd toons about himself. Apparently he George: ‘A more sought copies of all cartoons which vigorous war included him in however minor policy, or your a role,27 and he particularly liked job!’ Asquith: Low’s version of him. Northcliffe ‘Kamarad! is recorded as intervening once – in Kamarad!’ the form of an instruction to the night editor of the Daily Mail to Lloyd George, publish fewer Tom Webster car- supported by toons.28 The only other proprie- Bonar Law, tor about whose interest we have wanted to take knowledge is Rothermere, who full charge of had complained to Beaverbrook the war. Asquith about the Low cartoons in which refused to accept he appeared. Low was told (success- this, but resigned fully) to tone down his cartoons.29 on 5 December Cartoonists were often less 1916 when he responsive to speeches than would realised he be the case nowadays. This was lacked support. sometimes true for historically important Lloyd George speeches, for example there were no cartoons about his description of the House of Lords as Balfour’s poodle in 1908. There were only two cartoons about Agadir in 1911, and even his great Queen’s Hall speech about the need for war in 1914 resulted in only one cartoon. Lloyd George had always been subject to criticism from cartoon- ists, for example, about his 1910 budget, the House of Lords, or the National Insurance Act (where he show Lloyd George’s personality. Cartoons of Lloyd George often was depicted as the devil). They Whether you took the extraordi- highlighted his Welshness, most generally made use of the more nary depiction of him by Keynes, usually through putting him in a radical elements of his speeches, or the less elegant denunciations supposedly Welsh dress, for exam- although there were also compli- of him as a devious and intrigu- ple as Dame Wales, a figure cre- mentary cartoons about his success ing Machiavellian politician, con- ated by JMS in 1893. Sometimes, in resolving strikes. The attitude of cerned only with power, these were however, he was drawn as a goat. cartoonists changed with the First more difficult to convey within the The most straightforward expla- World War, as he was recognised conventions then used by cartoon- nation for this is that a goat was a as the man who had been success- ists. Though nowadays cartoonists well-recognised symbol of Welsh- ful in the Ministry of Munitions. would have no problem in portray- ness, and nearly all of these cartoons Most cartoonists welcomed his ing Lloyd George with lies spewing were drawn before Keynes’ descrip- later appointments, first as Secre- out of him. tion of him as ‘goat footed’ in 1933. tary for War, then as prime minis- Cartoonists enjoyed portraying It may also simply have occurred ter. With the exception of Dyson, Lloyd George in a variety of roles, to cartoonists that he was nimble most favoured him during the 1918 which is most easily observable in footed as he moved from one situ- general election. Critical cartoons the Punch collection of cartoons on ation to another. In political circles re-emerged over questions such as him.30 We see Lloyd George as an the description of him by one of waste in government expenditure, acrobat, snake charmer, Cockney, his civil servants, Sir George Mur- some aspects of his struggles over shepherd, and character from Dick- ray, as ‘my Welsh goat … he feeds payment of war costs by Germany ens, amongst others. Other guises happily enough out of my hand at from 1919 and, eventually, the hon- deliberately set out to present a present’31 may have circulated in ours scandal. Critical and favoura- view of Lloyd George’s personality political circles, but may not have ble cartoons appeared following the and nature – as the Artful Dodger, been known to cartoonists. A fur- peace treaty with Ireland in 1921. as Long John Silver with his politi- ther interpretation is suggested by It was easy to portray Lloyd cal fund, or as Napoleon the man of John Campbell’s use of a cartoon of George’s actions: it was less easy to destiny. Lloyd George as a goat in his book

