The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-23
Vital Necessity Supersedes Mu-
nitiOns and Money.
BalfOur Party at Once Plunges
Into Conference.
ALLIES POOL FOOD SUPPLIES
England Better OFF for Food
Than France or Italy.
BalfOur CIOSeted With Presi-
dent Wilson As Minutes.
BY GEORGE MARTIN.

BY GEORGE MARTIN.
Washington, April 23.-What the !
allies want from the United States /
more than anything else is food.
This vital fact emerged above all
others from the trappings of dip |
lomatic courtesy attending the initial
reception here today of Foreign Sec !
retary Arthur ]. Balfour and the Brit
ish commission by President Wilson /
and other American officials.
While the day was apparently Civ !
en- over principally to surface cour-
tesies and diplomatic greetings, the
various experts of both England and
America plunged at once into the con- |
sideration of vital problems of ship /
ping, munitions, finance, military and |
naval affairs confronting the allies
since the United States has declared
itself in.
Troops to Europe Secondary.
There is no immediate concern re-
garding sending of troops to Europe
it was officially stated.
Balfour conferred with President
Wilson. President Cunliffe of the
Bank of England conferred with
Treasury Secretary McAdoo.
Naval experts of both nations met
with Secretary Daniels.
Military experts talked with Secre
tary Baker
! their corps of statistical and market
experts got down to details immedi-
ately with commerce department offl-
cialS.
1t was pooling of British brains and
bitter war experiences with American
wealth and reSourcefulnesS.
But ii was made clear by member
/ of the commission that the thought
| uppermost in the minds of the British
representatives is:
shipping and rood, Greatest. .s'--asi
The allies must have food"
Il wish to make it plain, said this
| spokesman, that We are not here to
| tell what you must do.
I'VE have our own ideas as to how
you can best help; but we come equip
/ ped with facts, to tell you what mis-
takes we made and how you can avoid
them; what price is paid for What we
have accomplished, so you may deter
| mine whether you think the price is
! worth paying to accomplish those
| things yourself.
The allies greatest problems-an
the one which you can best aid our al
! lied cause by helping solve-iS that OF
| food-which involves that of shipping
please remember that there is no
/ British food problem, no French 1000
problem, nor Italian. nor Russian 1000
! problem. 1t is all one great question
| At a recent allied conference the allied
4
! supplies.
, Man Power Sufficient.
.syhile England is not short of food
and probably could get along If she
had only herself to consider, all is not
+ so well with France and Italy Thelr
food shortage is acute. 1t is growing
more So.
/ This attitude of the British COM
, mission puts the old allies and their
new recruit in complete accord on
/ the first move in the great interna-
tional war conference.
The trend of all this governments
action ever since and in fact weeks
= before war was declared has been to
: stimulate the production of food for
our people at home and then for our
allies in fighting Europe.
The British commission is not inn
4 mediately concerned over the sending
of troops, it was explained. Their
man power is sufficient for the mo-
ment. and the sending of great masses
of men to Europe now would make
the food problem critical and out of
all proportion to the fighting strength
gained.
No actual, definite steps will be
taken, however, on either the food or
: troop situation until the French COM
mission arrives. it was announced
J French Commission Coming.
j The French commission is not COM
/ ing out of mere courtesy, but to take
an active part in the conferences" it
was stated.
Also the official went on, ALLOW
me to make clear the status of the
! British commission.
Secretary Balfour's word is in every
respect absolute. All the experts with
him are here merely to answer ques-
tions directed to them thru Balfour.
Every question, military. naval
commercial or otherwise, must finally
be decided between President Wilson
and Secretary Balfour.
The discussions and conferences
between the other officials will be sub
sidiary.
/ Eat brief meeting of the British
commission today the program for
each division was roughly mapped
out
'.All we hope to do is to have the
president and Secretary Balfour settle
broad questions of principle. basing
their decisions on the sub-conferences
and their own discussions, then leave
part in the war to various depart
ments-
Speaks for All the Allies.
.It is not, 1 believe, Balfour's inten-
! ton to broach any questions of inter-
/ national political policy. He prepared
4 to answer them should any be asked.
And he will speak for all the allies.
THE allies do not desire to make
use of this situation to hamper or
coerce the United States in any of its
/ Continued on Page Two)