Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-02-08

With this common ground as a founda-
| tion, the conference expects to rear the
superstructure of permanent world
peace. Existing military advantage
will not be considered in framing the
proposals. A permanent peace, or none
at all, will be the slogan Of the con
ference That temporary arrange
ment would be suicidal is the sentiment
of every member who accompanied Mr..
Ford, venture to say For instance,
/ believe every impartial Ameri.
can citizen would not favor any pro-
pOsal that did not contain provisions
for the establishment Of Belgium s
sovereignty or a lasting settlement of
the Balkan situation. Any other but
permanent peace would but mean the
recurrence of the great world strug-
gle. The unofficial conference will
automatically dissolve as soon as off
cial negotiations are commenced. 1t
has no idea of embarrassing interna-
tional diplomacy.
"Tne best feature of the plan is its
simplicity.
Naturally, many amusing things
occurred on the expedition. There
were many differences Of opinion on
subsidiary questions such as American
military preparedness. Nothing else
could have been expected from such a
group Of individuals. In keeping with
Mr.. Ford s community idea, the ex.
petition contained people representing
many different parts of the country,
many different opinions and many diff
ferent ideals. However, there was one
thing all were united upon--the ques-
ton Of peace in Europe.
9th so-called dissension on the Oscar
over President Wilson, 3 preparedness
program was only a difference of opin-
iona natural thing in such a heter-
geneous group. Colonel S. S. Mcclure,
of New York, a well known publisher
and editor, was the leader of the
group that favored the program with
which practically all of the students,
myself included, were identified.
"Anything that sayored of A split
in the ranks was too good to be passed
up unaeralded by the enterprising news
paper men-some fifty Fight in the
Peace Party would make fine head.
line in an American newspaper. II
| WVulu HHuhb llut Ituulng lUI LuB utO'
pie back home. From reporter 4
standpoint, don I blame them Bit
for grasping any opportunity offering
such good news possibilities. / dc
blame them-some of them--for the ex'
agerated and immature statements thai
were made. Hain, honest facts would
have been alright.
"Another incident that was amusing
tragically amusing to be correct, nap
pened in Sweden The party held 0
large meeting in the Royal Academy
of Music to which were invited the
elite of Stockholm. The type of the
audience can be appreciated when it Il
realized that nearly everyone of the
five or six hundred invited persons
wore formal evening dress. The Fort
deeg ltes were seated on the platform
The program was long--doubly long be
cause of the fact that all Swedish
speeches had to be translated into Eng
lish and English speeches into Swedish
Everyone was tired-constan meeting
were too strenuous. Finally the las
. speaker on the program had finished
Everyone drew l sigh of relief. Thel
: TO the honest CONSERVATION OF tn
American contingent, at least, a note
Swede, carried away by the spirit o
the evening, got up to make an i'm
!