The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1916-01-27
8ETHEA DESCRIBES
EUROPEAN TOUR,
WHAT HE HEARD AND SAW AS
A MEMBER OF THE FORD
PEACE EXPEDITION.

Carolina. after undergoing many
hardships and disagreeable expert
ences as member of the Ford
peace party, returned this morning
from New York, where he landed
Yesterday after a tempestuous trip
across the Atlantic on the liner New
York. 1T seems almost like mir
acle that | am left to tell the story
said Mr. Bethea today in describing
his experiences.
Mr. Bethea thinks that the sympa-
thies of the people of Norway. Den
mark and Holland are with the En-
tente allies, while the citizens OF
Sweden favor the Central Powers.
because of an old grudge against
Russia.
The Lieutenant Governor interest
ingly describes his trip through Ger
many. He says that before you
enter Germanic territory. your per-
son and belongings are put through
a thorough search. He was slipped
tc the skin, and his belongings mi
nutely scrutinized; even his medi.
cines were poured on the fire to test
r. tbev were explosives. These
Germans do things thoroughly" said
Mr. Bethea, in describing the Teu-
tons. He thinks that their efficiency
would be good thing for the Amer
lean people.
Mr. Bethea says Henry Ford is an
unsel6sh, big-hearted man, of whom
too much cannot be said in praise.
He is a man, said the Lieutenant
Governor, who would spend his en-
tire fortune for peace. Measured
by motive and purpose, Mr. Bethea
said that the peace pilgrimage was
successful, in that peace talk had
been started among the neutral and
belligerent nations.
The world would be much bet.
ter place to live in if we had more
men of the type of Henry Ford, y
AYERS Mr. Bethea.
The following interview was given
out by Mr. Bethea today:
Frora the day left New York till
my return yesterday my trip was a
continuous round of trying, but
thrilling, experience. 1t seems al
most like miracle that am left to
ten the story.
Ifound the bitter cold in the Scan
dinayian countries too much for me,
and in Sweden l nearly succumbed
to its rigors. It was in Stockholm
that l was seriously sick for several
days, causing me to miss an earlier
boat on my return trip home. A
terrible storm at sea still further
delayed my arrival.
The trip over was without par
ticular incident, except for the two
days and nights in the harbor at
Kirkwall, when we were prisoners
of q British man-of.war. 1t is not
an easy feeling to have torpedo
boats lurking around and pointing
their guns at you, but that is the
penalty all have to pay who pass
that way these days. England has
literally swept the seas and fixed the
boundary line beyond which no ship
dare cross till she gives the word.
The danger zone, in which many
mines are ahoat, also gives you a
ticklish feeling, and is not good for
the nerves if you cannot sleep.
LAND IN NORWAY.
We landed in Christiania, NORWAY,
and found an interesting people and
country. 1t was the height of the
winter season and everything was
white with snow. Thousands were
giving their time to skating, the
great national sport, which consists
of sliding over the hills and noun
.tains of snow. Sweden likewise was
in the grip of winter, but at Stock
holm there was a warm welcome to
a beautiful and thrifty city. Wages