Evening journal., 1917-04-23

and others Of the party.
The whole affair was informal ex-
cept for the immed ate demands of
state etiquette. The greeting between
the President and Balfour was ex-
ceedingly cordial.
/ Secretary Baker and members OF the
general stan greeted Lieutenant Cen
eral Bridges.
Bridges. tall and handsome and out
ranking the Americans who greeted
him. was dressed in his rather plain
field service uniform, while the Ameri-
can officers were loaded down with
gold trapp.ngs.
The streets were practically desert
cd en- route to the State Department
until the department building was
reached. There the Britisher had to
pass through an avenue of hundreds
OF machines. lie passed by a big
group of newspaper photographers,
who were waiting at the east en-
trance of the State -War-Navy Build
ing and went into the west door at
1045 o'clock to make his first formal
call on Secretary Lansing.
! Balfour was escorted to the door OF
Secretary Lansing's Office by British
Ambassador Cecil Spring Rice.
! The door opened and Balfour,
carrying a stick and his top hat in
his left hand. stepped IN smilingly.
He was greeted by the Outs.retched
hand and beaming countenance Of
/ Secretary Lansing. who hurriedly
! laid aside his pipe as lie arose from
his desk and stepped forward.
The door closed silently and secret
/ service men Immediately stationed
themselves on either side. Of il.
Officials and employees Of the State
Department iamming the granite cor
ridor applauded Balfour as he LETT
with Lansing to sec the President.
He smiled back his appreciation.
Although Il was barely step from
the State Department to the White
House, Lansing and Balfour, boarded
the State Secretary's recently ac-
quired auto and drove from the de-
parment court yard the 300 yards TO
the White House front entrance.
Balfom grinncd broadly as he noted
the suffrage -entinels with their huge
banners on either side of the gate.
While Balfom was with Lansing. the
naval and military officials were calling
on Secretaries Daniels and Baker
Several hundred children lined Penn
svlvania avenue i'm front of the White
House when the distinguished visitors
swept through the gates of the grounds
The "kiddies." however. were waiting
for Wild West Show parade to go by
later and had no knowledge of the his
toric conference about TO be opened IN
the White House behind them
The Britishers found Americas capital
had big heart for their welcome on
the sabbath was such rs TO stir the
heart and bring home the realization
that England and America are bound
by ties of blood
Tomorrow night the mission will be
guests of Cabinet heads Balfour dining
with Lansing. and the others dining with
| the Cabinet members corresponding tC
= their own rank. Aftcrward Secretary
Lansing will be host to them at a stag
reception in the PAN American building
Today. following one of the greatest
public receptions Washington ever hai
accorded any visitors. the British party
{ settled itself in comfortable and spa
cious quarters out on Sixteenth street.
From early in the day crowds ol
Washingtonians and tourists from all
] over the country were in the ncighbor.
hood to catch a glimpse of the British.
ers. Members of the Rarty. wherever
they were seen and recognized on tho
streets of the capital. were cheercd.
The Englishmen. a bit confused as tC
Just how TO act when they first arrived
I in tho country Saturday, had today got
I ten their bearings and entered whole
heartcdly into the democratic spirit o
their reception.
The commission is happily located il
| its Sixteenth street quarters No mem
/ bcr can look from window in any di
rection without encomtering the flag
of the Allies waving from the sam,
staff; for on the one side across a broa,
! tree grown avenue, stands the Russian
/ Embassy; at another angle is the Frencl
/ Embassy. and at still another the lega
tion of the Allies latest recruit, the Re
public of Cuba.
The Balfour party expressed itself a
immensely pleased at its reception.
Some ten thousand people. a. maiorit,
of them i'm autos of all sizes and dc
scriptions. checrcd. waved and honked
noisy greeting at the station yesterday
The long run from the depot to tn
commissions sumptuOus quarters was
vcritahlc stampede of autos. carriages
bicycle riders and pedestrians. tn
street was iammed. II would have bee
dangerous for anyone to 60 in any dircc
tion other than that followed by tn
wave of humanity.
The sidewalks were thronged and th
demonstration continues. Balfour an
his party were continually forced {
dor their high hats in acknowledgment
of the warm salutations.
at was tremendously impressing.