The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-03-02
SKOLL FIRST VIII
TO NORWEG|ANS
FORD PEACE PILGRIMAGE GROSS
LY MIsREPREsENTED BY THE
AMERICAN PRESS
THE WAR WILL Be SHORTENED BY FORD
Trip Spectacular Advertisement for
Peace-Received by Germans in
Pleasant Manner

Pleasant Manner
Brookings Register Bureau, Washington, DC.
(By j. Z. Jones)
Eight weeks ago Mrs. Jones and |
started for Europe as members of the
Ford Peace Party, aboard the good
ship Oscar II. My part in the move
ment has been quite negligible; but
in my individual capacity have writ
ten a great deal, the most of which,
when analysed, becomes a plain travel
story. 1t has been a pleasure, when |
could, to recount the progress of the
expedition, and to tell how it has risen
above the difficulties which threaten
to engulf it, and to do what lay within
it's power to promote the interests Of
peace and bring an end to the war. |
am convinced that the great cause of
Peace and Humanity has been mater
tally benefited by the Ford Peace
Party. | base this opinion on the be-
lief that we accomplished the things
for which the expedition was planned.
The popular pilgrimage that left
New York on December 4th was in
tended to advertise peace; to create
public sentiment in the neutral coun-
tries, and to disband after perfecting
a permanent organization at The
Hague. All these aims have been &C
complished. Now we are on the way
home to resume life's regular work.
But we shall wish and pray for the
success of the permanent organization
at The Hague.
One of the designs in the planning
of the Ford Peace Pilgrimage was to
startle people. Illustrious peace work
ers reasoned that the quiet and more
orderly methods had failed to attract
the attention of the world. Something
unusual appeared to be desirable, and
so the Peace Ship expedition was
brought forward. The newspapers
treated the enterprise with ridicule,
and the sheep who follow the head
lines added to the din. Some of the
newspapers sen their representatives
on the Peace Ship, and in turn they
sent back the most sensational reports
they could conjure. | will agree to the
charge that we suffered in consequence
of some unwise leadership, and part Of
the selections were made by Mr.. Ford,
while others were evidently self ap
pointed. Everything moved so swiftly
that %grievous mistakes were made;
and there was a lamentable lack of
democracy in the proceedings. Madam
Rosika Schwimmer, a brilliant woman
with a great sincerity of purpose, but
with a misunderstanding of American
ways, dominated the party, and was
doubtless responsible for most of the
acts of rebellion among the members.
The instances of discomfort that re-
suited were not important, but they
afforded the opportunities the news
paper wolves desired, and by aid of
the wireless, and in conversation with
foreign newspaper people, they scat
tered their poison and libel. One gen.
teel rowdy represented a New York
newspaper that is notorious or two
continents on account of the misinfor-
nation it has injected into news of the
war. When we were arriving in our
first port in Norway a boat came out
to meet us, and a distingui he'd look
ing gentleman stood in the bow. The
newspaper correspondent had project
ed himself as far forward as he could
in our ship and proceeded to yell over
and over again the Norwegian word
"skoll" which he had learned to use
in hosting his numerous drinks. This
was the first greeting from the Peace
Ship to Europe. Is it any wonder that
the Norwegians looked us over care
fully before lending us their coopera-
ton; particularly in view of the fur
Their fact that as soon as the Nor
wegian newspaper men came on board
the Journalist" mentioned, and other
New York writer's, took them in tow
before they could reach Mr.. Ford's
cabin, and pumped them full Of malic-
ious misinformation. At the German
frontier, in the presence of the Ger
man officers, the same newspaper man
have mentioned above. picked a need
less quarrel with another correspond
ert, at the risk of causing embarrass-
ment to the whole party. Such in
stances were common. and are only
cited to illustrate the attitude Of a very
few journalists. Unfortunately these
we're the men who were covering the