The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-11-17
T RANCE

rUnited Press Leased Wire Service.]
PARIS, Nov. 17.-Heavy artillery
fighting In the Vicinity Of Fontenoy In
Champagne and about Fllrey, In the
Wosvre region, are reported In to-
days Official communlque.
Otherwise II has been compare
lively quiet on tho Franeo3Gsrman
front.
COOPERATION IN FUTURE.
[1y VIM. Philip simms, United Press
Staff correspondent.l
PARIS, Nov. 17-The French and
6ritIsh fighting forces are virtually
ono tonight.
Hitherto, though allied, they have
fought moro or less Independently.
Henceforward they Will be guided
from single soures-the lnter-aIiIea
war council.
Russia and itaIy Will Join the COM
bInatIon as speedily as posslbie.
The Franco-eritIsh arrangement
was perfected today. Present At this
first council today were Premier A.
quIth, Munitions Minister Lloyd
George, First Lord Of the Admiralty
Baifour and Foreign Secretary Sir Ed
ward Grey, Of England and Premier
BRAND, War Minister GaIiieni, Min
lister Of Marine Laoaze and General
Joffre, Of France.
Tho English group include three Of
the five members Of the British inner
war council Of the cabinet.
Tho French officials represented as
nearly as the nlnIstry's personnel
permitted tho corresponding French
posts.
, The conference began early today.
This afternoon Il was understood It's
ordination Of the British and French
armies work 10 concerned. There
must be subsequent meetings TO deal
with fresh situations ~ they arise,
and new policies as they become
necessary.
AdJournmene was taken, subject 10
caii.
The next meeting. Il 10 expected,
will be to take the Russian and tall
an representatives, into the Joint body.
No official statement was Issued,
but Il Is known broadly what the con-
ference was for and evidently accom-
pIished before adjournment.
Despite the fact that General Joffre
has been recognized az commandments
chief Of the allies forces In the west,
not only the English and French, but
also the Belgian armies have been
handled TO a considerable extent, az
separate units.
The Russians have had stlII less
appreciation Of the momentary neees.
stiles Of their allies. The italians
have hardly co-operated at all.
The purpose Of tho Joint war coun-
oil 10 to handle all four armies as
ono, to strike with them combined
sIedge hammer blows, with four-fold
the force II 10 possible to. strike with
them separately.
IMPORTANT CONFERENCE.
PARIS, Nov. 17.-Co-ordlnation Of
tho allies military operations, Is be-
lIeved to be the purpose Of a confer
ence here today between Premier AS
quith, Munitions Minister Lloyd
George, First Lord Of the Admiralty
BaIfeur and Foreign Secretary sir Ed.
ward Grey, Of England, and members
Of the French cabinet.
The members Of the British war
council were in communication with
Premier BRAND directly following their
arrival In Paris. Today they visited
the DUAL D'Orsay and were cIoseted a
,ono time with the French government
heads.
Grey, unlike Asquith. Lloyd George
and BaIfour, is not a member Of the
British cabinets inner war council,
but It was announced when the council
was formed that he would be called
into consultation whenever Its de'iber-
ations involved Ensland'e foreign re-
IatIons and It Is presumed that they
fnurs extensively on today's discus
slons.