The Huron Expositor, 1954-03-19, Page 29
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HURON EXPOSITOR
Established 1860
Published at Seaforth, Ontario, ev-
ry Thursday afternoon by McLean
A. Y. McLean, Editor
Bitbaeription rates, $2.50 a year in
Sdvaince; foreign $3.50 a year. Single
cog' e , 5 cents each.
kember of Canadian
Weekly Newspapers
Association.
Advertising rates on application.
P1)PONE 41
Authorized as Seeped Class Mail
Post Office 1Departruent..Ottawa
SEAFORTH, Friday, March 19th
WELCOME HOME
Hon_ Louis St. Laurent completed
this week his tour of the world. Ir-
respective of politics, there will be
agreement that with his gracious
manner, his knowledge, his candour,
he has made an immense impression
in the countries he has visited. It is
an impression that will reflect to the
credit of Canada for years to come.
Canadians, as they welcome him
home, may well be proud of the con-
tribution he has made in not only
selling Canada, but in the manner
which his approach has helped to
draw the Western and Eastern na-
tions closer together,
A JOB WELL DONE
Municipal employees, sometimes
are taken for granted.. Among thou-
sands of other things, they look af-
ter the roads, make certain hydro is
on, and take the minutes at Council
meetings. They rarely intrude, but
quietly and efficiently make possible
the smooth operation of the munici-
pal machine. •
It is not until disaster strikes that
we are reminded of the job they do
and the extent to which citizens gen-
orally are indebted to them.
Just three weeks ago Huron Coun-
ty Court House was completely de-
stroyed by fire. Considering that
lost in the flanges were •countless
documents, and that in addition, the
extent to which other records and
papers were damaged, would not be
known for several days, ,it would
have been quite understandable had
the county machinery been in a wel-
ter of confusion.
But that was not the case. With-
in a matter of hours, and while fire-
men continued to fight the flames,
county employees, under County
Clerk A. H. Erskine, his assistant,
John Berry, and County Engineer P.
Patterson, were salvaging files and
equipment. In conjunction with the
County Property Committee, ar-
rangements were made for accom-
modation in a vacant school, and by
the.next Monday county offices were
functioning smoothly in their new
location. What, under other circum-
stances, might have been chaos, was
in fact a smoothly planned operation.
The people of Huron are indebted
to their officials for a job well done.
UNJUSTIFIED CRITICISM
Hon. John T. Haig, a member of
Canada's Senate since 1935, and lead-
er of the opposition in that body,
generally speais with knowledge of
the subject he is discussing.
But in a recent debate in the Up-
per Chamber, his contribution indi-
cated a complete indifference to the
facts and as a result the Globe and
Mail quite properly takes him to
task in these words:
"Hon. John T. Haig. the Conserva-
tive leader in -the Senate, said the
other day in the Upper Chamber:
`Well, I have not seen all the rural
papers, but in my opinion those that
1 have seen are for the most part
Mossip sheets. They contain chiefly
ems such as this: 'Mrs. Jones has
gone - away; Mrs. Smith is out of
town or somebody is visiting some-
body else.'
"Senator Haig is completely
wrong. The small newspapers of
Cari'ada are, most of them, much
more than gossip sheets. They are
;,well edited and cover their limited
'ieM with a thoroughness which a
ittOOlitat paper cannot hope to
eve. They do contain gossip. So
+ ity" Papers:
e gossip which Senator llaig
cited is contributed largely by what
are called `country correspondents,'
men and women who send budgets of
news to the weekly paper in their
locality. Some of it is trivial news
(some in the city papers is trivial).
But it is news in which many read-
ers are interested, The fact is that
much of the conversation o'f ordinary
people (which would not, of course,
include senators!) is gossip; not
malicious gossip, but chatty `small
talk.' Because of these country cor-
respondents—and we are glad to
pay them tribute for their faithful
services to their communities—small
local papers render an intimate ser-
vice which Iarger papers cannot ren-
der..
"But their worth to their commun-
ities goes far beyond that one special
feature. They are not just `gossip
sheets.' Senator Haig 'should read
more of them. It might do him
good."
The fact, of course, is that the av-
erage weekly newspaper reflects ac-
curately and objectively, the think-
ing of the community it serves. It
is close to. the ,people—all the people
=and is interested in them. Items,
such as those to which Senator Haig
refers in ridicule, are 'about people
and as such are of a nature that quite
properly included if the weekly is to
carry out its responsibilities to its
readers.
