The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-01-03
MIR. FORD is BACK
WITH CHANGED VIEWS
Says Men Who Are Fighting Are Too
Content to Let Others Think
for Them.

NEW YORK, Jan 3.--Henry Ford, who
led the peace expedition which left New
y ork Dec. 4 on the steamship Oscar Ii for
Copenhagen in the hope of bringing abont
a conference of neutral nations that would
end the war, arrived here yesterday on
the steamship Bergensfjord. He confirmed
cable reports that his return had been has
tened by illness. but said it made differ
ence of only few days as he intended
when he left to come back this month.
Mr.. Ford declared his views regarding
the cause of the war have undergone
marked change. When he left, he said, he
thought bankers and manufacturers of mu-
nitions and armament We're responsible,
but he returns with the belief that it is
the people themselves, those now being
slaughtered, who are responsible The
men doing the fighting have been too con
tent to let those who rule them do their
thinking and they have now taken advan-
tage OF their divine right to say for them
selves what they shall do and think, the
pacificist asserted.
Republics are no better than monarch
I les in this respect, he said. Even in the
United States we let those whom we have
elected to office be swerved from their
duty We do not assert ourselves. Per-
sonally | have been voter 81 years and
in all that time [ have voted only six
times and then because my wife made
me
| OF the eventual success of the mission,
/ Mr.. Ford declared he had no doubt.
'sThe movement is now organized and un,
/ der way People are talking about it and
while some criticize, when people talk
! they think, and when they think they
think right" Mr.. Ford's future plans
with respect to the peace expedition We're
uncertain, he said. While he had several
ideas in mind, he deemed it too early to
speak of them He left the party il
charge of CASTOR Plaintiff, he stated, IL
accordance with his original plans, anc
the party left the Oscar Ii it was as har
monious as could be desired.
..The main idea of the mission," contin
ued Mr. Ford, was to crystalize into con
crete form if possible the various ideas ant
|. hopes for peace which prevail all over th'
world The nations doing the fighting
would be glad to stop it if they could, | be
lieve, but they are afraid to let go. Thos
who accompanied me on the Oscar |
were as fine a body of people for that par
: ticular mission as ! could ask and the in
. terested delegates that met us at Chris
+: tiania were all good men. | am simpl
financing and carrying out as far as poss
BILE the work set under way last year a
the meeting at The Hague of the woman
international peace congress. This wor
ultimately will bring Europe to its sense
and stop the war. If what | have don
. will bring peace only one day nearer
shall be more than repaid. Every day til
= war is shortened will save 10000 live
! and 10000 lives win mean much towa1
q restoring order and normal conditions.
) eff necessary, [ will again go to EuroI
, and if it viii help matters | will chart,
another ship. [ am not doing it for pc
sonal glory, gain or advertising. | ha'
g more money now than [ can use and
10 feel I am simply custodian of what | hav
n 1t was intrusted to me by the peopl
a. some of whom are today fighting in Il
trenches"