The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-06-11
MESSAGE FROM WAR MISSION TO
PEOPLE OF ENTIRE UNITED
STATES.
KEPT EAST BY HARD WORK.
Members of Commission Express Their
Regret at Inability to Visit the Mid
die West and Pacific Coast Before
Leaving.
sy EDWARD q. CLARK.

British mission to the United States
have left Washington. 1t was a keen
disappointment to them that late-day
duties in connection with their work
with the officials of the state depart
ment of this country prevented them
from visiting the middle West and
other sections of the country, with the
people of which they were anxious to
come in personal contact.
It was possible for your correspond
emit to secure from the members OF the
British commission, Of which Mr.. A. ].
Balfour, Great Britain's foreign secre-
tary, is the chief, a message to the
people of the sections Of the country
which they were unable to visit. This
is the message from the visitors to
this country:
1.-THE primary duty Of this, as Of any
other diplomatic mission, was to pre-
sent ourselves In Washington, there to
pay respectful tribute to the presi-
dent of the United States. It was not
only, however, a diplomatic mission. 1t
was war mission for we had been at
war. We came to this country bearing
the marks of d new lOng-drawn-out con-
test, of its anxieties, often very griv-
Gus, and still more its hopes, which
have never been anything but bright.
We brought with us consciousness of
the many mistakes made in the hun
dred new activities which a peace-lov-
ing democracy must enter upon swhen
1T reluctantly passes to state Of war.
Did a Great Deal Of Work.
"In Washington we were met with a
welcome which surprised even those Of
us who knew best the depth Of feeling
possible in this great people. We have
not spent all our time in festivity or in
Interchange Of compliments, however.
Almost from the first day, we settled
down to the grim business of war
work. It was not for us to offer our
opinion on the situation; still less to
suggest course of action for the
United States to follow. We could,
however, help by laying before the ad-
ministration the fruit of our experience
and many bitter truths about the price
we had to pay for blunders Of our own.
The work has been continuous and it
has only just ended.
"We felt, however, that the welcome
we received was not matter between
governments alone it was (Did we not
have repeated proof of this?) the spon-
taneous offering of great people from
whom the government draws it's power.
It was not easy for us to make clear
to the people how much we were
moved and encouraged by their SYM
pathy and by their generosity.
"One of the great forces of the ma
don-the press of the United States
came to our aid and their consideration
and courteous assistance made it pos
sible for us, in sense, to serve the
people by answering questions which
they thought fit to put to us.
"There was one feature missing. The
very size of the republic made 1t i'm
possible for us in person to thank all
those who have been our hosts these
last three weeks. Some of the Sec
tons of the Union it was quite impos-
sible for us to visit. The states Of
the middle West and the Pacific slope
should naturally have been visited by
any foreign mission that realized fully
the meaning of Americas immensely.
We must go back to war in England,
and so we cannot do it.
Wanted to See the Country.
"But we 60 back filled with regret
that we have not known by personal
contact the people of that progressive
section in the natural beauty of their
surroundings and in the promise of de-
velopment, the full limit of which it is
difficult for the mind to grasp. But
1t was not only the far West-New
England, the states of the Mississippi
and Gulf of Mexico, to mention no 9TH
ers, have been outside the range Of
our journeyings. Fortunately the peo-
pie Of Richmond allowed our visit to
that historic and beautiful city to be
considered as visit to the Southern
states, which we were so loath to leave
unseen.
1T was our hope that our intended
visit to Chicago, which we unfortunate
ly could not make would be considered
In a way an expression of our warm
appreciation of all that middle Western
states have said or thought about the
coming of our mission. We know,
some of us from previous visits, but
many of us only from talking with your
fellow citizens in the East, the poten-
tialities of the great West.
"We have learned, in Europe, of the
great generosity which you have shown
to those who have suffered in the war.
We know how, when the call comes to
a war which we all unite in hating,
there is fund Of strength in the mid
die West, military, industrial and agri-
cultural, which thrown into the great
combat must prove an overwhelming
factor in the victory which will be
jointly ours.
"May the visit which is now coming
to an end interpret for you the graft
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