SEEN IN THE COUNTY PAPERS
Breaks Both Wrists I negotiating on prices now. it is
Don Achilles, sou of Mr. and. expected a decision will be made
Mrs. R. Achilles, fell while racing
on the road with some of -his play-
mates and broke 'both wrists and
scratched his face. Don was taken
to Wingham Hospital for treat-
ment, returning home later.—Blyth
Standard.
Celebrates 80th Birthday
A lovely surprise party was giv-
en by Mrs. A. DuVal for Mrs. A.
Lewis, on the occasion of Mrs.
Lewis' 80th birthday on Wednes-
day. Mrs. Lewis was the recipi-
ent of many lovely gifts and a
large number of neighbors attend-
ed. A cake with 80 candles was
made especially for the occasion.—
Wingham Advance -Times.
Three Teachers Replace Two
Three new teachers were engag-
ed at the meeting of the Clinton
and District Collegiate Institute
Board last week. Miss J. McMur-
ray (+French and Spanish); R. Rie-
man (Physical Training); and K.
E. Junkin (Agriculture) will fill
vacancies on the staff created by
the resignations of P. L. A. Hum-
phreys and J. L. Tierney.—Clinton
News -Record.
WRITE US A LETTER
We heartily concur when the
Acton Free 'Press suggests there
should be more letters to the editor.
"Farm Forums have grown in
popularity over the past few years
because they have provided a much
needed avenue for expression of
opinions on timely topics," the Free
Press says. "The public forum pro-
vided by the columns of the local
paper is, however, little used for any
expression other than the editor's.
"Through letters -to the editor ev-
ery citizen of the area is afforded the
privilege of expressing his opinion
within the hearing of a potential of
over 5,000 readers. Now surely
there are enough things happening
in this town and district to stir some
people into the action of ' writing a
letter based on their own opinion.
"Of course, it is understood that
letters must not be of a libelous na-
ture smearing another's character.
Another stipulation is that the letter
must be signed by the sender, al-
though a pseudonym may be printed
on request. The editor, for his own
protection, must have the original
copy signed.
"Governing bodies and public
groups do not usually object to con-
structive suggestions that can best
be circulated through the columns of
this paper and helpful advice may
result in Iong awaited action.
"It is not unusual for a reader to
meet the editor and raise objections
to an editorial carried in the columns.
And the objections are often just as
sound as the logic presented in the
editorial .Vut the Iarge majority of
readers will never hear the other
side.
"Letters to the editor do not have
to be long dissertations on the .sub-
ject. Indeed, the readership will no
doubt be higher if the article is short,
concise and to the point."
We welcome more "Letters to the
Editor." We like them short and,
like the Editor of the Acton paper,
we must insist that the letters be
signed, although not necessarily for
publication.
What Other Papers Say:
A Royal Pedestrian•
(Sydney Post -Record)
Princess Margaret declared her in-
dependenee, struck out for freedom
and set a good example when she
went walking with her dog in St.
James' Park. If this serves to make
walking fashionable, all the better.
In a world where people use a car to
go for a couple of blocks rather than
,walk, human legs are in danger of
atrophy. Let Scotland Yard and the
Home Office worry about her secur-
ity if they must, but the Queen's sis-
ter has let it be known she intends
to go walking by herself or with`her
dot ; for company any time. she jolly 't�lwell,l�' leases. And that is that
rk
some time this week. Mr. Penhale
said the amount of agreage which
will be contracted will not be
known until the prices sage set. In
previous years the company issued
contracts and set its acreage be-
fore prices - were agreed upon, but
polioy has been changed this year.
—.Exeter 'Times' -Advocate.
Fail To Open Safe
Thieves who broke into the gen-
eral store at Auburn on Saturday
night escaped with a quantity of
stock, but failed to 'bust open the
safe. The store is owned by R. D.
Munro. The thieves were believed.
to have gained entrance through
a door at the rear of the store.
They cut off the safe's hinges and
dial with a new axe, but were un-
suc.ce,s'sful in their attempt to re-
move the door. Taken were quan-
tities of electrical equipment, tools,
blankets, tobacno, cigarettes, num-
erous farm implements and about
$75 worth of fountain pens. The
break-in was not discovered until
Sunday eine-Iron by the owner. I•n-
e-estigation is being conducted by
members of the Goderich detach-
ment of the Ontario.Provincial Po-
lice.—Goderich Signal -Star.
