The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-12-28
BEER FOR CHOIR ON FORO'S SHIP
 CAUSED SCRAP
Journalists Rebuked for Think ing Slight LibatiOn Would
 Help Voices,
REPORTERS CENSURED
 FOR SHOOTING CRAPS
Returning Peace Pilgrim Tells How Big Row Disrupted
 Merry Party.

of peace took wing from the Ford peace packet, the Oscar IT., when se- dition burst forth six days out on the Atlantic, was told yesterday by Rob- ert B. Bermann of Washington, the first of the Ford party to return home. He arrived on the steamer Stockholm.
 Edit the Kings English.
 Hermann was engaged by MT. Ford as critic of English to edit wireless messag ges to Kings, Presidents and other dignitaries. It was, as he ex- p1ained, no plain, blue penciling job either. His duty was to prune the fIowery rhetoric before it was tossed on aerial waves in the hope that it might appeal to the senses of crowned and elected heads of nations, but the burning words of the sizzling peace apostles became too hot for him, and l the singeing of the peace dove so his job and chose another thrashing on the Atlantic, rough as the voyage over had been. It had been suggested that Der mann might have been sent back by MT. Ford in the hope of forestalling unfayorable newspaper stories, but Hermann denied this. He said he was I transferred from the Oscar II. to the Stockholm at Kirkwall, Scotland, at his own request on account of the ''scrapping.'' Besides. he had several rolls of movie films of the trip that he wanted to get back here.
 Hermann was one of 35 members of special staff engaged by MT. Ford for the publicity propaganda of the peace trip. Besides him there were t12 stenographers on board four null tfgraph operators, five dictaphone operators, seven publicity men and six messengers.
 Up to the time the ship reached Kirkwa11 10000 words "a day had been sent by wireless and MT. Ford's bill for the messages amounted to $5o,- 900. Hermann said. The two wireless operators were. the most ardent peace advocates left on board.
 500 Words to Each Ruler. l Mr. Ford sent one blanket 600-word message to nine heads of the warning nations at 50 cents a word. That amounted to $2.700 alone
 Hermann said Mir. Ford was prin- cipally engaged on the voyage sign ing checks. He appeared at meals, but made no speeches and took no part in thed iscussions, but it was evil dent from his manner that he did not approve of their tenor. Bermann said MT. Ford did not appear i'll, but that he was very reserved. Lloyd Bfng- hams death also was news to Ser mann
 Hermann! said he had not heard of the squirrels Henry F. Acorn and tfWillian F. Chestnut that were put on the ship here. He said that if they sailed they must have been put in the hold and forgotten
 The trouble or -scrapping'' on the ship, Hermann said, began in the sec ond class dining room, which was used as a large smoking room. After din- n I1i1 7o Gef4a r was in n1id-ocean. resolution briefly outlining the purposes of the trip was introduced by the Rev. Dr.. Jones, the Rev. Dr. Aked and Mrs. Joseph Fe1s, who had been asked by several mem bers of the party to act as com mittee. as one member put it, ''to start something.Y
 1 When pr. Jones had finished read ing the resolution, S. s. Mcclure, who had taken along an advance copy of the President's> message, arose and read it Then Louis P. LocBner, who ] was acting as Ford's mentor, attacked 1 the armament proposal of the Presi- dent, Hermann said, and Dr. Jones 1 immediately introduced a resolution attacking the Presidents suggestion and seconding Lochner's opinion.
 Could Not Remain Silent.
 'sWhereupon,' Bermann related, AMr. Mcclure jumped to his feet and declared, Because of my previous poll licies. editorially and personal, can not remain silent when the official ac- ] ton of the President of the United States is ginnpugned.'
 .tThe argument that immediately started was carried to the smoking room on the upper deck and to every l corner of the ship. MT. Ford was from then on
 ssFinally, Dr.. Jones made a direct charge that Mfr. Mcclure was on 1 board to spread dissension. But many l of those on board refused to side with Dr. Jones after his resolution and turned to MT. Mcclure. From that 1 moment on the peace party was split and pr. Jones and MT. Mcclure be- came the leaders of the two factions. 'The committee of which pr. Jones was the spokesman then decided that those who desired to attend the con- ference at The Hague should sign his resolution. The newspaper men were asked to sign it, but they refused on the ground that they were on board l to report the peace mission and had l not declared themselves peace advo- l cates Herman Bernstein refused to | sign it. Others who refused were Judge Bep Lindsey, Gov. Hanna of l North Dad1ota, Lieut.. Gov. Andrew J. Betha of South Carolina and. Mrs. Inez I MilhoIIand Boissevain.
 1 SchwiTnrner In Command.
 Mime. Schwimmer then rose up as leader of the antf-McC1ure faction. But a. soon as Mime. Schwimmer took a prominent part in the discussions a lot was said about her having spy 1 system on board. It-was not proved that she had such an organization, but l did not doubt that it existed Her secretary tried to join the Press club and was turned down."
 Hermann said some of the newspa- per men on board were rebuked for | shooting craps during the Sunday service, and criticised for serving beer | to the choir, but they explained that they fought it would stimulate the voices.
 1 The bar, he said, was officially closed at 11:30 each night, but t was patron