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by common agreement, and that the United States was largely responsible for it. Reading agreed to this but excused George on account of the urgency of the situation in Italy, an excuse I did not accept because the Italian morale was stiffened not by that decision but by the announcement that Great Britain and France had decided to send troops to Italy to help hold that front. I called Reading's attention to the importance of Lloyd George working cordially with me. If he did, I thought his Government could not be over- thrown. In saying this I intended a covert threat which I think Reading caught. At this stage, the Prime Minister and Wiseman came in. George greeted Reading with enthusiasm, saying how delighted he was that he should have happened to be here at this time. He was just the man he wished to be present, for he had something very disagreeable to ask me. I <sic>marveled</sic> that a man of George's ability should undertake to act so patent a farce. He made a long speech urging me to consent to a postponement of the Interallied Conference. I listened quietly, for Reading had told me in ad- vance of his coming what he would say, and I had told Reading that I would con- sent to postpone the Conference for a week but not longer. Reading and I had talked it out so all the arguments George gave were mere repetitions. Because of the Italian situation; because of the lack of a French Ministry, it would be futile to have a conference before these two situations composed themselves. George wished to postpone it until a more distant date but I insisted upon naming the 29th of November, and this was finally agreed upon. He is to send for Balfour and have him communicate with the French Government and explain the reasons it will not be possible to hold the Conference on the 22nd. France is to be told that the situation in Italy is the cause of the postponement, and Italy will be told that it is because of conditions in France. I now have both Reading and Northcliffe, Lloyd George's closest friends,
Title | ms_0466_s2_v5_356 |
Transcript |
by common agreement, and that the United States was largely responsible for it.
Reading agreed to this but excused George on account of the urgency of the
situation in Italy, an excuse I did not accept because the Italian morale was
stiffened not by that decision but by the announcement that Great Britain and
France had decided to send troops to Italy to help hold that front.
I called Reading's attention to the importance of Lloyd George working
cordially with me. If he did, I thought his Government could not be over-
thrown. In saying this I intended a covert threat which I think Reading
caught. At this stage, the Prime Minister and Wiseman came in. George
greeted Reading with enthusiasm, saying how delighted he was that he should
have happened to be here at this time. He was just the man he wished to be
present, for he had something very disagreeable to ask me. I |
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