Brother Dies in Scotland
Mrs. Thomas Elliott received a
cable on Sunday with the sad news
of the death, of her brother, Mr.
James White, of Scotland, whom
she visited' for four months last
summer. Mrs. Elliott had receiv-
ed a letter from him within the
past two weeks and did not know
of his illness. The sympathy of
the community is extended to' her.
—Blyth Standard.
Discovered With Broken Leg
Pelter Vanderholk, 29 -year-old.
immigrant Dutch farmer, lay help-
less in the barnyard for an hour
and a half last week before being
found by his employer and rushed
to Wingham General Hospital with
a fractured right leg. Employed
by Orlon Richards, of R.R. 3, Luck -
now, the man was struck on the
leg by a fertilizer conveyer when
it carne off the track. He was dis-
covered lying in the snow by his
employer. — Wingham Advance -
Times.
Were On Mission Trip
Rev. W. F. Frotz, of Dashwood,
and H. E. Roppel, of Zurich, at-
tended a meeting of the Board. of
Missions of the Canadian Confer-
ence in Hamilton last Monday. The
business had to do with the relo-
cating and building of a new
church on . the Hamilton Mountain
at a point where over 10,000 new
residents have settled in the last
two or three years without any
other church in the community.
The new church will take the place
of the old Market St. Evangelical
church in the heart of the city.—
Zurich Herald.
Delay Contracts Until Prices Set
Contracts for corn and peas
won't be issued until price is set
by the Ontario Vegetable Grow-
ers' Marketing Board and can-
ning companies, H. K. Penhale,
manager of the local plant of Can-
addan Canners Ltd. said this week.
Officials of the marketing board
and the canning companies are r Times -Advocate.
UERE'S =SALTS
e New Fishing Boat Launched
When a brand new all -steel fish-
ing boat for Mac and Norman Mac-
Donald was launched at the Gode-
rich Harbor Wednesday afternoon
it rang down the curtain on the
fishing days of their old wooden
boat which for over 20 years, was
operated out of Goderich harbor.
The new boat was 'built by the
Mathieson• Boat Works of Goderioh
and is 39 feet six inches long, with
a beam of 13 feet It is powered
with a Chrysler Ace and has a
four -to -one reduction gear. No
name has been given to the boat
as yet, but Mac has intimated "it
will probably be called many dif-
ferent names until one is decided
upon." The old' boat, used since
1931', was called "Macs" which,
"Mac" MacDonald said was for "all
the MadDonalds between here and
there.. — derlcb Signal -Star.
Cut Averts Serious Disaster
Secretary of the Ausable Valley
Conservation Authority, Fred Y.
Jackson, said -last week' he believ-
ed the new cut at Port Franks
averted serious flooding in that
area this spring. Mr. Jackson, a
former employee of the Ontario De-
partment of Planning and Develop-
ment, said the height of water
would have surpassed the level of
the disastrous 1947 floor if the cut
had not been opened. Pressure of
the flash flood on February 18th
knocked out a sand bar which had.
blocked the cut last summer and -
tons of water, which might have
gore down the old river outlet and
ficfeled Port Franks, rolled out the
new mouth. According to residents
at Port Franks, water rose to with-
in cne foot of the 1947 flood level
before the new cut was cleared.
Ice blocked the old river mouth
and the pleasure of rushing water
was directed at the sandbar on the
cut: This force burst the frozen
surface at the new mouth and
swept the sand block out.—Exeter
Demonstration Re Hog Quality
The quality of Canadian hogs is
declining. There may be a number
of contributing -causes. The Cana-
dianedomestic market b s" been
consuming the bulk of 'et hogs,
leaving only small surpluse for
export to the United States. Tho h
P g
it is generally ktiown that high
quality, lean carcasses, .with a
minimum of fat, ar required for
United Kingdom exports. etc., it is
too often overlooked that it is just
as necessary for the Canadian mar-
ket.
It is not fully recognized that the
United States will pay a premium
only for lean cuts—they have suf-
ficient of the lard -type hogs in
their own country.
Very little has been said, anti
practically no promotional weft
has 'been- done over the past few
years-, with respect to hog quality.
Many farmers are still reluctant
to accept individual responsibility
for the hog business. They seem
to think that it is the business of
the packer or of the Government.
