New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-11
Allied Generals, Named at
Rome, May Direct Only
Italian Operations
Unity Of Command
Plan Foreshadowed
Military, Naval and Supply
Policies Must Be Coordin-
ated; no Dictator in Sight
By c. W. Gilbert

WASHINGTON, Nov. lot Is not
known here and the dispatches do not
say whether or not the Inter-Allied
War Council that was announced In
Rome yesterday will have control Of all
the Allied operations or only Of those
on the Italian front. From the fact
that its appointment arose from the
special circumstances OF the Italian dis
aster it may be assumed that Generals
Foch, Cadorna and Wilson will begin
by directing only italian operations.
The English and French having such
large stake In those operations now,
through the aid they have sent to
Italy. have probably insisted upon Joint
control Of the war there. This union
Of command will end all the disagree
ment, between Italy and her allies, and
these disagreements have been grave.
beginning with Italy's failure to de-
clare war on Germany and continuing
all the time Italy was thought to be
making war in her own way and for
her own ends alone, and stopping only
when disaster to Italy brought all the
powers together.
Another reason to think that this
particular inter-Allied council will not
be the big inter-Allied council 4; that
the Paris conference has not yet been
held, and the Paris conference Is to dis
cuss precisely this question Of coordi-
nstien. It Is no. likely that appoint
ments such as those made In Rome
would be announced Just before the
Paris conference unless they were
purely local in their significance and
would be subordinate TO any organiza-
ton effected later.
Paris Council to
Include Navies
The organization to be formed at
Paris will have to be broader in its
scope than this one just completed at
Rome. This council is purely military.
The council to be formed at Paris. IL
one Is formed, will have to cover naval
and supply operations at least, as well
as military operations.
On the large scale of the whole al
lance these three factors in the fight
against Germany cannot be separated.
They have been. in the opinion of the
Administration here, too much sep
arated in the past. The idea of those
who are insisting upon joint control Of
the Allies is that military and naval
policies in their widest application
must be coordinated and that supply
must be adjusted to military and naval
policy.
The settlement reached in Italy Is In
teresting as foreshadowing the settle
ment that is likely to be reached at
Paris. Plainly the form the organiza-
ton Is likely TO take Is a permanent
conference or council These men
chosen at Rome may be the military
components of that council, but IL
seems more likely for reasons already
given that other generals will sit in
the big council.
With them will sit the all-important
representative of this country, con-
trolling supply. The general opinion
here is that this person will be Colonel
House. And there will be representa-
tives, at least, of the English and Am
erican navies, perhaps also Of the
French navy. An effort will undoubt-
eddy be made to keep the council as
small as possible for the sake Of get
ting things done promptly.