The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-11-24
GREAT WAR COUNCIL,
ENGLAND AND AMERICA MEET
IN CONFERENCE.
War Mission From United States and
British War Cabinet Hold First
Meeting I'm London Attracting More
Interest Than All Previous Allied
Councils.

London, Nov 2o.-NOne of numer- |
Gus allied war councils which have
occurred in the past three years have
occasioned the same interest as to-
days historic meeting of the Ameri-
can war mission and the British war
binet. The scene was the dingy old
residence in Downing Street which
| has served the prime ministers of
many generations as both home and
office and the room is the council
chamber where tho cabinets meet and
where the dest.nics OF the empire
have been shaped since the days OF
the American Revolution.
Lord Reading. the lord chief JUS
tice presided with Andrew Bonar
Law, British chancellor of the ex-
chequer, and Oscar T. Crosby assist
ant secretary of the American treas
Jury, sitting ut the table beside him.
Military and naval heads Of both
governments and officials represent
were grouped together.
Admiral Jellicoe. chief OF the ma
val staff. arrived with Sir Erie Camp
bell Geddes first lord OF the admir-
atty. Lord Robert Cecil. the min
lister OF blockade. walked unaccom-
panied from the foreign office. The
~ Ion .n1 t,,tn -,
Con. Tasker II. Bliss. chief OF staff
OF the American army. and Admiral
William S. Benson, who arrived sepa
rately with their ladies.
| The Earl OF Derby, British minis
ter Of war, and Gen. Sir William Rob-
ertson, chief OF the imperial staff at
army headquarters. arrived in q mo-
tor car few moments before Lieut..
Gen. j. c. SHUTS. who drove up alone.
Everybody asked for Colonel House.
but he did not attend the meeting, his
secretary, Gordon Auchincloss repre-
senting him.
Most of the members OF the Ameri-
can mission were early on the scene.
but the beginning of the conference
awaited the arrival Of some of the
British officials who had been detain-
ed by other war engagements. The
delay was brief, however, and in the
noon hour all were in their seats.
The conference lasted an hour and
a half, the members having frequent
recourse to the mass Of statistics and
official documents at their command.
There was little formality about
the proceedings. Lord Reading start
ed them by explaining the purpose Of
the meeting and a general discussion
followed. At the close the conferees
reported that satisfactory progress
had been made
Premier Lloyd George opened the
conference with a speech which the
conferees described as having been an
important statement
The American representatives were
Gen. Tasker II. Bliss, chief OF staff
Admiral William $. Benson, chief Of
naval operations; Thomas Nelson
Perkins, member of the priority
board; DR.. Alonzo Taylor. represent
ing the food controller: cambridge
Colby Of the United States shipping
board; Oscar r. Crosby, assistant sec
retary Of the treasury. and Vance Nc.
Cormick. chairman Of the war trade
board.
| The British representatives were
Premier Lloyd George, Foreign Min
ster Balfour. Niscount Milner GeOrg
NicOll Barnes and Earl Curzon of
keddleston, constituting the war cab.
met; Lord Reading and Lord North
cliffe; the Earl of Derby, Gen. Sir
William r. Robertson and Lieut..
| Gen. Jan {. Smutts. representing the
army; Sir Eric Geddes and Admiral
Sir John X. Jellicoe, representing the
navy; and Maj. John L. Baird, Baron
Rhondda, Lord Robert Cecil. Walter
Hume Long and DIR. Christopher Adj
Olson. representing respectively avia.
ton. food, blockade, petroleum and
munitions.
in the course of his speech Mr.. !
Lloyd George said
Assuming that the submarine sit |
OF the position of the allies depends
entirely upon the dates on which the
American program of launching c.
900 900 tons of shipping promised for
1918 come into practical effect"