The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1916-01-06

which Mr.. Ford Is patronizingly char
acterized as a generous soul but ig-
norant. The kindest thing some of
| these publications find to say about
him is that he Is a rainbow chaser
with a good purpose and a poor plan
for its accomplishment.
The New York papers almost with
out exception misrepresented the
character of the Ford enterprise from
the first For this Mr. Ford was him
self to blame to some extent as he
failed to issue comprehensive state
ment of his plan in the beginning.
Newspapers disposed to be hostile to-
ward any step to end the war took ad
vantage Of this to ridicule the expedi-
ton and their example has been very
largely followed on both sides Of the
ocean. The papers controlled by the
steel and munition interests have been
the most persistent In declining to
print the facts about the nature of Mr..
Ford's project.
Yet it would not have been difficult
for them to ascertain that this big
body OF people carried abroad In the
Oscar II was not the real peace COM
mission to carry out Mr.. Ford's pur-
pose. Though stated over and over
again that the ship was chartered to
attract the attention Of the world to
the peace plan. and for no other pur-
pose. this fact has been studiously ig-
nored. And because the boys did not
jump out of the trenches the moment
the ship arrived in European waters,
the whole Ford enterprise was ano
is denounced as a farcical failure.
That the Oscar II was the ADVERTISE
ment of what Is to follow has never
been stated In the eastern papers.
That there is to be a commission of
responsible men to undertake the
peace suggestions after the Oscar II
passengers have returned to the Uni.
ted States has been carefully omitted
from the papers which exhibit sue.
| apparent fear that Ford may bring
about peace.
OF course the Ford enterprise may
| be failure. OF that, Mr.. Ford free
| ly acknowledged cognizance before he
| sailed from New York. But it is not
it as a failure before it has sailed, and
| it hardly can fail until the commits
| sion which is to operate has tried. It
| is Mr.. Ford's purpose to have this
commission sit for months and even
years if that be necessary. 1t is to be
| a body that will never cease to try
for peace until the peace is secured.
This was stated specifically to the
eastern papers but is ignored by them
in their attempts to rust the ann
| nouncement of Ford's failure to the
world.
Again much is made of the asser-
ton that Ford has abandoned the
peace expedition. Yet the eastern
press was Informed repeatedly that he
| OAu A''t IAoW WuctAcA AS Wtu1u ~ ~
Europe in the first place nor whether
he would remain long if he did 60.
! There was doubt in Mr.. Ford's mind
as to whether he would be OF any SER
vice in Europe.
He did not believe that his personal
| presence would be Of aid. He finally
| was persuaded to 60, but if he is re-
| turned now his friends who have I'M
derstood his views will not interpret
| that for an admission by him that his
peace plan is & failure. On the con-
trary they will understand that he
| can do more on this side Of the ocean
| than on that
The people OF the world will get
their best opportunity to Judge Of the
calibre of the Ford enterprise when
they learn the personnel OF the real
peace commission. That has not been
| announced and cannot be until the
crowd from the Oscar II has mode
| the rounds of the neutral countries
When the expedition finally lands at
The Hague the composition of the
| Commission will be determined. After
| that, perhaps long after. that, will
come the time to Judge as TO whether
Mr.. Ford has failed"
|
Success has turned many mans