New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-10
FORD PEACE SHIP
BORN OF A CLOCK
Grandfather's Timepiece
plants Seed in Repor-
torial Brain.
nrA BURSTS FORTH,
AUTO MAN GRASPS 1T
Ocean Voyage and Teddy Della
yigue's Job as Publicity Agent
Are Direct Results.

- oaice in Detroit slahus siaHu-
Es clock which has passively &C
lssmoiished q lot Of things besides time
keeping T.. ho o,ooL cbarces
.be neace ship Oscar ii would not
cow be on the Atlantic with us cargo
NJ ..orrined delegates" And, except
O., he selfsame clock. it is highly
ILL., that chubby Theodore Delavigne
..-o,iJ still be taking assignments from
~" eitv editor of "The Detroit Free
pes" instead Of being, as he IS, the
ns,sonsl publicity representative OF the
- whose income is one of the biggest
In America.
For II was Teddy Delavigne who orig
;,sted the peace ship idea, and 1t was
10 old clccs which put the germ OF the
;5sa into Teddy's head and brought him
and Henry Ford plump on 20 the sub
;ect Of stopping the war. 1
The inside story of the chartering of
the peace ship and OF Teddy Delavigne
r,sonifcent fight into tie income taxed /
class comes TO The IT oune from /
nsrson whose authority cannot be ques-
toned.
VOW could hardly call Teddy a cub |
,snorter. for he has been reporting for /
several yea s. Two years ago he went /
trom Providence. r. l.. TO Detroit. where /
10 ioined the staff of "The Free Press
Now. in Detroit the newspapers are &C /
eu.tomed 70 paying their young report /
srs somewhere around SIS a week.
But Teddy Delsvigne was a bachelor. 7
and still is, and he got on quite COM
for;ably.
Gets First Glimpse of Clock.
Just about a year ago Teddy got his
frst glimpse of the Ford grandfather's
clock On that occasion his card had
ganed him admittance TO the private
Office Of the Presence. II was one of the
rare times when Henry Ford really
wanted TO see newspaper men.
Before he had been in the Office many
minutes Teddy had stopped his nervous
twiddling Of his hat. He was even en-
outraged in fact. TO pull up a chair,
cross his legs comfortably and light
cigarette. That was the kind of man he
had found Henry Ford to be.
The subject on hand was the new
Ford farm tractor. Its inventor was
just announcing h 5 plans for building
string of new factories. Henry Ford
was interested in what he was talking
about, and when he gets interested IN
anything he is just the same sort Of
person he was when he bossed a De-
troit engine room for $50 a month and
spent half the $50 for parts for the
first Of all the Fords.
Teddy, whose training in Providence
hadn't inclined m to yellowness, went
back TO his Office and let the story
write itself. He didn't try to add any
frills OF his own 10 what Ford had /
isad.
A couple of days later the stout re-
porter had occasion to see the master /
az the big motor plant again.
You write the sort OF stuff Ike q
said Ford. "The other reporters put
lot Of words into my mouth that |
didn't say. Any me you want to see I
me come right in"
Entranced by Chimes.
And Teddy, still dazed by the infor-
mality which lay behind all the clerical
breastworks protecting the great mans
private Office, took advantage of the
invitation several times subsequently.
Just as he might have in the days when
he wore overalls and wiped his hands
on waste. Henry Ford began TO ask
Teddy Delavigne if it wasn't interest
ing 10 be reporter. etc, etc. Teddy
blandly obliged down TO the last etc.
So, finally, came the incident of the
grandfather's clock. Teddy had no
ieed It and admired it, and the owner
had mentioned in a casual way Is cost
without saying where he got II. The
cost was as high as the chimes of the
clock were sweet-and the chimes were
50 sweet that Teddy. who has an ear
for music, used 70 time his visits so
he would be sure 20 hear at least one
Of their half-hourly concerts.
One day, midway between striking
tines, Teddy was alone in the private
once. As streetcars passed outside
the chimes were set humming, and the
musical reporter stood close TO .he
clock 10 catch their melody. There
he was standing when Ford entered
and discovered him.
That's certainly a great clock. Mr..
Ford" said Teddy.
Yep said the proud owner. "Got
Il in England"
England eh?" unused Teddy. And
hen brilliant thought struck him.
Say. Mr. Ford" he burst ont.
There's lot less people in England
hox than when that clock was built"
Nr. Ford had thought of that, too.
seemed
DO you know" he said. "I'd give
svsY cent have If could stop that
var! I'm not against il because ]
cont Ike a good fight. But ! never
eoald stand for waste. and the wars
ne biggest waste that ever happened
his world. Why. if ran my plants
On such principles I'd be broke in a
rear
Birth Of the Great Idea.
% The millionaire and the reporter,
hiding they thought the same way
about world wars, were drawn closer.
suppose you had lot OF money and
wanted % put crimp in the war" ran
hypothetical question which Henry
ford once put 20 Teddy Delavigne Of
the Free Press" how would you
Hzrt spending 20 that end?"
Why, ] think" replied Teddy, re-
hsetiyely lingering the hole in the left
shoulder o. his shirt, 81 think I'd spend
about 100000 on an educational
campaign"
a while after Teddy had gone Henry
I'fd called for his secretary and his
check book.
Another couple Of days and Mr. Ford
ssa another question 20 ask Of Dir.
Dtlayigne. Educational campaigns
ssfs all right enough, ne said. but
,here wasn't enough dynamite in them
% star everybody thinking about
topping the war all az once.
Irer " -oused NJ notayfure