Journal of Liberal History 84 Autumn 2014 13 images of lloyd george

characteristics, they provide an opportunity for a degree of chrono- logical examination of the changes in depiction of Lloyd George. The collection of Punch cartoons referred to earlier took him up to 1921 (and followed the precedent of individual collections by Punch on Disraeli and Judy on Gladstone). General histories covering Lloyd George’s political life sometimes include cartoons; the Low New Statesman cartoon is probably the favourite. Punch cartoons are also frequently used, perhaps because Punch volumes are easier to research than newspapers. This is slightly misleading, because Punch artists tended towards observation rather than sharp criticism. Given the rela- tively small circulation of Punch, they were in fact less important in creating Lloyd George’s contempo- rary image. Since he was interested in cartoons it is very surprising that Beaverbrook includes none in his three volumes about Lloyd George (although he did include them in his small book Politicians and the Press).35 Not all biographies include cartoons: Lloyd George’s great-grandson Robert leads the way with nineteen,36 followed by Richard Toye’s volume on the same subject who gives us seven.37 The most recent biography by Roy Hat- tersley38 sadly includes only the Spy cartoon. A most interesting absence of cartoons is to be found in Frank Owen’s biography, the first to be based on the collection of papers sold to Beaverbrook by Frances Ste- venson. The absence is interesting not just in itself, but because Owen had been sent details of original The Goat in the Wilderness,32 which his long white hair, which he grew The Tie That cartoons and scrapbooks held in raises the possibility that the car- from the 1920s, his cloak, and Binds (B. Cory those papers. Lloyd George did not toonist was deliberately referencing occasionally his pince nez. Physi- Kilvert, Life, include cartoons in his six volumes the passage from Leviticus about the cal exaggeration is not usually part 8 June 1922; on the war and the peace treaties. scapegoat.33 Finally, there remains of the picture. Northcliffe once Parliamentary the question of Lloyd George’s sex- remarked, ‘it’s his big head on a lit- Archives ual activities, which have led to an tle body that I don’t like.’34 How- LGF/10/3/4) Collections of cartoons assertion that he was a goat in that ever only two cartoonists seem to At first sight this Institutions such as the Lloyd sense. But were cartoonists aware have seen the same thing: Low (see resembles the George Museum, the National of that aspect of Lloyd George’s life earlier), and Spy in Vanity Fair in chuckling Lloyd Library of Wales and the National and did they mean that sort of dou- 1913, although this was a charac- George image Portrait Gallery have small collec- ble reference? This would not be an teristically dull cartoon otherwise. of the 1926 Low tions of Lloyd George cartoons. issue nowadays, since references to (Photographs indicate that North- cartoon. But The British Cartoon Archive at the sexual activities by politicians are cliffe’s description was accurate). look at the eyes. University of Kent also has a num- more frequently made, for exam- This was sent to ber of cartoons related to LG. ple in relation to George Osborne Lloyd George by and his supposed association with a Cartoons in books Churchill with dominatrix. Lloyd George is, of course, fea- the comment Commemorative ceramics The physical characteristics tured in the collections of cartoons ‘Prime Minister. As well as standard portraits, car- of Lloyd George which cartoon- by FCG, Poy, Dyson, Strube and Rather nice’ toons were occasionally either ists increasingly drew upon were Low. Aside from their individual copied or developed especially for

14 Journal of Liberal History 84 Autumn 2014 images of lloyd george commemorative ceramics. The of what he thought were my best In 1933 Lloyd George was asked most famous (and most expensive efforts.’43 One included in this arti- how he managed to keep so cheer- to buy) is the Toby jug version pro- cle was ‘You’re Next’, showing him ful with all the anxieties and work duced by FCG as part of his collec- as the only surviving leader from which he encountered when he was tion on war leaders. the 1919 Peace Treaty. prime minister.

Lloyd George’s reaction to cartoons Grey and Peel in the early to mid- nineteenth century collected prints of themselves. There is no indi- cation other prime ministers did likewise until Lloyd George, who certainly did. However, there is no reference in the biographies of him that this author has read to Lloyd George’s attitude or response to cartoonists. For example there is nothing in Frances Stephenson’s diaries. However information from the Lloyd George papers,39 and from cartoonists tells us that he col- lected cartoons featuring himself. (It is not known whether he paid for them). J. M. Staniforth of the Western Mail received compliments from Lloyd George, and even more sig- nificantly an engraved cigarette case. Staniforth’s cartons were advertised in 1918 as being avail- able for sale ‘at 2 guineas each’. The obituary for Staniforth in the West- ern Mail says ‘The Prime Minister often asked for the original draw- ings. Many of these are hung on the walls of 10 Downing Street or at Mr Lloyd George’s private residence.’40 Lloyd George wrote in the same paper that Staniforth’s cartoons ‘were always free from malice and any suggestion of coarseness.’ Lloyd George regarded ‘The responsible party’ as one of Staniforth’s great- est successes and ‘it is always kept in Mr Lloyd George’s own house’.41 It is rather puzzling as to why this should be Lloyd George’s favour- Studies in ite. The 4th Earl Lloyd George Expression has thirty-four original cartoons (Harry Furniss, which were probably held by Lloyd publication George at Churt. Unsurprisingly details unknown) the original cartoons he held were Untrustworthy not strongly critical. and devious Lloyd George, apart from col- were some of lecting cartoons, sent compliments the adjectives to a number of cartoonists, such as used about Staniforth, Low and Strube. An Lloyd George interesting demonstration of his by opponents. views was that he persuaded Rae- Others saw him makers, the Belgian cartoonist, to as creative and go to the USA to enlist American imaginative. This help in the war.42 Low in his auto- is the antithesis biography says that Lloyd George to the familiar ‘had a little collection of originals Low cartoon.