The differentials may not -be
equitable—the premium on A too
small, and the discount on C not
severe enough.
The farmers' organizations may
not have paid sufficient attention
to marketing their hogs. Perhaps
the need of a "better buying sys-
tem" is over stressed, when actual-
ly the stress should be on a "bet-
ter selling system."
The Canadian Federation of Ag-
riculture has been sponsoring dem-
onstrations in packing plants with
the idea of determining the baste
factors upon •which to base future
policies of production and of the
actual selling of hogs.
Such demonstrations have been
held at Hull, 'Quebec; LondoneOn-
tario; Winnipeg, Manitoba, and, at
Edmonton.
R. K. Bennett, Chief, Li'vestook
Marketing, Federal Department of
Agriculture, Ottawa, has organiz-
ed—at the request of the C,F.A.—
an.d carried out the demonstrations
in ,packing plants.
In order to present the broad
picture, Mr. Bennett developed and
emphasized' three main points: (1)
That the processing of 'hogs in a
packing plant is largely the trim-
ming off or the removal of surplus
fat to a point where the trimmed
lean cut Is acceptable
'ib the coat
Sumer. -
(Early In February the - packer
paid the fattier approximately 32
cease Pet 'ntillitd Basis grade' 'A,"
DONT BE ANXIOUS BECAUSE YOU FEEL
JUNIOR SHOULD EAT A BIGGER MEAL.
IF HES WELLAND HAPPY TOO
NE LL EAT ENOUGH TO SEE HIM THROUGH
Dept. of National Health and Welfare
Years Agone
Interesting Items Picked From
The Huron Expositor of Twen-
tyfive and Fifty Years Ago
len
,Iii tJrSrB 1pat�l (t,
MARCH 19, 1 54
CROSSROADS
(By James Scott)
CHEATED? MAYBE NOT
You never know just how a dis-
aster is going to strike different
people. When the venerable and
historic Court House burned down
in Goderich not so long ago the
reactions to the holocaust were
curious to contemplate.
From The Huron Expositor
March 22, 1929
The auction sale held by Mr. W.
M. Sproat at the brickyards. in
Tuckersmitb on Monday, was the
most successful held in the district
for some time, . The total sale re-
alized ,$4,170.
One of my city slicker friend's
promptly took his pen in hand and
wrote me a nasty note, asking for
an explanation about this "fire of
unknown origin." "1 hear," he
continued suspiciously, "that you
were going to tear it down anyway
and that it was well inshred. Very
convenient."
It was a joke of course, but clos-
er to home there were quite a few
who breathed more easily when
they heard that' the old Court
House was damaged beyond repair.
You see, or I guess you know, not
everybody was hilariously happy
when they heard that this ancient
landmark was to be wrecked to
make room for a modern- new edi-
fice in the Square. More than one
representative of the people was
wondering just how many of the
electorate were against the Coun-
cil's decision to raze the old build-
ing. Then came the fire. It seem-
ed an easy way out of what might
have developed into an unhappy
situation.
On bhe other band, there are
quite a few folk in ,this. vicinity
who are always spoiling for a
scrap. They are wonderful people
to have around. In many ways
tbey are the people who give real_
meaning to the term "responsible
government." As long as these
watchdogs are on the alert our
democracy will keep sane and
healthy.
One of these chaps said to me
just the other day, "Well, it looks
as if we aren't going to have a
ilg'ht to preserve the old Court
House after all, You know, I feel
sorta cheated. I was looking for-
ward to a, good scrap."
Well, that was a while 'ago. If
that friend of mine is still in a
scrapping mood it looks as if he
isn't going to be cheated after all.
The old Court House is down, but
the new one isn't up and that's
all that Is needed to start a first-
class row. From all quarters in
the county, eager municipalities
Miss Kathleen Storey was suc-
cessful in passing the primary ex-
amination of `the Toronto Conserv-
atory of Music. She is a pupil of
Mrs. M. R. Rennie.
- Mr. and Mrs. R. M. Jones, Sea -
forth, will leave.April 1 for a two
months' trip to the Old Country,
Mr. Jones' home being in England.
Mr. W. W. Closter, of Stratford,
has purchased Mr. Thomas Sharp's
blacksmith shop on ' Goderich St.
West.
Mr. Earl McEwan, who is on the
staff of the Royal Bank at Wain-
wright, Alta., is at present visiting
his. many relatives and friends in
Henson..
