The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-04-26
Party Headed by BaIfour
Reaches Washington.
FRENCH ARE COMING LATER
"object of Commission Is to Ma;ie Co.
Operation Easy and Effective Be.
tween Nations Who Are Striv-
ing to Bring About a
Lasting Peace" Says
Balfour. s

war mission, headed by Foreign Secre-
tary Arthur j. Balfour, arrived safely
in Washington.
After passing through cheering
tllrongs at the Union station and in
the crowded thorQGghfares which led
to the home of Breckenridge Long,
third assistant secretary of state, in
Sixteenth street, the members are rest
Ing for the labors that await them.
The tension of the last ten days was
relaxed. So far rs could be learned
there was no untoward incident from
the time the mission LEFT England until
II arrived here.
Cheers Great Britain.
When Mr.. Ealfonr left the presi-
Dental room in the east end of the
station, accompanied by Secretary Of
State Lansing and Colonel Harris,
President Wilson'S military aid, there
was a storm of hand-clapping and
cheers.
This Is very, very moving" he told
Secretary Lansing as they stepped into
their machine.
MIR. Balf0ur, his advisers, assist
ants and experts are Mt your com
mand,' Goetfery Butler Of the British
foreign office declared. 1--WE hope to
be of assistance to the United States
in many ways.
zone of the most important is to
point out the mistakes we made early
in the war. Those mistakes cost us
dearly. If the United States can learn
from them it will mean great saw
ing in every way"
Arrived on Saturday,
Great Britaln's high commissioners
to the international war council, to be-
gin in Washington this week, set foot
on American soil ON aSturday.
Arthur James Balfour, secretary of
state for foreign affairs of the empire,
formerly premier, and often called the
dean of the worlds elder statesmen,
was the central figure of a party that
included som6s of Great Britain's most
prominent men.
With genial smile playing over his
features, Mr.. BalfOur consented TO a
brief interview, warmly expressing his
appreciation of all the United States
has done as q neutral In charitable and
relief work in Belgium and in German
prison camps, his qualification that
England and the United States now
were allied for common purpose and
his conviction that this country, in its
war efforts, would astound the world,
particularly Germany.
Work for Lasting Peace.
The object Of the commission, Mr..
Balfour said, was Ito make cO-opera-
ton easy and effective between those
who are striving with all their power
to bring about lasting peace by the
only means that can secure it-namely,
a successful war"
The. British statesmen, having safely
evaded the German submarines and
mines which sent Lord Kitchener to
his death, were received with the hugh
est honors as guests of the American
people when they arrived at place in
America which cannot be named. A
delegation of state, war and navy de-
partment officials welcomed the COM
mission in the name of the govern
ment and set out with them to the cap
ital for what is perhaps the most vital
conference in American history.
The commission was received with
the utmost simplicity and cordiality.
1t is said, indeed, that no foreign min
lister of the British cabinet has left
England for the length of time that
D,If .x1.ill hn Sin ha
gress of Vienna a century ago.
The formal welcome was extended
by Third Assistant Secretary of State
Breckenridge Long, through the pre-
sentation to Mr.. Balfour of letter of
greeting froms Secretary Lansing,
which the British statesman acknowl-
edged with equal simplicity.
Close Guard over Train.
A special train of five cars, which
had gbene waiting with steam up and
crew aboard for five days, at once got
under way for Washington, guarded as
almost no other train has ever been
guarded in this country. Double pro-
lection had been afforded at all bridges
and tunnels, and every mile of the
track had been gone over within the
previous "a hours to guard against
a possible outrage. No detail of any
sort which could betray the place OF
arrival or route of travel was allowed
TO escape.
On all sides 1t was reiterated that
the British had come in spirit of
service and appreciation and that 1t
was their hope that the lessons they
had learned in the war at such cost
might be of service to this country in
avoiding similar mistakes.
The British and American cOnferees
aer to be Joined by a commission from
France. The state department had no
announcement regarding the probable
time of arrival of the French represen-
tatiyes.
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