Evening star., 1915-12-05
PEACE SHIP SAILS;
BRYAN SPEEDS It
Wedding on Board While Wait
ing for BeIated
Guests.
PERHAPS KING HAAKON
HAS PROMISED WELCOME
Message Delivered TO Ford Reported
to Have That Signiticance-Gray
Squirrel in Party.

NEW YORK December i.-Henry
Ford and more than eighty peace ad-
vocates sailed from here today on the
steamer Oscar II, for Christiansa nd.
Norway The party vas accompanied
by fifty-seven newspaper correspond
ents and photographers. and more than
twenty general assistants, secretaries
and stenographers,
The steamer sailed at 3.l5 o'clock,
one hour and fifteen minutes later than
the scheduled sailing hour. Such de
lay, however, is not unusual In this
case it VAS caused. largely. by the late
arrival of fifteen members of the Ford
party, as well as the large crowd which
thronged the ship to bid farewell to
various members of the party.
Bryan and Edison There.
William Jennings Bryan spent some
time on the ship bidding good speed
AS he termed ito Ford and the
party. Thomas A. Edison was another
of those who called on Mr. Ford after
the latter had boarded the steamer.
There is some chance for the mis-
sion to succeed" said Mr.. Bryan
! That is all | care TO say now, except
lt4'it L W ISL lHtUl every good lOftutlt.
Just before the gangplank was pull
ed up cable messenger rushed on the
ship. II was reported that Ford had
received message from King Haakon
OF Norway. stating the Ford party
would be courteously received in Nor
way.
Much excitement prevailed on thf
ship and the dock for some time prior
to the sailing. This, in addition TO the
fact that fifteen of the party arrived
/ q boz,
held up the work of examining pass
ports and tickets and other matters in
cidental to the sailing
Officials of the line. fearful that the
steamer would not be able to leave
the pier until after dark held a hurried
tive of the line boarded the vessel and
sailed for the purpose of checking Vi
all persons on board
Perhaps IT'S in Party.
1t was then said by line officials that
the Ford party would probably total
1i9. The exact number will not be
known until a wireless is received to-
night from the representative aboard.
Conditions were such for an hour or
more before the vessel sailed that all
persons who had passports and who
were identified by Ford's representa- :
mitted to board the ship and sail. De-
spite this 1eeway, however, it was
stated that several persons who had
intended to sail had not reached the
city. Ii was thought that among these
fwere representatives of some western
universities
All saloons and many cabins on the
steamer We're decorated with palms
| ferns, flowers, flags and streamers rep
| resenting the national colors of about
ntria
| blue predominated. Two large white
| doves, which had been carefully
mounted, and bearing olive branches
were suspended from the ceiling of the
| main saloon.
| Henry Ford boarded the steamer at
| ! :05 o'clock. accompanied by several
friends and three policemen. The lat
| ter held the crowd back while Ford
| posed for a score of moving picture
| cameras and more than seventy-five
| other photographers.
| Ford carried tattered American
flag. This he waved with one hand,
while h.a repeatedly doffed his hat to
the cameras.
Fifteen minutes before the ship was
scheduled to sail messenger boy. rid :
ing in a taxicab, drove onto the pier.
The boy carried large covered cage,
which was believed to contain live
dove. When the cage was uncovered,
however. it was found that the occu-
pant was a large gray squirrel.
This created much m.erriment 4 sec
cetary placed the squirrel directly un-
der one of the mounted peace doves
Two bands played constantly during
the last forty-fve minutes before the
ship got away. The crowd. both out
side and on the docks, steadily in
creased. Some difficulty was expert
enced in clearing the ship of a nun
dred or more persons who We're there
to bid friends goodbye