Messrs. Leroy O'Brien and Fred
Haberer, of Zurich, who are going
extensively into the chicken 'busi-
ness, have already over 500 young
chicks • on hand. They are planning
to use the open-air skating rink for
a range, which is' owned by Mr.
O'Brien.
for the dressed carcass. The fat
which has to be removed is worth
only about 7 cents per pound, in
the form of lard.
This loss has to be borne by the
producer and stbows• 'up in the hog
price.
(2) There is a definite type of
carcass—the grade "A" or Select
type—that gi's a high proportion
of lean cu�s with a minimum
amount of f t.
. The undesirable carcass, that is
the "C" or lard type, carries a
much higher percentage of fat. The
difference in type is quite evident
to anyone, with the "A" type being
long, smooth, well-balanced and
very light back fat.
(3) It is true that the packer
sells, the lean portions (trimmed
cuts) of the "C" hog through regu-
lar channels, but this product is
less desirable and brings less mon-
ey because there is interior or
seam" fat that cannot be cut out.
This is particularly true in the
case of the bellies•. For example,
at today's prices, there is a differ-
ence of 27 cents per pound in the
wholesale price to the re -tail trade
between the top grade of bacon
and the inferior grade.
Mr. Bennett stressed the need for
the individual hog producer to ac-
cept the responsibility for hog
quality. "The hog business is the
farmers' business," and is not, as
many producers believe, a matter
to be solved by the packer or the
Government.
Lower hog quality can have only
one result, that is a lower general
price for hogs.
Another very serious danger is
that the public will gradually turn
away from pork .products due 'to
the prevalence of fat, and purchase
any one of the other competitive
products.
A Smile or Two
.. a
..rr•r•••
Wflen you invite trouble; you can
be sure it will accept.
•
Spring is a time- when the sky
arches its back like a Cat and you
don't know whether a purr or a
scratch is coming,
"Would yen like some views of
our hotel to take away with y'toiilt"
"No thanks, 1 have my+ ova
views of yO Ur hotel."
are busy going about saying that
this or that town or village -is the
best place to build the new Court
House. Clinton, Blyth and Bey-
field- are already in the race, and
others may follow.
All these worthy settlements.
'argue that there are good practical"
reasons why their town should be
chosen, but of course not one of
them can match the fact that the
county jail and the registry office
are already located in Goderich anal
have not been destroyed by fire at
all. Without these two necessary
adjuncts the Court House can hard-
ly function and Huron County ie•
not ready to build a new jail and
registry office anywhere for any
reasoh.
When you get right down to it,
the real reason behind the claims
of the other municipalities is his-
torical. Clinton h -ad the first o8
this and that; Blyth, the first of
this and the other; Hayfield, the -
first of some more.
On that basis this old town of
Seafortth could put forth a formid-
able claim too. So could every
other town, village, hamlet or
crossroads in the entire county.
But we are a thoughtful people -
here in Seaforth. We know our
past and have a mighty pride ire.
it. We don't need any Court'
House to prove that our ancestry
is good and noble. Besides, canny
lads that we are, we keep a waryt -
eye on our tax bills, which are high
enough as it is.
However, if our neighboring-
towns want to persist in pushing:
their claims they can go right
ahead. I kind of like a good fights
myself. a u
The .death occurred at bis home,
East William St.,. of Thomas E.
Hays, who had reached 91 years of
age.
The Moonlight Revellers Club
were entertained In the Forresters'
Hall at Constance on Friday eve-
ning. Those who were in charge
were Lorne Webb, Charles Wake-
field, Charles Riley, Alvin McGill
and Luther Saunders.
On Friday evening the home of
Mr. and Mrs. Biernes, McKillop,
was the scene of a social and pleas-
ant evening when .the Moonlight
Revellers._ Club, neighbors and
friends met to spend a social time
with them before they moved. to
their new home. Music was furn-
ished by T. W. McMillan, George
H. Dickson, and' Broome Bros., ac-'
companied by Mrs. Broome, Mrs.
Ed. Dorrance, Miss Pryce and Mrs.
McMillan. Mr. and Mrs. Biernes
were each presented with chairs
by G. B, Dorrance and G. H. Dick-
son, while Gladys Mason presented
Miss Eileen with a casserole.
•
From The Hurorl Expositor
March 18, 1904
Mr. Peter Daley has purchased
the residence of Mr. John Fowler
ou Goderich. St. for $825.