Journal of Liberal History 84 Autumn 2014 15 images of lloyd george

The first thing I did, even before of inner irresponsibility, absence of the 4th Earl Lloyd George, and Dr I got out of bed was to take up Saxon good and evil (whatever that Nick Hiley at the British Cartoon the Daily Express, a paper with was) and cunning remorselessness. Archive. whose policy I often firmly Moreover, whatever the contribu- Approval of the use of cartoons disagreed, and look at Strube’s tion of Keynes description to the was given by Solo Syndication cartoon. That put me in good views of historians and biographers, (Low), Parliamentary Archives humour for the rest of the day. it was only read from 1933. The (Kilvert), and National Library of Strube taught me how to laugh views of cartoonists had been influ- Wales (Matt). at myself and that, believe me, ential for three decades before that. is a virtue which many eminent 1 G. M. Thomson, David Lloyd George: men would do well to acquire.’44 Alan Mumford is the author of David The Official Biography (Hutchinson, Lloyd George: A Biography in Car- 1948); F. Owen, Tempestuous Jour- We have no evidence that Lloyd toons. He has previously published col- ney (Hutchinson, 1954); R. Lloyd George’s interaction with editors lections of cartoons on the Conservative George, Lloyd George (Muller, 1960); and owners affected how cartoon- and Labour parties and two on general D. McCormick, The Mask of Mer- ists portrayed him. The fact that he elections, the most recent being Drawn lin (Macdonald, 1963); P. Rowland, obtained cartoons and commented at the Hustings (2011). Lloyd George (Barrie & Jenkins, 1975); on them favourably is not matched R. Hattersley, David Lloyd George by any recorded response by those Note: For copyright reasons some (Little Brown, 2010). cartoonists. We do not know cartoons are not available for inclu- 2 D. Lloyd George, The War Memoirs whether they were more inclined to sion in the article. (Odhams, 1938); The Truth About the present a softer view of him. Peace Treaties (Gollancz, 1938). Returning to the caricature of 3 A. J. P. Taylor (ed.), Lloyd George: A Lloyd George by J. M. Keynes, we Acknowledgments Diary by Frances Stevenson (Hutchin- can see that some of it appears in the The author is grateful for the help son, 1971), p. 261. work of cartoonists: the siren, the he received from Professor Chris 4 K. O. Morgan (ed.), Lloyd George: goat, the bard and Keynes’ implica- Williams, Mari Takayangi at the Family Letters (Clarendon Press, 1973); tion that Lloyd George was a magi- Parliamentary Archive, Dr J. Gra- A. J. P. Taylor (ed.), My Darling Pussy cian. What cartoonists could not ham Jones and Lorna Mason at (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1975). capture was Keynes’ observation the National Library of Wales, 5 A. J. Sylvester, Life with Lloyd George

