The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-10-26
.COL. HOUSE ABROAD
 AS REPRESENTATIVE |OF THE PRESIDENT
Accompanied by Admiral Benson, He Will Represent U. s. in Consideration of
 German Armistice Plea

Washington, October 25.-Col E. NJ. , House, personal representative of Pres ident Wilson, and spokesman of the state department, and Admiral William $. Benson, chief of naval operations, have arrived in France to represent the United States in the consideration of Germany s plea for an armistice and peace nego- tiations
 Arrival in France of Colonel House and Admiral Benson, the highest ranking of ficer in the American navy, has cleared the way for the beginning of such delib- erations by the supreme war council at Versailles as may be necessary to frame the draft of an armistice to be submit ted to Germany. The premiers of the allied countries. who make up the polt- teal elements of the council, can be as- sembled at short notice, but 1t is pre- sumed their presence will not be neces- sary until the military and naval mem- bers have completed their work.
 It was said today in official quarters that Colonel House would not be mem Der of the council, at least for the pres ent: that he simply Is the eyes and ears of the President in Europe. charged with ascertaining the exact state of public and private feeling in regard to all mat ters connected with the war. Possessed of full knowledge of this nature, 1t Is believed the President will be even bet ter prepared than heretofore to deal with every phase of the complex problems that will arise as soon as negotiations for an armistice and peace are fully under way.
 SEPARATE VIEWS CERTAIN
 Individual views of the entente powers are certain to develop as the result of the action of President Wilson in boldly stating the war aims of the United States; in fact. it is understood that the President desires to have these disclosed at the earliest possible moment, so that a united front on these questions might be presented to the common enemy by prior agreement among the countries fighting the central powers. Colonel House will be In a position to learn these sepa rate views and perhaps to rec oncite apparently fciife feicting interests and desires through personal discus sion. s
 Later Colonel House may take pIace at the council table if Presi- dent Wilson desires. The Presldent has & vote in the council in the dispo- tion of political matters and 1t Is re- garded as possible that he may dele gate this power to Colonel House. 1t has been suggested, however, that the use of the term vote" in connection with the Proceedings of the council is misleading What is meant is rather a voice in the proceedings, Tor there is to be no voting in the ordi- nary sense; no questions of ma1orities or minorities. The members arc charged to broach freely for discussion any subjects they please, and if any line of action is deemed necessary, each representative will notify his own government of the general sense of the council and it will be for the home government to give the necessary in- structions for any change in policy. BENSON STATUS DIFFERENT Admiral Benson's status differs from that of Colonel House in that he pre- sents himself at Versailles in his ca pacity as the ranking officer of the American navy and consequently prob ably will be welcomed as an expert and authority by the technical meIn- bers of the council. No one knows the extent of the powers with which he has been clothed by the President or Secretary Daniels, but it is assumed that he can give any orders necessary to carry out the naval phases of any armistice that is agreed upon so far as it may be necessary to affect the American naval forces in European waters.
 The official copies of President Will sons latest response to the German notes, together with the correspond ence thereto, making in all II separ- ate communications, were not deliv- ever by cable to the entente gov ernments until today. Of course Lon- don, Paris and Rome Already were in possession of the unofficial text of the notes as received through the press and by radio. but these were not sufficient upon which to base official