Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 July 1919 — LEAGUE OR WAR DECLARES FORD [ARTICLE]

LEAGUE OR WAR DECLARES FORD

MANUFACTURER MAKES IT CLEAR HE BELIEVES COVENANT 18 GREAT STEP. DECLARES “WAR iS MURDER" Whirlwind of Question* Fail to Shake Composure of Man Who Suea for Million Because He Was Called “Anarchist.” ML Clemens, Mlcb. —The high idealism of Henry Ford has freshened the proceedings of thp Ford-Tribune libel case and has brpught into the wearisome arguments of counsel and the dull repetition of cross-examina-tions, a new quality. For a week the man who has been described as everything from an “anarchist” to the greatest patriot of his day, has been on the stand facing a merciless fire of questions. During the reading of an article written by John Heed on Henry Ford, and published in the Metropolitan Magazine, the audience in the court chamber violated all precedent by breaking into applause and Mr. Ford, visibly embarrassed, raised his hand in protest. Tribune counsel had endeavored to quote paragraphs from the Reed article but had been compelled, by objection of Ford attorneys, to introduce the interview in its entirety.. In me main it was highly complimentary to Mr. Ford.

“Make Farmer Independent” “What 1 want to do,” Mr. Ford was quoted as saying, "is to make the farmer as independent as 1 am; Independent of the banks, independent of the trusts, independent of the railroads.'' The audience, many of them from the surrounding farms of this community, showed visible evidence of its appreciation of that ideal. Twice Mr. Ford, wearying of the questions having to do with his knowledge of history, said "Oh, i'll admit that I'm an ignorant Idealist if you wish.” "What is an idealist?” queried Tribune counsel The Innate goodness of the man lighted up his kindly eyes with a new light, as he leaned forward and answered slowly, "1 think an idealist is one who tries to make people happy and prosperous. I think 1 do that a little." Quiet, unassuming, courteous and patient, Henry Ford made a deep impression on the audience. Not once did he lose his temper under the heckling of opposing attorneys, even when their questions verged on the edge of insult But when the examination touched on subjects which are close to his heart, the League of Nations, war and the happiness and prosperity of Humanity, counsel found him eagerly alert A League of Nations, or preparedness up to the hilt That is the way he sees the situation today. "We must either," he said, “accept the covenant of peace or democracy must arm and stand guard forever at the threshold of liberty.”

“War Is Murder.” He hammered that fact home and with it he always added, “War is murder.” “I was a murderer,” he said, “I was a helper of murder. When the crisis came we all took a hand. But it is alx the same. War is murder.” “What do you mean by murder.” “1 mean killing people.” “Killing people to protect the interests of the people?” "Killing anybody or anything. I don’t know what else war is. War is murder. There is a far better way.” “What is the better way?” “Why, to educate people. To teach them to think for themselves.” A long examination was conducted which sought to quiz Mr. Ford concerning his views on history, based on a remark which he once made that “I wouldn’t give five cents for all the his tory ever written.” “I don’t think much more of it now than I did then,” testified Mr. Ford. “The war showed us that history didn’t last a week. All the things they told us would happen didn’t happen. They went ahead, knowing what war meant, and made the same mistakes all over again. The history we write today is the thing that counts. X’m not Interested in yesterday.” The Flag of Nation*. The much discussed flag of a League of Nations, which it has been stated Mr. Ford was having made in his factory before the United States entered the war, was brought into court. The testimony developed .the. fast that Mr. Ford did not originate the design of the flag and had never seen the banner Itself. He saw a small drawing of it once in St. Paul’s Cathedral, Detroit, he said, but had never heard of it again and knew nothing about it. He denied emphatically that he ever said he would raise this flag above the Stars and Stripes, and said the statement that he reverenced this banner above the flag of his country was “A terrible thing to say about an American/'