War already most expensive in history
Lloyd George tells Parliament new taxes will be needed
London, 18 November 1914 - David Lloyd George, Chancellor of the Exchequer, has estimated the cost for the first full year of war for the United Kingdom will be at least £450 million; this is over six times greater than that spent by Great Britain in any single year of war.
Speaking at the opening of the present session of the House of Commons yesterday he stated: ‘No war has cost us anything approximating to the cost of the present war.’
There are already 2,000,000 men enlisted with another million expected to join the colours in the course of the next few months.
Mr. Lloyd George said that heavy taxation was inevitable, of course, and declined to comment on how long the war might last for.
He said: ‘I will not express an opinion on the duration of the war. No one could express an absolutely reliable opinion upon it. We have to settle once and for all the questions that have been agitating Europe.’
His Majesty, King George V, opened the new session of the House of Commons at Westminster. He arrived in a levee coach drawn by six black horses. This picture shows him in his field-marshal uniform. It was drawn by S. Bego. (Image: Illustrated London News [London, England], 23 July 1910)
King George V opened the session, having earlier travelled to the Houses of Parliament from Buckingham Palace, along the Mall, Horse Guards Parade and Whitehall with soldiers dressed in khaki lining the route. Instead of his customary gilded state coach, he chose a levee coach drawn by six black horses.
He said: ‘My navy and army continue throughout the area of conflict to maintain in full measure their glorious traditions. We watch and follow their steadfastness and valour with thankfulness and pride, and there is throughout my Empire a fixed determination to secure at whatever sacrifice the triumph of our arms and the vindication of our cause.’
[Editor's note: This is an article from Century Ireland, a fortnightly online newspaper, written from the perspective of a journalist 100 years ago, based on news reports of the time.]
