ABSTRACT
In a v a led ic to ry n o te to G e d d e s in 1922 L loyd G eo rg e w ro te , 'To m e you h av e b ee n o n e o f th e lu ck iest “ d isco v eries" in life. W h en I th in k of th e quaffly [sic] p laces o n th e ro ad y o u w ith y o u r s tre n g th a n d re so u rce h e lp e d to lift th e ca rt o u t o f '.3 L loyd G e o rg e 's d isco v ery of G e d d e s w as large ly fictional o n tw o g ro u n d s . F irst, th e S ecre tary of S ta te for War, Lord K itchener, w as w ell aw are of h is p o ten tia l va lue to th e w a r effort. S eco n d , G e d d e s w as c learly re c o m m e n d e d by th e B oard of th e N o rth E aste rn Railw ay to th e g o v e rn m e n t 'fo r h is d riv e a n d o rg a n is in g facu l ty '.4 H o w ev er re c ru ite d for o rg a n is in g w ork , G e d d e s w as a p p ro p r ia te d by L loyd G eo rg e . H e b ec am e th e em b o d im e n t o f th e m e n of 'p u s h a n d g o ' a n d , su b seq u en tly , th e p re -e m in e n t tro u b le sh o o te r o f th e B ritish w ar effort.
