The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-05-05
Ford Peace Party Wants to Be.
come Official.
Issues Edict Requesting Neu-
trails to Organize.
HASN'T Time COME TO ACT?"
"History Will Hold Us Respon-
sibIe," Says Proclamation.
Nations Won't Act without Re-
quest of Belligerents.

Stockholm, Sweden, May 5.-The
Ford peace party. reduced now to
working basis. with delegates pres
ent from the six neutral countries of
Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Holland,
Switzerland and the United States, has
recently been very active here and has
enjoyed the official recognition of
having been received by the foreign
ministers of the three Scandinavian
countries. To each of these were pre-
scented appeals addressed in diplomatic
French to the kings and the parlfa-
ments asking that the neutral govern
ments organize an official neutral con-
ference to offer it's services in bring
ing about peace. The Ford party is
now known as an unofficial peace
conference of neutral nations"
The peace Representatives were gra-
ciously received here, at Copenhagen
and at Christiania. No definite hope
for consideration was held out to them,
however, for the ministers declared
their countries could only act when
requested to do so by the belligerents.
Refers Them to Washington.
The same appeal, addressed to the
president and to the parliament" of
the United States, also was offered to
the American minister here, Ira Nell
son Morris. Mr.. Morris held, how
ever, that it did not come within his
diplomatic province to accept appeals
directed to the president and to con-
gress, so he advised his visitors to
present the matter direct to Washing
ton.
The Ford appeal, which is to be pre-
scented also at Berne and The Hague,
says in part:
Has not the moment come to act?
If, by an opportune step, an interVen-
ton of neutrals, the war could be
shortened by a day, by a single day
which destroys thousands of lives,
ought not the step to be taken, no
matter how difficult, how hopeless it
appears?
History will severely judge the
neutral countries if they remain mere
spectators of the terrible confla gra-
ton. They, too, suffer by the war, and
the belligerents themselves have sub
mitted their cause to the judgment of
the neutral nations They have
spread over every country their White
Books and Blue Books, and books red
and yellow. They have made their
appeal to the conscience of the world.
1.-The neutral conference is acting
in the spirit of The Hague convention
of 1907. Article II, of the agreement
then reached distinctly provides:
The powers hold that it is de-
sirable that one or more neutral pow
ers should upon their own initiative,
when they Judge the circumstances
propitious, offer their services as me-
diators to the belligerent states. The
exercise of this right will never be
considered by one or the other of the
belligerents an unfriendly act
Wants Mediation Conference
I'm view of the right and the duty
to which this agreement points, the
unofficial conference now sitting in
Stockholm respectfully appeals to the
governments and parliamentS of the
aITf r~lt To lou
means to call into existence a con-
ference for official mediation between
the belligerent states"
The peace representatives also have
had an interview with the British min
lister here and have requested that
they be given the right to travel freely
in the belligerent countries and that
they be permitted to bring to Stock
holm from these countries persons in
a position to advise with the unofficial
conference as to various steps to be
taken in the future. The minister
said the matter would be considered