The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-04-23
BALFOUR PARTY
IN WASHINGTON.
British Foreign Secretary and
Other Commissioners Are
Cheered When Recog-
nized.
IMPORTANT CONFERENCE
Come With Advice to United States
to Avoid Mistakes Which Were
Made When War First
Bee1n.
IMPORTANT CONFERENCE
by George Martin, United Press Stan
GOrroonnndnYaf

WA0dLN1lOcN, April 23.-HmSl6uQ
and the United States. through high
war commissioners, joined hands here
today to frame Americas part In the
greatest war In history.
Previous utterances Of Foreign SEQ
retary Arthur ]. Balfour. head Of the
British commission and Of President
conference which begins as q world
wide continuation OF Americas battle
OF freedom begun in 1776.
Welcomed here with an acclamation
worthy Of kings. but with manner
wholly democratic, the British COM
missioners win meet Secretary Lam
sing today and then SEQ President VIII
SON. Their mission is not one Of re-
ceivmg; rather 1t is one OF giving.
They would have America profit by
England's mistakes and they propose
to show the chiefs Of naval, military,
aeronautic. supply and diplomatic
corps Just how America may tread the
wisest path.
While Balfour visits Wilson and
Lansing. other members will call upon
leaders of their own branch OF SER
Vice
It will be day Of greeting, but bus-
mess starts at once and within day
or two the mission viii be deep in con-
su1tation with American chieftains.
Tomorrow night the mission will be
guests Of cabinet heads, Balfour din
ing with Lansing and the others din
ing with the cabinet members cores
ponding to their own rank. Afterward
Secretary Lansing will be host to them
at q stag reception in the pan-Ameri-
can building.
Following one OF the greatest recep-
tions Washington has accorded any
visitors, the British party settled it.
self in comfortable and spacious quar-
ters out on Sixteenth street.
From early in the day crowds Of
Washingtonians and tourists from all
over the country were in the neighbor-
hood to catch glimpse Of the British
commissioners. Members Of the par
ty wherever they were seen and rec
ogntzed on the streets of the capital
were cheered.
Americas aims and objects and the
part she desires to play in the war will
be outlined to Secretary Balfour by
President Wilson today.
Balfour for his own part will speak
for all the allies in responding to the
presidents views on the international
agreement and recognition by the al
lies of the letter and spirit of
world Monroe doctrine
From their Sixteenth street quarters
members Of the commission cannot
look in any direction without seeing
the flags of the allies waving from the
same staff. On the one side, across a
broad, tree-grown avenue, stands the
Russian embassy; at another angle is
the French embassy and at still an
other the legation Of the allies latest
recruit, the republic Of Cuba.
AS Balfour left his quarters for the
state department, big crowd had
gathered outside the Sixteenth street
residence and there was cheering,
and waving Of handker-
chiefs as the big limousine swept out
of the drive.
serted enroute to the state department |
until the department building was
reached. There the foreign secre- !
tary had to pass through an avenue
of hundreds of machines. He passed |
up big group Of newspaper photog-
raphers who were waiting at the east |
and went into the west door |
tary Lansing.
Balfour was escorted to the door of !
Secretary Lansing's office by British |
Ambassador Cecil spring- Rice. He |
was greeted by the out-stretched |
hand and beaming countenance of
Secretary lansing who hurTiedly laid |
aside his pipe as he arose from his
desk and stepped forward.