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Show SbTisiiT OF THE NEW COUNCIL First Meeting of Interallied Body Held in London; Objects Stated. LONDON. Dec. 15. The interallied council, which is to take up questions of war purchases and finances, met in Loudon Lou-don today. Oscar T. Crosby, assistant secretary of the United States treasury, was elected president. Mr. Crosby, the only American delegate, dele-gate, was accompanied by Paul D. Cravath as advisory counsel. Great Britain was represented by Lieutenant General Smuts, . Austen Chamberlain, member of parliament, and Baron Buck-master, Buck-master, former lord high chancellor: France by Etienne Clemeutel, minister of commerce; Major Hausser representing: represent-ing: the minister of munitions and Paul Dignon, a deputy; Italy by Karon Des- planches and Professor Attolico. The other allied nations will share in tbe deliberations de-liberations of the council only as tar as their particular requirements are concerned. con-cerned. The sittings of the council will be held alternately in London and Paris, those in this city taking place at St. James palace. Future conferences will be attended at-tended also by the finance ministers of France, Great Britain and Italy. A statement issued by the council says: This is the first permanent inter- -aHied body in which the United States is represented. It results of the efforts initiated by Secretary McAdoo and has for primary object consideration of the needs of the allied al-lied governments for purchases in the United States. Purchases in neutral countries will also receive the council's coun-cil's consideration.. A co-ordinated study of needs will be made and when conclusions are reached the corresponding financial needs will be considered. The council's recommendations recom-mendations will then go to the secretary sec-retary of the United States treasury and the allied governments con- j cerned. ! The council will Indicate the prior-! prior-! Hies desired by the respective gov-j gov-j ernments but final decision aa to i priorities between these and the demands de-mands of the United States for the 1 latter's own purposes will be made at Washington. I WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 .Organization 'in London of the inter-allled council by election of Assistant Secretary Crosby of ! the treasury, as president, was regarded by officials as marking the fruition of j the plan advanced by Secretary McAdoo soon after the United States entered the ! war for binding the allies into an eco- ! nomic unit. Another phase of the American plan ' was carried on months ago bv the ere- ; ation of an allied purchasing commission " in the United States, headed by Bernard i Baruch. The inter-allied council will consider con-sider such questions as the most effective use of credits advanced by the United States to hej- allies, priority of the allies' material needs which can be supplied in this country and. in a general way the pooling of economic resources to maka the war more efficient. |