Mr, Robert Bell. of town, has
purchased the residence of the late
Charles Wilson, paying for it $2,-
400.
McCluskey Bros., of Beechwood,
are busily engaged in preparing ma-
terial for the erection of a new
barn.
Mr. Robert Willis is having the
electric lights installed in his resi-
dence.
A rear -end collision occurred on
the railway about three miles east
of Seaforth Monday afternoon, in
which two• men were injured and
two cars were burned. About noon
the pay train from the other divi-
sion came off the L. H. & B., with
right-of-way from Clinton to Strat-
ford: They stopped here for water
and -then pulled out for Stratford,
but were stalled in the snowbank
about three miles, east. A freight
train was in the yards here at the
time, also with clearance orders
for Dublin. In the storm the en-
gineerwas. unable to see the stall-
ed train, and the engine plowed
through the caboose and set fire
to it. Flames spread to the pay car
and it was also consumed, together.
with the cheques for the workmen
in Stratford.
As evidence of the great depth of
snow this winter, we may relate
the experience of Michael McGrath
of town. On the farm of Mrs.
Gaetzmeyer, 9th concession of Me-
Ktllop, a few days ago, Mr. Mc-
Grath went to the bush to get some
wood. It had been piled four feet
high, but he couldn't see a sign of
the wood. After investigating, he
found that he had been driving ov-
er the woodpile with the team and
sleigh. He commenced digging and
dug four feet down, and in order
to get the wood out he had to dig
a pit over six feet deep and heave
the wood out to the surface, t'h'us
showing that the snow was at least
eight feet deep on the level. He
says• he has lived 50 years in thie
vicinity and never saw the stow
so deep before.
11TM. mLoiekhart •hapurchttr
aer
ed' fromJeMegtil. Poster, �'a na, tis 1�a„
w'oodlot in S'talnisy+. He
g intends
taking .thd thither off the land,
Peggy, aged seven, liked to
follow her mother around the -
house, doing most of the talking:.
One day, when her mother was;
busy and preoccupied, Peggy chat-
tered on and asked several ques-
tions, which her mother did not'
hear.
"Mother," said Peggy, "why:
don't you answer •me?"
"I didn't hear you," said mother:
"I was thinking. Do you know °
what thinking is?"
"Of course," said Peggy. "It's.
talking with your .mouth shut'
Ford's Peace Ship
(By Gerald Kloss in the •
Milwaukee Journal)
One day in the Fall of 1915, be-
fore the United States had entered
World War I, a Detroit newspaper
carried a news item stating that
20,000 soldiers had been killed in
France in the preceding 24 hours
without changing the military sit-
uation in the slightest.
A prominent Detroit industrial-
ist read' the article with [horror
and burst from his office exclaim-
ing: "I'd give half -my fortune to
shorten, that war by one day!"
Because the industraliet hap-
pened' to be Henry- Ford, and be-
cause a reporter happened to beer
the remark, it became front page
news all over the country. Out of
it grew perhaps the- most comic
diplomatic mission in modern .his-
tory—the famous Fiord Peace voy-
age of 1'915, aimed at "getting the
boys out of the trenohes by Christ-
mas."
The Library of Congress an-
nounced recently that it has ac-
quired some 3,000 items of cor-
respondence, speeches, reports and
so forth dealing with the, automo-
bile manufacturer's attempt to stop
World War I in its tracks.
Within clays after Ford's heart-
felt remark was made public, be
was swamped with correspop ence
from persons who knew exactly
how peace could be brought about.
The most persistent visitor was
a determined Hungarian woman,
Mme. Rosika Schwimmer, who
tried for days to break through a
cordon of secretaries to procure an
interview with Ford. She got it
one day when Ford's No'. 1 secre-
tary happened to be away.
Ford instantly agreed with her
plan for mediation lir Europe, of-
fering not only his cheque books
to the cause but his presence on a
Mission to European neutral na-
tions. A New York headquarters
was set up at the Biltmore Hotel,
where Ford joined, a cumber of
prominent "militant pacifists," In-
cluding Oswarid Ga•rrisort Villard,
Jane Addams and, of course, Mme,
Schw-immen
In the course of discussions
there, Mme Schwiinmer mused out
lour. that it would be nice if the
peace.. delegates had a ship to aid
their noble effort.. Ford snapped
at the bait like a hungry trout.
