Arizona republican., 1916-05-18
F0RD' PEACE 1. EXPEDITION |S
 PROGRAMMED
[Republican A. p. Leased Wire1


 STOCKHOLM, May 17-(Via Lon don).-What once was the Ford peace | expedition today was reorganized formally as the neutral conference for continuous mediation. with two dele gates from six neutral countries-the United States, Switzerland, Holland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
 Although still generously supported by Henry Ford. manifesto issued to- day says the conference must not be confused with the original party. Only the Rev Dr. Charles F. Aked of the original party that sailed from tEe United States now is a delegate. but Louis r. Lochners still is the general secretary.
 Miss Emily Greene Balch of Wells l lev college now is the second Amer ican delegate The delegates from the | other neutral countries were chosen by the votes of various peace organiZa- | tions and are quite prominent. With the new organization, new | ideas and a more permanent basis for work, the conference hopes to offset llt liltliS dIu lllbuiGllOilo Ol | tke Ford peace expedition, and | through publicity progadanda keep the 1 peace issue alive in Europe with the | ultimate hope that neutral nations will act in concert Tn offering peace.
 A statement, reviewing the work ac- comp,ished up to this time, says:
 The representatives of the peace mission in the presenting of an appeal to the neutral nations to act were re- ceived graciously by the minister of all the neutral nations in Stockholm except the American minister, who said he had instructions from his gov ernment not to recognize the neutral | conferences.
 That this was humilating to Amer ican members of the American con- ference need hardly be emphasized says the statement.
 Commenting on the recent appeal sent to the belligerent nations sug gesting a basis for possible peace dis cussons, the statement says it was widely published and commented on in belligerent countries Steps now are under way for the sending of a [ personal delegation to the vatican.
 The Swedish crisis has passed, and . the attempt to force situation which would plunge the country into wal has failed. Sweden will remain firmly , and impartially neutral. The govern ment feels no alarm concerning Rus sia's activities in fortifying the Alant : islands lying off the east coast o1 , Sweden between the Gulf of Bothnis and the Baltic sea.
 Q Measuring statements to this effec : were made tonight in both chamber! ! of the riksdag. The announcement by Q Foreign Minister Wollenberg of thu r governments position was followed b, c statements from the leaders of the so Q cialist, liberal and conservative par f ties, in which confidence in the gov
 ernment and satisfaction over it n course were expressed.
 " This evidence of a complete agree # ment between the contending politica ', factions in the riksdag with the gov . ernment and the king means tha = Sweden today is more united agains entering the war than at any tim f since the world hostilities began.
 The agreement which came as a sur
 prise to the Swedish people today wa T tho cause of an intense feeling of re lief
 m The position of the government i . 1898, referred to by the foreign min n, ister, was that the Swedish flee
 would he threatened by any permaner = fertilization of the Aland island
 which virtually dominate the Balti 5 entrance to Stockholm, but was will ,4 ing to accept solemn assurances froi
 Russia, supplemented by assurance d from France anC Great Britain, tha
 no permanent fertilization in tf . archipelago was intended. It is be
 lieved that Sweden in the past te
 days has received new assurances
 this respect, Russia declaring that ht
 only intention in the Aland islands
 to defend them against possible car
 ture by tEe Germans.
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