16 Journal of Liberal History 84 Autumn 2014 letters

(Macmillan, 1979). 1972), p. 301. 24 A. Christiansen, Headlines all my unto a land not inhabited: and 6 J. M. Keynes, Essays in Biography 14 T. Wilson (ed.), Political Diaries Life (Heineman, 1961), p. 35. he shall let go the goat in the (Macmillan, 1933), p. 36. of C. P. Scott (Cornell University 25 Benson, Strube, p. 12. wilderness. 7 Rowland, Lloyd George, p. 70. Press, 1970), p. 384. 26 T. Benson, ‘Low and Lord Bea- 34 Taylor, The Great Outsider, p. 8 D. Butler & G. Butler, British 15 J. McEwen (ed.), The Riddell Dia- verbrook: The Case of a Car- 197. Political Facts (Macmillan, 1994), ries (Athlone Press, 1986), p. 17. toonist’s Autonomy’, Ph.D. diss. 35 Lord Beaverbrook, Politicians and pp. 213–215. 16 R. Pound & G. Harmsworth, (University of Kent at Canter- the Press (Hutchinson, n.d.). 9 M. Cockerell, Sources Close to the Northcliffe (Cassell, 1959), p. 513. bury, 1990) 36 R. Lloyd George, David and Prime Minister (Macmillan, 1984), 17 Hattersley, David Lloyd George, p. 27 A. J. P. Taylor, Beaverbrook Winston (John Murray, 2006). p. 67. 505. (Hamish Hamilton, 1972), p. 37 R. Toye, Lloyd George and 10 C. Seymour Ure, Prime Ministers 18 Lord Beaverbrook, Politicians and 678. Churchill (Macmillan, 2007). and the Media (Blackwell, 2003), the War 1914–1916 (Collins, 1960). 28 Pound & Harmsworth, North- 38 R. Hattersley, David Lloyd p. 180. 19 T. Benson, Illingworth (Political cliffe, pp. 6–7. George (Little Brown, 2010). 11 Lord Beaverbrook, Politicians and Cartoon Society, 2009), p. 10. 29 Benson, ‘Low and Beaverbrook’, 39 Parliamentary Archives, the Press (Hutchinson, n.d.), p. 20 Francis Carruthers Gould, man- p. 282. BBK/G/14/18. 108. uscript draft autobiography, 30 W. A. Locker (ed.), Lloyd George 40 Obituary of J. M. Staniforth, 12 S. J. Taylor, The Great Outsider Parliamentary Archives HC/ by Mr Punch (Cassell, 1922). Western Mail, 19 Dec. 1921. (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1996), LB/1/37/1. 31 I. McLean, What’s Wrong With 41 Ibid. p. 35. 21 D. Low, Low’s Autobiography The British Constitution? (Oxford, 42 M. Bryant, World War I Cartoons 13 A. P. Wadsworth, Newspaper Cir- (Michael Joseph, 1956), p. 146. 2010), p. 95. (Grub Street Publishing, 2006), culations 1800–1954 (Manchester 22 D. Low, Lloyd George & Co (Allen 32 J. Campbell, The Goat in the Wil- p. 28. Statistical Society Transactions, and Unwin, 1921). derness (Cape, 1977). 43 Low, Autobiography, p. 144. 1954/5); N. Blewett, Peers, the 23 T. Benson, Strube (Political Car- 33 Lev. 16: 22 – And the goat shall 44 Benson, Strube, p. 12. Parties and the People (Macmillan, toon Society, 2004), p. 12. bear upon him all their iniquities Letters Party Agents It is always a pity to spoil better known as a right-wing Peebles and Selkirk (later part First, how was it that the a good anecdote, but I am journalist. John Junor tells the of my own constituency). He individual votes in the different impelled to do so in deference full story of his youthful cam- declared that the Borders was boroughs were apparently offi- to this Journal’s reputation as a paigning in the Northern Isles a real hotbed of Liberalism and cially known? (‘Lloyd George source of accurate history. The and with Lady Glen-Coats on went off instead to become MP and the Carnarvon Boroughs’, correspondence on this subject pages 7–11 of his Memoirs (1990). for the universities seat. by Dr J. Graham Jones). My was stimulated by David Steel’s Incidentally, Orkney & My second recall was trig- understanding was that, fol- story about Jo Grimond being Shetland was only twice won gered by your report that the lowing the Ballot Act 1872, in asked about his politics by a by a Conservative, in 1935 and Buchan family became Tories order to guarantee the secrecy Lerwick solicitor, Mr Goodlad, 1945; apart from being local because of Gladstone’s ‘weak- of the ballot, given that the bal- after, not before, that solicitor Liberal organiser, Peter Good- ness in leaving General Gordon lot paper number was recorded had agreed to be his election lad would have been well aware to be killed in Khartoum’. In on the counterfoil, once the agent ( Journal of Liberal History that Jo was the sitting Tory the 1966 general election when number of ballot papers in the 80, autumn 2013). MP’s challenger. I was fighting to retain the seat ballot box had been verified, I have now come across an Michael Steed I had won in the by-election the all the papers from all the boxes earlier reference to Peter Good- previous year, my wife was told were mixed so that there were lad; he was the Liberal agent on the doorstep by one woman: so many consecutive series of in the Shetlands in 1938, not John Buchan and the ‘I quite like your husband as our the same numbers that it would at an election, but as organis- Liberal Party MP, but I could never vote Lib- be impossible to identify a par- ing a summer vacation cam- Two memories came flooding eral’. ‘Why not?’ Judy enquired. ticular voter’s ballot paper. Was paign tour by the President of back when reading of Liberal- ‘Because they did not send help there a different rule in Wales, the Glasgow University Liberal ism in John Buchan’s life (‘Lib- for General Gordon’! Years or was it not introduced until Club, in support of Lady Glen- eralism and Liberals in John later when I saw the plaque in after the period dealt with? Coats, then the constituency’s Buchan’s life and fiction’, by Khartoum on the murder spot I Second, there is a review of newly-selected prospective Lib- Malcolm Baines, Journal of Lib- reflected ‘that cost me a vote’. J. B. Williams’ biography of eral candidate. eral History 82, spring 2014). I David Steel Dr Charles Leach MP, on the The Liberal student con- regret I cannot recall the exact cover of which it is stated that cerned did later twice come quote nor its location, but I he was ‘The only MP to lose close to becoming a Liberal MP remember coming across the Queries his seat for being of unsound himself, in West Aberdeen- statement attributed to Buchan Two queries following the mind.’ However, the inquest on shire in 1945 and Dundee West when he resigned as prospective excellent spring edition of the in 1951; much later he became Tory candidate for his native Journal – concluded on page 51

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