New-York tribune., 1918-12-18
President and Mrs. Will
son Guests at Brilliant
Dinner at the Embassy
Holds Conference
With Count Cellere
Discusses Will, Hurley
Need of Ships to Bring
Soldiers Home Faster

FARlS, Dec. 1.-THE American Am
oassador, William G. Sharp. yavs
dlrner this evening in honor of Presi-
dent and Nine. Poincare and pres;.
dent and Mrs Wilson. The guests in
ciuded the ambassadors to France tbe
presidents of the Senate and Chamber
the ministers of Marine and Fore;or
Affairs, Marshals Joffre and Focb and
the Prefect of the Seine and the;r
wives, the American delegates to the
peace conference and Generals Per-
shing, Bliss and Harts.
A reception followed the dinner at
which many notable men of Franco and
the United States were present A
great crowd, massed in front of tho
embassy, acclaimed both Presidents.
President Wilson and Mrs W;lson
went for an automobile ride earlier IN
the day in the outskirts of Paris. the
SKIES having frightened toward noon.
During the rainy morning Mr. w;,
son worked in his study, being obI;oed
u forego his expected trip to the golf
Inks at Versailles.
IN the afternoon the President saw
Count V. Macchi di Cellere. the Am
bassador from Italy TO Ansr;.o
with whom Mr.. Wilson had severa, ;r'
pcrtant conferences on the steamsh;n
George Washington during the vovsaa
from the United States to France
Sympathizes With Italy
1t IS known that Mr.. Wilson fea,s
'ne warmest sympathy for ItaIv,s
claims arising from the war, and the
president virtually told Count di Col
lere the extent to which he was w;l,in.
70 support them during the forthcoming
INFORMAL conferences with the premiers
OF the Entente governments.
David Lloyd George, the British
Prime Minister, will arrive in po.;a
next Sunday. After a short stav in
the capital Mr.. Lloyd George will mr.,
ceed to the Riviera for a few davs,
rest.
President Wilson to-day conferred
with Edward N. Hurley, shiupino d;-
rector, one of the subjects under die
cussion being that of ships for the
homeward movement of troops. In the
last few days the foreign governments
nave been cancelling the charters of
ships used by the United States in
transporting troops, so that the YES
sels might be put back into trade.
Economic questions are coming
prominently to the front in the discus
sIons now going on behind the scenes
preliminary to the assembling of the
lnter-Allied conference and peace con-
gress. The main point hinges on the
appointment of Herbert C. Hoover. the
American Food Administrator. as di-
rector general of relief for all the
Allies and the United States.
Opposes Control of Material
An amendment to this now has been
suggested from Allied quarters bv
which an interAllied commission
would control for one year the distri-
button of raw materials to various
countries
The American position is that the
appointment of Mr.. Hoover to head the
relief work should not be complicated
with the large general question of raw
material. The question of raw mate
rial is regarded as more or less con-
nected with the policy adopted at the
Allied economic conference in Paris
before America entered the war. This
policy has not been adopted by the
American government, and the present
trend of opinion in authorized Ameri-
can quarters is against its adoption.
The American plan for relief was
presented in writing to the recent
meeting Of the Supreme War Council
in London, but action on it was post
poned.
Lloyd George Due Thursday
Ihe arrival of Premier Lloyd George
and Premier Orlando in Paris next
Thursday again will bring these prem
iers together, this time with President
Wilson, and the deferred relief project
again will come up for discussion and
decision.
The amendment concerning raw ma
terials promises to be the main sub
lect Of discussion. A number of other
questions also are involved in the ap-
pointment of director general of re-
lief, particularly the use of merchant
shipping now in German ports for the
distribution of relief and also the
prompt movement Of American troous
back to the United States.
The problem is to hold enough ton
mage to send the troops home at the