"We'll get one," he said, and im-
mediately summoned agents of
neutral steamship ,lines to the ho-
tel.
The agents at first thought the
idea of chartering an ocean liner
for a tranaAtlantic crossing was
cia.zy, but they revised their
thoughts hurriedly when they
found that Henry Ford was back-
ing the scheme. Consequently, the
Oscar II,' a single stacker of the
Scandinavian Line, was booked as
the peace ship to sail from Hobok-
en, N.J., at 2 p.m., December 4,
1915. A slogan was coined .by
Ford's press/ secretary in Detroit:
"We'll get .the boys out of the
trenches by Christmas!"
The next step was to select the
peace delegates, and with it came
trouble. Invitations were sent out
to all senators,. representatives,
state governors and a student dele-
gate from each university,
Gov, L. B. Hanna, of North 'Da-
kota, was the only .governor to
accept—he wanted to visit relatives
in Sweden -,and a former congress-
man from St. Louts withdrew his
acceptance when he was tali -Ford
was pro -Ally: -
the
Biltmore was jammed with.
people, however, who inaitivted t'ifp
ought to be on, the ppeace
'hey included the pr tient of the
Anti-Blltokiteg iotlgiie, the tloaouposer
of "I Didn't Raise Dig Roy to Be-
a Soldier" and a Philadelphia poli—
tician who threatened to sue Ford!',
for $100,000 if he was not made a.'
delegate.
A cablegram asking a blessing;
on the peace ship:,was despatched'
to "Pope Pius VII," who had diede
in 1823. Conflicting statements is-
sued from the Biltmore headquar-
ters. Ford' was quoted as saying:
he would ask for 3...general strike_
of the contending armies on Christ-
mas Day. Heated denials of the -
statement were made the next day.
The afternoon of Decernbere4th
presented a colorful scene on the -
pier at Hoboken. With thousands
of spectators on hand to Hatch the'
departure of the Oscar II. •Eache
of the fie or so -peace delegates
wore a large red celluloid button
with. the words; "Out of the
trenches by Christmas." More
than .fifty newspapers and maga-
zine writers were on board to°'cov-
er the voyage.
Ford did not arrive until the
ship was almost ready to sail. As'
he pushed through the crowd, no
-
ceded. by an acutely embarrassed
'Thomas Edison, there to see him.
off, a professional actor led "three
cheers for Henry."
The German band on the pier'
kept up with its umpah arrange-
ment of "I Didn't Raise My Boy'
to Re a. Soldier."
Oscar 11; with its colorful as-
sortment of clergymen, visionar-
ies, writers•and screwballs, left an.
hour late, to the sound of steamy
whistles, band music and organized.'
cheering.
On the ship were 1.44 -guests, in-.
eluding 20 members of Ford's per-
sonal staff, and 30 or more college
students.
The peace delegation became -
anything but peaceful before the
voyage ended. Some of the news-
paper correspondents radioeel that ,#
there was "mutiny aboard- the Os-
car 1I." •A ship passing near byn
picked. up the message and Inquir-
ed: "Are you in need' of assist-
ance?" -
The ship put in at Kirkwall,
Scotland, on December 14, but no
one was allowed to land. It sailed
for Norway later in the week Ors
landing there, Ford made a state-
ment: "The landing of the peace
piigrlms will be recorded as the
most benevolent thing America ev-
er did."
In Norway, the delegates hada
round of banquets and speech mak-
ing. Ford contributed $10,000 to
the Norwegian Students' Associa-
tion for a new clubhouse. Most ..
important, he came down with a
cold. His doctor kept him away
from the other delegates and sug-
gested a return trip to America.
Ford decided. the doctor was
right, and the delegates were
astonished one day to learn that
the leader of the peace expedition
had -left for his homeland nit 4 a.m.
the previous' day. The shocking
news came on Christmas Day—the
target date for end of the war.
It proved, instead, to be the end
of the peace mission. -Some dele-
gates 'resigned at once and fol-
lowed .Ford back home. A few de-
termined members elected -a com-
mittee, the "Neutral Conference for
Continuous Mediation," whlcih tour-
ed neutral, European capitals
through 1916. It accomplished ex-
actly nothing.
Back in Detroit, Ford was asked
what he" had got out of his brief
fling at international dlpldmacy
didn't get mach peace," he ee-
tplieQ. "1 learaled, • that Thistle le
g'iffhg to ha a gredt Market tile"
tractors."
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