The Washburn leader., 1916-02-04
Ferd's Failure Due
To Lack Of Faith
Peaae Delegates Couldn't Grasp
big Thought of Mental
Peace Treatment
GOV. HANNA WILL EXPLAIN
PhttR Rivalry For Leadership
Ended ed-Deception Charged
TO Nine. Schwimmer


To- Nine. Schwimmer
(By Charles p. Stewart)'
The Hague, Jan. Is (by mail
Henry Ford,s peace mission
failed for lack of faith Ac1
cording to his own statement,
faith was Ford IS sole stock when
he started. He had not enough
and those who accompanied him,
with a few exceptions appear to
have had but little.
Those Of the party who really.
wished the expedition we'll were
SO bitterly hated that an effort,
was made to maroon a number
of them at the first European
port touched. Ford's s plan, as
nearly as it is possible to put
so intangible "a thing on paper:
was to give the warning nations
mental treatment.
Despite the statement attribut-
ed to him that he intended to
4sget the boys out Of the tren-
ches by Christmas" he did not
count on ending the war imme-
diateay.
What Ford did believe was
that he could "make dent"
by gathering about him whole
ships company, uniting the mem
bers' minds on one '.big thought
Of peace" /" and continually addc
ing to the volume and intensit.
of this thought as he and his
crusaders travelled from neutral
country to NEUTRAL country, on
the edge of the zone Of war, or
even in the zone itself.
Whether this plan would have.
succeeded under favorable cir4
cumstances can't be stated, be!
cause the peace. delegates failed,
to concentrate on thoughts Of
peace. The voyage was horrible:
not SO much because Of the in
cessant quarreling as on account
Of the atmosphere o. suspicion
and malace after the first day
out
Ford speedily took to his cab7
in, and for more than half +ha
trio was hardly seen by any
but his closest advisers. He was
i'll, it was stated. Several corr
respondents whom the expedi-
tion s managing committee was,
trying to separate from the,
party did see the patient for a
few minutes the night before.
arrival at Christiania. He look
ed like. a sick man then, but his
1nalady' seemed rather Of the.
spirit than the body.
Ford moved and spoke like a
person in a trance. He seemed
almost completely broken. Early
in the voyage he declared that
squabbling among the peace dele
gates was a small matter and
that when the party landed at
Ghristiania these troubles would
quickly disappear. On this
night, however, his manner sug-
gested that he had lost hope.
While Ford admitted he bas-
ed, his early homes Only on faith
Mime. Rosika Schwimmer de-
clared she had written assurance
es from officials Of all the neu+
trail European governments that
they would welcome such an eff
fort as. the one undertaken by
Ford and from men in high po-
sitions at the chancellories for
certain warning nations con both
sides" that they were not un-
friendly to the plan. The sec
ond day Of the party s. stay in
Christiania Premier Knudsen Of
Norway denied, her statement.
Numerous cables received in
Chrstiania from Nine. Schwim-
mea addressed TO peace organiza
/ tions and discussing arrange
ments for the partyis reception
lay in the telegraph office BET
cause there were no such organi-
zations to deiver them to. Thos
who opposed Nine. SSchwimmer
assert she, had tried to deceive
Ford concerning the strength Of
peace sentiment in ScandinaV I.
Rev. Charles r. Albed admitted
the press representatives hat
many legitimate. grievances, but
insisted his own grounds for con
plant were even better than
theirs. He had made heavy fl