OCR Text |
Show UNITED STATES I WAR MISSION IN ' I HISTORIC MEETING I LONDON, Nov. 20. None of the numerous allied war councils which have occurred In the past three years have occasioned the same interest as today's historic meeting of the American Ameri-can war mission and the British war cabinet for tightening the links that chain the Anglo-American war efforts. j The scene is the dingy old residence in Downing street which has served the prime ministers of many genera-lions genera-lions as both home and office, and the room is the council chamber where the cabinets meet and where the destinies of the empire have been shaped since tho days of the American revolution. Lord Chief Justice Presides. Lord Reading, the lord chief justice, will preside with Andrew Bonar Law, : British chancellor of the exchequer, and Oscar T. Crosby, assistant secre- 1 tary of the American treasury, at the table beside him. The military and naval heads of both governments and officials representing other depart- mcnts of war work will be grouped together. to-gether. Premier Lloyd George has planned to be present for the purpose of answering questions. The general purpose of the meeting consists of taking stock of the resources re-sources and needs of both countries and, to some extent, of the continental conti-nental allies. Reporters and Photographers in Scene. A group of reporters and photographers photog-raphers and sightseers were on the cene early in the day. The conference met at noon as had been pla.nned. Lord Reading was the first0, to arrive. Ho had a five-minute ! chat with Premier Lloyd George and ! then prepared to meet the distin-j distin-j guished men from America and the British participants. Some of these ; came on foot and others in motors j driven by khaki-clad chauffeurs. Admiral Jcllicoc Arrives. 1 Admiral Jelllcoe, chief of tho naval j staff, arrived with Sir Eric Campbell Geddes, first lord of the admiralty. Lord Robert Cecil, the minister of blockade, walked unaccompanied from IH the foreign office. The crowds dis- played deep Interest in General Tasker H. Bliss, chief of staff of the Ameri- can army, and Admiral William S. jH Benson, who arrived separately with their aides. The Earl of Derby, British minister of war, and General Sir William Rob-ertson, Rob-ertson, chief of the imperial staff at army headquarters arrived in a motor iH car a few minutes before Lieutenant General J. C. Smuts, who drove up All Ask for Col. House. Everybody asked for Colonel E. M. "House, head of the American mission, IH but Colonel House did not attend the IH meeting, his secretary, Gordon Auchin- iH closs, representing him. Lord Reading formally opened the proceedings at jH Bonar Law Questioned. IJ Tho question asked Mr. Bonar was whether President Wilson had required IH Colonel House and General Bliss to attend the first meeting of the supreme IH war council and had cabled that the IH American government considered unity of plan and control to be essential for the Allies. The chancellor replied: jH "President Wilson selected Colonel IH House to take part not only in the in- IH ter-Allicd conference but in the su- preme Allied war council with General Bliss as his military advisor. There IH ought to be no misunderstanding. We have that information quite officially." LONDON. Nov. 20. Chancellor Bo- nar Law said in the house of commons IH today in response to a question that t the British government has informa-tion informa-tion quite officially that President Wil-son Wil-son had sent a cablegram asking Col- onel House and Genera Bliss to attend the first meeting of the inter-Allied war council. |