Arthur James Balfour to William G. Wiseman
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MEMORANDUM.
On September 28th. Balfour cabled Wiseman asking whether he could ascertain the reason why President Wilson was irrevocably opposed to the appointment of an American chairman of Inter-Allied Council.
To-day, October 5th, the following cable was received by Wiseman from Balfour, marked urgent:
"We should all be very grateful for as prompt an answer as possible to the telegram sent you from Balfour and replied to by you provisionally on Sept. 29th. as to the attitude of the US Administration in the matter of their sending an American Chairman for Inter-Allied Council. We promised to agree to a French Chairman if the American Government adhere to their refusal to send a delegate, but Italians are most anxious Chairman should be British or alternatively American. American Chairman would not be called upon to give casting vote in case of disagreement but would be in a position to report confidentially to his Government his views on situation in such case. Whole machinery for setting up Council is held up pending reply."