Prof. David Lewis' Review Reveals
Grotesque Ford 'Peace Ship' Aspects

6--Friday, September 1, 1967

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

To Build Home for Aged

A REVIEW BY DR . DAVID L. LEWIS
Associate Professor of Business History, University of Michigan

the aged serving a number of coin-
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (JTA) munities in this area was authoriz-
—Purchase of 56 acres of land in ed this week by the board of the
Franklin Township, S o m e r s e t Central New Jersey Jewish Home
County, as the site for a home for for the Aged.

Finally, some of Hershey's theses
are highly debatable, if not erron-
Henry Ford. in the midst of ' of capital, as a thorn between na- eous: his contentions, for example,
that Samuel S. Marquis, dean of
World War I. chartered an ocean tional and foreign wealth.").
St. Paul's cathedral of Detroit and
liner. filled it with an assortment
Hershey does, however, provide Ford's spiritual adviser, played a
of pacifist,. cranks and newsmen.
one new body of data: the first villainous role on the peace expedi-
then sailed from Hoboken, N.J., to
published breakdown of peace ship tion; and that Ford's career was
Norway.
expenditures; and in furnishing at its height in 1915 (his career
The auto king hoped that his ex this information he discusses the actually reached a peak between
pedition would focus world atten "gravy train" aspects of the trip 1923 and 1927).
New York Carpet has the finest
•
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tion on his efforts to persuade with more candor than has any-
selection of smart area rugs on
-
Nothwithstanding its shortcom-
warring nations to mediate their one else.
display,
such as:
ings, Hershey's book has elements
•
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differences — and thereby put
The expedition. the author es-
of interest. Indeed, almost any ac-
pressure on the belligerents to "get
timates, cost Ford $520,800. count of squabbling pacifists
"Brasilia"
"Rusticana"
the boys out of the trenches by
High-living peace delegates and ("Pacifist," observed one reporter,
Christmas."
2'x4' $ 8.95
2'x4' $13.95
newsmen, he says, doled out "means a person hard to racify")
3'3'5'
13.95
3'2c5'
24.95
But the "peace ship" floundered
526,500 in tips, accepted $20,000 and scandal-seeking newsmen
4'x6'
20.95
4'x6'
39.95
on the rock of militant public in "loans" (pocket money), filed aboard a ship churning through
6'x9'
59.95
6'x9'
89.95
opinion, and its turbulent Atlantic
$30,000 worth of wireless and submarine-infested waters cannot
crossing instead became one of the
cable messages and spent $7,500 but be interesting.
See
over
800
Rolls
of
luscious
most futile, grotesque, ridiculed,
for personal Christmas gifts and
corpet ow our famous mobile
But if it is authoratative infor-
yet somehow touching voyages of
clothing.
rocks .. - all on sale!
mation on the "great peace ship"
all time.
Almost unaccountably, Hershey's
that one seeks, his best bet is still
OPEN SUNDAY 12 to 61
Because Burnet Hershey sailed book is replete with errors. It in- the 28-page chapter on the subject
aboard the peace ship and later correctly states, to cite a few ex- in Allan Nevins' and Frank Ernest
distinguished himself as a news- amples, that Ford had never Hill's "Ford: Expansion and Chal-
man, one would expect his book crossed the Atlantic prior to 1915; lenge 1915-1932." Hershey's 212-
COMPANY
"The Odyssey of Henry Ford and that the auto maker's anti-Semitic page book just doesn't measure up.
the treat Peace Ship," to convey views would find expression in his
(THE
ODYSSEY
OF
HENRY
FORD
in full measure the excitement, infamous Dearborn Independent AND THE GREAT PEACE SHIP by
drama, humor and pathos of the 20 years after the voyage (the In- Burnet Hershey was published by
ust east of Telegraph
dependent launched its anti-Semi- Taplinger Publishing Co., 29 E. 10th
trip.
St., N. Y. 3).
tic campaign in 1920); that Thomas
One also would hope that the A. Edison and Ford had gone on
author might present new informa- camping trips before 1915; that
tion about the expedition, perhaps Edsel Ford was a "college man;"
even comment on the oft-repeated that John Dillinger praised the
charges that Ford's virulent anti- Model T as a "getaway" car (Dil-
