THE SHIP OF FOOLS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 39, 16 February 1916, Page 2

THE SHIP OF FOOLS.

FORD 'S MISSION RIDICULED

"VOYAGING LUNATIC ASYLUM."

NEW YORK, Dee. 28

Hepry Ford's senseless peace mission, devoid of any practical plans to cement the warring nations into international friendship, has -become the greatest laughing-stock America has ever known, and some inside revelations have been made by members of the party who have already returned in disgust to the United tates.

Robert Bastian Bermann, critic of Englis-h attached to the Ford party, who supervised the wireless messages on the Oscar IT., said at the time of the dissensions over Ford's attack on President, Wilson's preparedness plans, when resolutions were prepared denouncing these defence policies, tna newspaper correspondents were asked to sign the resolution but declined on the ground that they were not members of the peac e party. The seven excluded from the party that were mentioned in the newspaper dispatches were the publicity men employed by Mr. Ford.

BEER, CHOIR AND CHURCH SERVICE. -

Ford's staff consisted cf twalve shorthand-typewriter experts, 4 multigraph operators, seven publicity men, and six messengers, according to Berman„ who said that the staff was kept busy getting out messages, which were dispatched by wireless continuously when the operator could get in touch with a wireless station or relay through another steamer. As many as 40,000 words wer c sent in one day, Ber'man asserted, .and he had to read over and correct them. Ford sent a message of GOO words to each of nine rulers of belligerent notions at 50 cents (2/) a word, and the bill paid at Kirkwall for the total wireless amounted to 50,000 dollars, the wireless editor declared. "After we left New York on December 4," said Bermann, "all went well until December .10, then a meeting was held after dinner in the sec-od-class" saloon, convened by the Rev. Dr. J. Lloyd Jones, of Chicago, and the Rev. Charles Akeel, of San Francisco, and Mrs. Joseph Fels, as a committee of three, to outline plans for the trip. S. S. McClnre, who is a nice chap personally, but makes too much noise, took advantage of the meeting to road an advance copy of the President's message to Congress, which started all the trouble."

By this time the wrangling had become so distasteful, said Bermann, that In decided to return to the United States as soon as possible. Mme. Schwimmer took charge of the antiMcClure party, and appeared to be r: very strong-willed person indeed. On Sunday, December 12. one of the photographers rather shocked the more pious members of the party by starting a gambling game of "craps" during the church service in the saloon, and giving the choir beer, which, he declared, was done with a worthy motive to stimulate their voices! FORD'S VIEWS CHANGING. When Henry Ford arrived in New York he was met by an army of newspaper men, and a. battery of photographers, and a perfect bedlam reigned for several minutes. Ford declared his views regarding the cause of the war had undergone a marked change. When he left, he said. he was of the opinion that bankers, manufacturers of munitions and armament were responsible, Tv.it he returned to America with the belief that it was the people themselves, those now bein~ slaughtered, who were responsible. "The men doing the fighting have been too content to let those who rule them do the thinking, and they have not taken advantage of their divine right to say for themselves what they shall do and think," the pacificist asserted