4 o THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF THE PEACE ch.

slight change of ground ; and he was liable, therefore,to defeat by the mere swiftness, apprehension, andagility of a Lloyd George . There can seldom havebeen a statesman of the first rank more incompetentthan the President in the agilities of the councilchamber. A moment often arrives when substantialvictory is yours if by some slight appearance of aconcession you can save the face of the opposition orconciliate them by a restatement of your proposalhelpful to them and not injurious to anythingessential to yourself. The President was not equippedwith this simple and usual artfulness. His mindwas too slow and unresourceful to be ready with anyalternatives. The President was capable of digginghis toes in and refusing to budge, as he did overFiume. But he had no other mode of defence, andit needed as a rule but little manoeuvring by hisopponents to prevent matters from coming to such ahead until it was too late. By pleasantness and anappearance of conciliation, the President would bemanoeuvred off his ground, would miss the momentfor digging his toes in, and, before he knew where hehad been got to, it was too late. Besides, it is im-possible month after month in intimate and ostens-ibly friendly converse between close associates, tobe digging the toes in all the time. Victory wouldonly have been possible to one who had always asufficiently lively apprehension of the position as awhole to reserve his fire and know for certain the