WAR MEMOIRS OF DAVID LLOYD GEORGE 1917

42 WAR MEMOIRS OF DAVID LLOYD GEORGE
they thought were associated with militarist proposals. That
was the case with France. Italy — well, Italy was so reluctant
to wage war that she was months late in coming in,
and it was with great difficulty that the most powerful
statesman in that country was able to persuade the Italian
Parliament, even in the end, to declare war. The Italian
democracy was very loath to embark on war, and if it had
not been for the appeal of their unredeemed territory in
Austria, and the opportunity which presented itself of recovering
it, they would never have come in. Then, as for
ourselves, we have been reproached, and probably rightly
reproached, for our unreadiness. That is a very different
reproach from that of provoking war. The only rebuke
which can be justly levelled against the British Government
was that they were not ready for war. That, in effect, was
the spirit that animated the democracies of Europe, and if
Germany had had a democracy like France, like ourselves,
or like Italy, we should not have had this trouble. Liberty is
the only sure guarantee of peace and goodwill amongst the
peoples of the world. Free nations are not eager to make
war. The democratisation of Europe has come nearer within
the last few days. In fact, if there is wisdom amongst the
democratic rulers of Russia, not merely will Russia become
a great democratic State, but Germany must follow her
example inevitably; and the speech of the German Chancellor
within the last few days indicates that clearly.
What is the third aim? The disruption of the Turkish
Empire as an Empire. The Turks have been ruling, or rather
misruling, the most fertile and the most favoured lands in
the world. They have not ruled successfully any of the lands
they have conquered, and I am not sure that they are not
the only race in the world of whom that can be said. They
are ruling lands which were the cradle of civilisation, the
seminary of civilisation, the temple of civilisation, and, from