George in drab days before he became First
Minister of the Crown in spite of his superhuman efforts to avoid that
undesired consummation, he always loved to make his voice heard, and
he always succeeded--just as a canary will in a roomful of chattering
women.

CHAPTER XII

SOME INTER-ALLIES CONFERENCES

The Conference with the Italians in Paris in April-May 1915 --
Its constitution -- Italians anxious that Allies should deliver
big offensive simultaneously with advance of Italian army --
Impossibility of giving a guarantee -- Difficulties over the
naval proposals -- Banquet given by M. Millerand at the War
Office -- A visit to the front -- Impressions -- Mr. Churchill
turns up unexpectedly -- A conference with General Joffre at
Chantilly over Salonika -- Its unsatisfactory character --
Admiral Gamble races "Grandpere," and suffers discomfiture -- A
distinguished party proceed to Paris -- A formal conference with
the French Government -- Messrs. Asquith, Grey and Lloyd George
as linguists -- The French attitude over Salonika -- Sir W.
Robertson gives his views -- The decision -- Dinner at the Elysee
-- Return to London -- Mr. Lloyd George and the soldiers on the
Boulogne jetty -- Points of the destroyer as a yacht -- Mr.
Balfour and Sir W. Robertson afloat -- A chatty dinner on our
side of the Channel -- Difficulty over Russian munitions owing to
a Chantilly conference -- A conference at the War Office -- Mr.
Lloyd George as chairman -- M. Mantoux.

The first meeting of importance with representatives of the Allies at
which I was present took place in Paris at the end of April 1915, and
has already been referred to on p. 63. Sir H. Jackson and I were sent
over, as representing respectively the Admiralty and the War Office,
to take part in a secret conference that was to be held between
French, Russian, and British naval and military delegates on the one
side, and Italian naval and military delegates on the other side in
connection with Italy's entry into the war as an associate of the
Entente. That Italy was to join the Allies had already been arranged
secretly between the four governments, and it was understood that she
was to open hostilities in the latter part of May. The purpose of the
Conference was to permit of the situation being discussed, and formal
naval and military conventions were to be drawn up betwe