The politics and diplomacy of international disarmament should be left to a more objective, wide-ranging body with no connections to the military. Cecil was more optimistic about the chances of success of the Temporary Mixed Commission for Disarmament (TMC), not least because it offered a chance for him to become involved in its work. The disarmament priorities of the British government stemmed primarily from the need to save money rather than from a commitment to international armament reduction. Instead, emphasis was placed on the ability of the League to promote and develop plans of indirect disarmament. Cecil also used the debate about disarmament to suggest that, when it came to the conduct of diplomacy, Lloyd George was 'quite incapable of running straight'. The negotiations did not, after all, specify at what level of disarmament a state would qualify for international assistance.