033.4111/17a
The Secretary of State to the Chief of the British Special Mission (Balfour)
My Dear Mr. Balfour: Permit me to extend to you on the occasion of your arrival in America my very warm greetings and express to you the satisfaction which it gives me to welcome you to the United States.
Your visit to Washington will accomplish much good not only because of the benefit to be derived from personal conferences but because it will be interpreted by the American people as an evidence of the cordial good will of the people of Great Britain.
The chief desire of this nation is to cooperate in the most efficient way with the nations which are engaged in the struggle against autocracy. The Government and people of [the United States?] are ready to exert their full power and only seek to know in what way it can contribute to the accomplishment of the supreme purpose of the war.
I have instructed Ambassador Page to express to your Government the earnest hope that you and your private secretary, General Bridges and Admiral de Chair, each accompanied by a staff officer, and the Governor of the Bank of England, will consent to be the guests of the nation for a few days after your arrival in the United States. I now repeat this earnest hope to you.
Anticipating meeting you here in Washington within a few days I am [etc.]