Semitism was partly inspired or linger's letter, written in 1934, was
intensified by conversations about in praise of the Ford V-8); and
"war-mongering international Jew- that the Model T was preceded by
ish bankers" with peace delegate 19 Ford models.
Herman Bernstein (conversations
On occasions, too, Hershey's
emphatically denied by Bernstein,
text is confusing, repetitious and
editor of the Yiddish newspaper,
inconsistent. In one chapter, for
The Day).
instance, readers are told that
Unfortunately, the book's prom-
"many" newsmen aboard the
ise is only partially fulfilled. per-
peace ship were fired for irre-
haps because the author, although
sponsible reporting upon their
a full-fledged reporter in 1915,
return to America, while in an-
• With DAILY INTEREST you earn
was only 19 years of age and kept
other chapter readers are in-
every day on every dollar from
no diary; perhaps because most of
that "only the newspaper
formed
what happened on the voyage has
date of deposit to date of with-
reporters who accompanied Ford
already been reported. The peace
drawal.
on this lush junket emerged un-
ship, after all, carried 54 news-
scarred."
• Interest is paid and compounded
men, and they fired more salvos
January 1, April 1, July 1 and
from "the longest gun in the
world." the Marconi wireless, than
October I.
had ever been fired before from
• Usual withdrawal privileges.
ship to shore.
ANN C;AI. RATE
The Hershey hook does convey
much of the excitement and humor
that surrounded the peace ship, if
NEW YORK—A national mobi-
not the drama and pathos. But
except for recalling that he may lization conference for economic
have prevented Ford from being development will meet at the Wal-
swept overboard by a wave, Her- dorf-Astoria Hotel Sept. 15 week-
shey adds little to our knowledge end to launch a new $500,000,000
State of Israel Bond issue to speed
of the voyage itself.
Israel's postwar economic recovery
Nor does lie offer new informa-
and to advance the country's pro-
tion or interpretations of such cru-
gress
toward economic indepen-
cial questions as Ford's motives
for chartering the peace ship, the dence.
Dr. Joseph J. Schwartz, vice
Dearbornite's part in the expedi-
tion, the sailing's impact on world president of the Israel Bond Or-
ganization,
announced Finance
opinion and the extent to which
the voyage's notoriety may have Minister Pinhas Sapir will make
• Issued with 90 day, 6 month or
a special trip to the United States
embittered and hardened Ford.
1 year maturity, automatically
to participate in the conference
Nor does Hershey, although
renewed
and to outline Israel's increased
he met and was awed by Bern-
economic needs resulting from the
stein, comment one way or the
• Issued in multiples of $1,000
recent war.
other on the possibility that
"The economic problems, such
Ford's anti-Semitism was fueled
• Interest paid monthly or
by discussions aboard the peace
as unemployment and the need to
quarterly as desired
ship with the Jewish editor or
narrow the gap in the balance of
anyone else. Nor does the book
trade, which confronted Israel be-
Your
deposits are insured op to
enlarge our knowledge of the
fore the outbreak of hostilities,
$15,000 by the Federal Deposit
roles played in the expedition by
must receive priority considera-
Insurance Corporation.
its chief organizers, pacifists
tion in the days to come," Dr.
Rosika Schwimmer and Louis P.
Schwartz said, "In addition to the
Lochner.
increased tasks of rebuilding plants
RINSER FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION
(Hershey quotes Mme. Schwim- and equipment destroyed or dam-
mer as reflecting: "I don't believe aged by war, Israel must now con-
that Ford's breed of anti-Semitism centrate all available economic re-
was either blindly emotional or sources on the basic tasks of in-
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cultural or religious. I think this dustrial expansion that will create
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anti-Semitism, like his hatred of for export—two indispensable fac-
epee 'Hl 4:30 every weekday. lacimellaw SATURDAY, branches epees vu 11100 P.M.
Wall Street. lie regards Wall tors to its goal of economic self-
Street as the ogre within the ranks sufficiency."

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