The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-23


Dean of World Diplomats.
Arthur James Balfour, secretary OF
state for foreign affairs of the en-
pire. formerly premier, and oIteh
called the dean Of the Worlo eloe;
statesmen, was the central inquire OF
party that included some OF Greal
Rritain's most prominent Men WIN
a genial smile playing over ms Iea-
lures. he consented to a BRIEF inter-
view warmly expressing ms aPPre-
citation of all the United states mas
done as neutral in charitable ana re-
lief work in Belgium and in German
prison camps. his qualification that
England and the United states now
are allied for common purpose anu
his conviction that this country IN It's
war efforts would astound the "orlu'
particularly Germany
| Tbe object of the commission,-Mr.
RaIfour said was ito make co-opera-
ion easy and effective between those
who are striving with all their power
to bring about a lasting peace by the
only means that can secure H. hdiieiS-
a successful war;
Refers to Presidents Speech.
"Your president in a most apparent
and vivid phrase" Mr.. Balfour added,
'has proclaimed that the Worio must
he made safe for democracy ina
self-goyerning communities are mo- -
be treated as negligible simply because
a
| ination of one inscriptions power I'M
narils the future of civilization ana
The liberties of mankind are truths OF
noIiticaI ethics which the bitter eX-
perience of war IS burning in the sous
| of all freedom-loving peoples
| F,ngland's leading statesmen, having
| safely evaded the German submarines
and mines which sent Lord kitchener
| TO his death, were received Win the
highest honors as guests of the Amer
| lean people when they arrived at d
Mace in America, which cannot be
parr,ad A delegation of state, war
/ and navy department oftlclals wei.
coined the commission in the name OF
! the government and set out with them
| to the capital for what IS admlttediy
| the most vital conference IN American
history. la,
the utmost simplicity and cordiality
and with every recognition of the fact
that Great Britain had given of her
very best 1t is said, indeed, that no
foreign minister has left England Tor
the length of time that Mr. Baifour
will he away. since the congress of
| Vienna. a century ago.
Train and Track Guarded.
The formal welcome was extended
nv Third Assistant Secretary of State
breckenridge Long, thru the presenta-
ton to Mr.. Balfour of q letter OF greet
ing from Secretary Lansing, which the
British statesman acknowledged with
equal simplicity while British and
American officials mingled together.
A special train which had been wait
ing five days at once got under way
for the capital guarded as almost no
other train has ever been guarded In
this country Protection had been
afforded at all bridges and tunnels and
every mile of the track had been gone
over within the previous tWenty-four
hours to guard against a possible fana-
i, tic No detail of any sort whatsoever
which could betray the place of arrival
or route of travel was allowed to es-
cape.
Almost Immediately when the train
started the large party broke up into
groups of army, navy and state De
partment officials to begin at once the
Informal conversations which are ex-
peeted to sketch out Americas part
IN the world war against German au-
tocracy Mr.. Balfour and Secretary
| Long, Lieut. Gen. T. Bridges, who
drew the first blood for England in
August, 1914. and Maj. Gen. Leonard
Wood, Rear Admiral Sir Dudley de
l Chair and Rear Admiral F. F. Flet-
| cher were soon in deep conversation
! over the various phases of American
participation.
i Help Avoid British Mistakes.
on all sides it was reiterated that
the British had come in a spirit of
service and appreciation and that it
= was their hope that lessons they had
/ learned in the war at such cost might
| be of service to this country in avoid
| ing similar mistakes. Similarly, as
one official expressed it, the commits
sion was moved by exactly the same
feeling which raised the stars and
stripes to the flag tower of the par
| lament building in London for the
first time a foreign flag had ever
flown there in history.
Secretary Balfour. a tall, slim.
white-h haired man of 60 years who has
held the highest posts in the empire
since he first entered parliament forty
| three years ago. saw today the COM
| pletion of one of his life hopes ex-
/ pressed under vastly different circum-
| stances on Jan. Is, 1896, when he was
largely instrumental in averting war
Il between England and America over
the Venezuela dispute.
Into a Universal Duty.
1T cannot but be-" he said, that
those whose national roots go down
into the same past as ours, who share
our language, our literature, our laws,
our religion, everything that makes
a nation great it cannot but be that
a time will come when they will feel
that they and we have a common duty
" P0lAoi ILL., d COIlInOn ONCE TO Iullll
among the nations of the world
City's Greeting in Flags.
Tomorrow evening there will be q
reception by Secretary Lansing at the
Pan-American building for the noted
visitors preceded by dinners of cabi-
net membe to their special guests.
Washington's welcome to the British
party on their arrival yesterday after
noon was quite in harmony with the
serious nature of their mission, but
warm and enthusiastic. There were
no bands, but American flags, British
Union jacks and French tri-colorS
fluttered from thousands of residences
and maStheadS Mr.. Balfour and his
party, guarded by two cavalry troops