Ffynh 8M

I spoke in the House today a chefais hwyl anarferol. Glad I did it. Wasa bit ashamed of my silence but I could not break the ice for the first time. You have no idea what a feeling it is. I pitched into them as they had not been pitched into before. Hit straight from the shoulder. Wish you had been there. I got my chance & used it. The Government had published a false translation of the Transvaal documents! Just think of that. I bullied the Speaker almost. Joe [Joseph Chamberlain (1836–1914); Colonial Secretary] got him to call me to order for saying it was done deliberately. I retorted that if it was not done deliberately then the negligence was a criminal one seeing that it had sent hundreds of brave men already to their death. Either criminal negligence or forgery. I leave it to the right honourable gentleman to elect. It doesn’t matter to me which. The Radicals cheered. Of course I said Chamberlain personally could not have been guilty of such a thing. But I said someone has & I want to know who. I have never uttered such home truths in that House & no one replied to me. They seemed quite flabbergasted for the moment.

(Lloyd George to Mrs Lloyd George, 27 October 1899, National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth [Tip: daliwch Ctrl a chliciwch dolen i'w agor mewn tab newydd. (Cuddio tip)] )