The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1917-11-21
WAR COUNCIL
MEETS IN LONDON
Col. House and Gen. Bliss Of
fiCiaIly Delegated to At
tend the Meeting.
ALLIES FOR GREATER UNITY
Lord Reading Presides at Session, but
Secretary Represents Col. House
-Conferees to Sum Up Re-
sources of Both Countries.

London, Nov. 21-Premier Lloyd
George opened the allied, war confer
ence here with a speech in which he
mission present that the collapse of
Russia and the reverses to Italy made
it even more imperative than before
that the United States send as many
troops as possible across the Atlantic
as early as possible"
Benson Talks for America.
Admiral Benson said that the mis-
sion was learning many lessons from
the allies and expressed the gratitude
of it's members for the manner with
which all sources of information had
been thrown open to them.
''The United States is heart and
soul in the war;" he said, "and the
country absolutely indorses the state
ment of President Wilson that none
Of its resources would be spared, its
men and ships, or work, in order to
win the war"
The meeting was held in the same
room and at the same table where 134
years ago England formally acknOwl
edged the independence of the United
States.
Premier Opens Conference.
Premier Lloyd-George opened the
allied war conference here with a
speech which the conferees described
as being an important statement, but
which, like the rest of the proceedings,
is being kept secret in its essentials,
although some passages have been
given out. One conferee said a spirit
of greatest earnestness and unity per-
meated the meeting and that the most
important practical results were
achieved.
The American representatives were: {:
Gen. Tasker H. Bliss, chief of staff :;
Admiral William S. Benson, chief Of
naval operations; Thomas Nelson Per-
kins, member of the priority board !;
DR.. Alonzo. Taylor, representing the
food controller; Bainbridge Colby of
the United States shipping board; Os-
car t. Crosby, assistant secretary of
the treasury; Vance Mccormick, chair
man of the war trade board.
Col. E. NJ. House, head of the Ameri-
can mission, did not attend the meet
ing, but was represented by his secre-
tary, Gordon Auchincloss.
Depend on U. S. Shipping.
In the course of his speech, Mr..
LloydGeorge said:
assuming that the submarine situ-
alton does not get worse, the easing Of
the position of the allies depends en-
tfrely upon the dates on which the
American program of launching 6,0O0,-
600 tons of shipping, promised for 1918,
comes into practical effect"
The premier said he wished to recog-
niZe the eager earnestness with which
the people of the United States are
throwing themselves in the great task.
He expressed absolute confidence that
the great democracies now marching
shoulder to shoulder would utterly
overthrow the menace which threat
ened the liberty of the world
He thanked the mission for "the
invaluable services which the United
States navy has already rendered, not
only in protecting commerce, but in
dealing with the submarine, for vital
assistance in financing the War and for
effective help in many other ways.
With reference to the question of
supplies, Mr.. Lloyd-George assured the
mission that the most drastic food re-
strictions were about to be imposed
upon the people of the British Isles.
The British representatives were:
Premier Lloyd George, Foreign Min
lister Balfour, ViscOunt Miner. George
Nicoll Barnes and Earl Curzon of Ked-
lesion. constituting the war cabinet :;
Lord Reading .and Lord Northcliffe !:
the earl of Derby, Gen. Sir William r.
Robertson and Lieut.. Gen. Jan c..
Smuts, representing the army: SIR Eric
Geddes and Admiral Sir John r. Jel-
licoe, representing the navy; Mai. John
L Baird, Baron Rhondda, Lord Rob-
est Cecil, Walter Hume Long and DR..
Christopher Addison, representing re-
spectively aviation, food, blockade, pc
trOleum and munitions.
The conference lasted an hour and a
half