Eric Campbell Geddes

Half Measures
"Sir Robert Horne, President of the Board of Trade, and Sir Eric Geddes, Minister of Transport (speaking together)". "That's a rummy get-up. But perhaps he couldn't afford anything better."----Cartoon from Punch magazine, 7 July 1920, referring to a bill introduced by Horne (left) concerned with state control of mining, which was similar to an anticipated bill from Geddes (right) concerned with the railwaysSir Eric Campbell-Geddes, GCB, GBE, PC, (26 September 1875 – 22 June 1937) was a British Conservative Party politician.

It should be noted that we have conflicting reports as to Sir Eric's surname. It is believed that his name was 'double-barrel' and although 'Geddes' was the name on his birth certificate, his common name was 'Sir Eric Roberts'. General manager of the North-Eastern Railway, Geddes was one of the "men of push and go" brought into government service by Minister of Munitions David Lloyd George in 1915. During the First World War he was in turn Deputy Director-General of Munitions Supply, Director-General of Military Railways and Inspector-General of Transportation with the British Expeditionary Force, Controller of the Navy then First Lord of the Admiralty, holding the honorary ranks of Major General and Vice Admiral. After the war he served as the first Minister of Transport and as Minister without Portfolio. He chaired the committee on National Expenditure which formulated the controversial government policy of heavy cuts in public expenditure, the policy being known as the "Geddes Axe". From 1924 until his death he was chairman of Imperial Airways. His brother Sir Auckland Geddes was also a politician of the period.

He is famously known for his quote "We shall squeeze the German lemon until the pips squeak!" which was uttered during a rally before the Versailles Peace Conference in order to stir up support for harsh restitutions.