The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1916-01-25
Expedition to Europe Was Success
sion of Errors, Writes
Stewart.
PARTY CONTINUALLY
QUARRELED; NO HEAD
Hanna Leaves Party, Saying it Will
Cost Him Thousands to Explain
to Constituents.
BY Chas. P. Stewart.
(united Press STAFF CORRESPONDENT

|
The Hague, Jan. 25.-Henry Ford's
peace mission has failed for lack of
faith" According to his own state
ment, faith was Ford's sole stock
when he started. He had not enough
and those who accompanied him, with
few exceptions, appear to have had
but little
Mental Science Treatment.
Those of the party who reallv
wished the expedition well, were so
bitterly hated that an effort was
made to maroon number of them at
the first European port touched.
Ford's plan, as nearly as it is pos
sible to put so intangible a thing on
paper, was to give the warning ma
tlons mental science treatment. Ford
himself at the outset had unbounded
faith in his ability. Despite the
treatment attributed to him that he
intended to "get the boys out of the
trenches by Christmas" he did not
count on Immediately ending the war.
Expected Large Following.
What Ford did believe was that he
could make a dent" by gathering
about him a whole ships company,
uniting the members minds on one
"big thought of peace" and continu-
ally adding to the volume and in
tensity of this thought as he and his
crusaders Travelled from neutral coun-
try to neutral country, on the edge
of the zone of war, or even in the
zone ITSELF
Much Quarreling.
Whether this plan would have
succeeded under favorable circum-
stances can't be stated, because the
peace delegates failed to concentrate
on thoughts Of peace. The Oscar
h's voyage from New York to Chris:
tiania was horrible, not so much be-
cause Of the incessant quarreling as
on account of the atmosphere of sus-
picion and malice after the first day
or two out.
Ford Takes to Cabin.
Ford speedily took to his cabin and
for more than half the trip was
hardly seen by any but his closest ad-
visors. He was i'll, it was stated. The
nature of the illness never was made
clear. Several of the correspondents
whom the expeditions managing
committee was trying to separate
from the party did see the patient
for few minutes the night before
the Oscar IFS arrival at Christiania.
It is true that he looked like sick
man, but his malady seemed rather
of the spirit than the body.
Appeared in Trance.
Ford moved and spoke like a per-
son in a semitrance. He seemed al
most completely broken. Early in
the voyage he declared that squab-
bling among the peace delegates was
small matter, that disagreements
were to be expected in any commu-
nifty, and that when the party landed
at Christiania these troubles would
quickly disappear. On this night,
however; his manner suggested that
he realized the fundamental weakness
of his rganization-that he had lost
hope
Hopes on Faith.
| While Ford admitted that he based
his early hopes only on faith, MINNIE.
ROsika SchWimmer declared she had
written assurances from officials of
all the neutral European govern
ments that they would welcome such
an effort as the one undertaken by
Ford and from men in high positions
at the chancellories of certain of the
warning nations "on both sides'' that
they were at least not unfriendly to
the plan.
Denies Statement.
The second day of the party's stay
in Christiania, Premier Knudsen of
Norway denied the truth of her
statement. Numerous cables received
in Christiania from MINNIE. Schwim-
mer, addressed to peace organizations
and discussing arrangements for the
Ford party's reception and for CO.
operation in peace work, still lay in
the Christiania telegraph office be-
cause there were no such organiza-
tions to deliver them to. Those who
opposed MINNIE. Schwimmer assert
l-at she had thus deceived Ford con-
cerning the strength of peace senti-
mcnt in Scandinavia.
Press Has Grievances.
MINNIE Schwimmer boasted that
she had "dossier" of every person
on the ship and that not a word was
said which she did not know of al
most Immediately. There were many
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