Beschreibung:

Unique collection of letters from Frances Stevenson, Lloyd George long-time secretary and eventually second wife, to her parents, including several sent from Paris with accounts of the 1919 Peace Conference. In the first letter Frances writes "The papers seem to be getting very angry because the Peace Conference issues no news, but I think it is for the best way. I think something really definite will be settled in the next few days, and have not the least doubt that it will be a good peace, not one that will cause another war in 10 or 20 years time. Of course it will not please everybody, but that would be too much to expect. The French of course are very panicky about Germany, as you can well understand.. That is all very well, but this war is the result of the way the Germans treated France in 1871", 5 April, 1919. One month later she thinks "You will all be satisfied with the Peace Terms" but adds "The PM says it is a terrible document. There has been no such treaty presented to any nation since Carthage. All the same, I think it is a just peace, stern but not vindictive, though the French would have been inclined to make it so (this between ourselves). I should have loved to see it read to the Germans this afternoon, but unfortunately there is very little room in the Conference Room at Versailles". She also informed the parents that "I dined on Monday with the general who has been in command at Berlin since the armistice....He says, as does everyone else, that Germany is in a bad way. They are really starving and it is impossible to get clothes -excepting paper ones- excepting at the most fantastic prices", 7 May 1919. At the beginning of June "The French are very unreasonable. They don't want to make peace with Germany- they don't seem to see that unless you get the treaty signed now, there will be Bolshevism everywhere. Everything is at a standstill until the people know that the Peace is signed, and if Germany goes Bolshevik there will be no one to sign the Treaty with", 6 June 1919. Later letters are written once the Treaty has been signed and Lloyd George and Frances are back to London; sixty pages, British Delegation, 10 Downing Street and War Office, Whitehall April-September 1919. Also included are autograph note signed ('P') from Frances Stevenson to Lloyd George, congratulating on some speeches he gave in the House of Commons ("A magnificent and completely overwhelming speech. You have never done better and it is a long time since you had such applause behind you", "An excellent speech, full of interest and wisdom"). (quantity)