Evening star., 1949-11-30
Anniversary Of Ford Peace Ship
Prompts Protest Against War
Ia the Editnr of The 9far.


TO the Editor Of The Star
Ford Peace Ship was launched on a sea Of
ridicule by the American press. The sailing
Of that vessel was the climax of IA months
Of super -human agitation by Roska
Schwimmer on behalf of neutral con-
ference for continuous mediation to bring
about peaceful settlement Of the then still
European War. The fiery Hungarian feminist
had the support Of Predetermined SUI
fragists Of belligerent and neutral countries
and hoped to move President Wilson to the
calling of such conference. All the Euro
pean neutral nations were waiting for the
United States"
organize third force" Of neutral nations
that led to the enlistment OF Henry Ford
to finance an unofficial neutral conference
designed to pioneer the way and to increase
pressure on behalf of collective mediatory
efforts by the governments Contrary to
popular belief, the Peace Ship itself was q
success for by this dramatic gesture news
Of peace efforts broke through Europe's war
time censorship and gave her peoples q
flicker Of hope. It was the unofficial neutral
conference that was choked to death with
cruelty and levity that historians have
characterized as "appalling."
The failure Of this venture had only two
victims The first was Rosika Schwimmer,
who never quite succeeded in fighting her
way out Of the muck that was heaped upon
her. The second, was humanity itself, which
has not had even the illusion of peace re-
stored to 1t since.
We discovered "a years ago that peace
making Is the worlds most dangerous busi-
ness It was then that we. who spend bill
lions for destruction, laughed at the foolish
millionaire who risked $400, 900 on an expert.
ment In peace-making. We have not yet
changed our sense Of values. We fear the
mass-murderers but we also respect them.
We decorate our military figures, offer them
college presidencies and lucrative positions
In industry.
But our only reward for the peace makers
is the crown Of thorns or the assassin's
bullet. Is 1t any wonder then that would-be
candidates are SO few and that on reflection
even most Of these prefer to risk death to
ridicule?
On the 34th anniversary Of the sailing
Of ths Peace Ship the world still is at war
and none dare predict happy ending. # we
are 4uckier. than we are wise, perhaps the
chronicler Of the distant future will be able
to say Of this period: "A peculiar character
istic Of the first half Of the 20th century
was the tendency Of the peoples to honor
mass-murderers and to assassinate spir-
itually or physically their greatest peace
makers. But in the later part Of this era,
due to conditions not yet clear to us, COM
plete change Of social values took place
World government finally was negotiated,
tho military caste was abolished. repression
and violence were made crimes against
society and the present era Of human happi-
ness began. No record Of the person or per-
sons who worked this miracle remains. Per-
haps even IN those barbaric times people
realized that the achievement was too great
for conventional honors. Some of our scholars
even lean to the theory that no human
agency was responsible. They give credit
for this fundamental revolution in human
behavior to an invasion Of benevolent bac-
terra which paralyzed mans aggressive
instinct" EDITH WINNER.