The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-11-10
GREAT WAR CONFERENCE.
AMERICAN MISSION ARRIVES IN
ENGLAND TO MAKE WAR -.
Commission Is Headed by Col. House
rs Representative of President
Other Distinguished Men i'm Party.

Washington, Nov. An Ameri-
can mission landed in England today
or the eve Of the opening of the first
great war conference in which the
United States will participate. Col.
Edward NJ. House, President Wilson's
personal friend and adviser, is the Of
ficially designated representative of
the United States. He is accompan-
led by staff representing every war
agency in the United States, includ-
ing Admiral Benson, chief OF naval
operations, and General Bliss, chief
OF staff of the army.
Announcement by Secretary lansing
tonight Of the arrival of the party
'at a British port" released Ameri-
can newspapers from a pledge Of ST.
lcnce as to the personnel of the mis-
sion and its movements. The distin-
guished men in the governments. 5.
war councils was a carefully guarded
secret until they were safely through
the submarine zone. Even many army
and navy officials were not aware that
their chiefs had sailed.
The date and place of the confer
cnce has not been made public,
though the understanding here Ia
that the sessions are about to bo.;n
In II statement accompanying his
announcement Secretary Lansing en-
phasized that this gathering is to be
a war conference and nothing else
charged with mapping out plan o.
campaign against Germany to "bring
the conflict to speedy and satisfac-
tory end"
There have been many indications
that the conference was called at the
request of the United States; In Sc
lecting its representatives the United
States has provided in advance agains,
becoming involved in any discussion
or peace terms or political questions
There is no diplomatic representa-
tive with the mission. The business
at this time Of every member of Col
Houses staff is war making and
there can be no discussion Of any
matters not having to do directly with
the prosecution of the war.
SECRETARY Lansing's statement fol
lows:
"The government of the United
States will participate i'm the ap.
preaching conference of the power
waging war against the German em-
pire.
THE conference is essentially .
war conference with the object OF
pcrfecting a more complete coordi
nation of the activities OF the various
nations engaged in the conflict anL
a more comprehensive understandin,
of their respective needs i'm order III
the joint efforts of the cobelligerent,
may attain the highest war efficiency
While a definite program has no
been adopted it may be assumed that
the subjects to be discussed will EN-,
brace not only military and naval op
erations but also the financial, com.
ncrcial, economic and other phase.
OF the present situation which are
vital Importance to the successful
prosecution Of the war.
There will undoubtedly be an eff
fort 10 avoid any conflict of interest
among the participants, and there Il.
every reason to anticipate that the
result will be fuller coordination and
consequently much higher efficiency
and more vigorous prosecution of
the war.
Tho United States i'm the employ
mcnt OF its manpower and material
resources desires TO use them to the
greatest advantage against Germany
1t has teen no easy problem to de.
termine how they can be used mosr
effectively since presentation Of re-
quirements by the allied governments
have been more on less conflicting or
account of each governments appre.
citation Of it's own wants which are
naturally given greater Importance
than the wants Of other governments
Fly general survey of the whole sit
uation and free discussion Of the
needs Of all the approaching confer
ence will undoubtedly be able to give
to the demands of the several gov.
ernments their perspective and prop
er place in the general plans for the
conduct of the war.
Though the resources of this coun