File No. 763.72/7643
The Special Representative ( House) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 10, 1917, 8 a.m.]
I beg to inform you that we were met at Plymouth by Admiral Jellicoe, General Collwell, Ian Malcolm representing Mr. Balfour, Sir William Wiseman, Mr. Irving Laughlin representing American Embassy, and the American Consul at Plymouth. We travelled by special train to London where we arrived at 12 o’clock on [Page 299] Wednesday night and were greeted by Mr. Balfour, the American Ambassador, and Mr. Frazier of the American Embassy in Paris. Motor cars were provided for the transportation of the whole party by the Government and Chesterfield House was placed at the disposal of myself and my immediate suite while the remaining members of the commission were put up at Claridge’s Hotel. The members of the commission immediately got into touch with the corresponding officials in the British Government and have expressed themselves to me as highly satisfied with their cordial reception and by the satisfactory progress already made in the accomplishment of their mission. On Thursday I lunched informally with Mr. Balfour alone and had conversations with the French Minister of Marine and the French Minister of Finance, both of which gentlemen happened to be in London. I may add that the British Government has left nothing undone to contribute to the comfort and convenience of the entire commission.