The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-19
CALLS FORD'S PEACE
PLAN WAR BREEDER
Henry Woodhouse Says the
$10,00O,0 900 Fund Would
Create Conflict.
ATTACK RESENTED

Henry woodhouse. governor. OF tn
Aero Club and member Of tho Con
ference Committee on National Pre-
p~aredness, has written a letter 10 Henry
Ford pointing out the fundamental mis-
takes IN his proposal to spend $40.
100000" TO oppose military prepared
nsss. o
Both OF u.s. writes Mr.. woodhouse
earnestly desire TO attain the sam,
object-the maintenance OF peace. Botf
OF Us are sincere. yet n of us is wrong
and II the newspapers have quoted 20,
correctly you are fundamentally so. and
the $4,000, 900 you are about to spend
will not offset the present evil influences
but will assist In staging another war
n war or this country. l assure o
Mr.. Ford, In all ~frankness, that YOU
proposal TO substitute the jitney bu,
for the Ship OF State is too preposterou;
to be taken seriously"
Mr.. Woodhouse goes over each count
eight OF them-in detail lie says to
Mr.. Ford
you seem to be swayed or obsessed
with an idea that this country II In the
grip of the war spirit Nothing could
be further from the truth, as one who
Keeps In ouch with conditions must
admit. The only thing that can be said
OF the patriotic workers for the Inn
provement OF our national defences is
that they are far seeing patriots and
OF the American press Is that It is
heartily pro-Anerican. .
You have said Must we kin our
men because some foolish Americans
viii voyage on ships that are in danger,
when they might use equally good ships,
that are safe-or. better still, stay AT
home? This is a very unwise utter
ance. IL YOU do not know why, | ad-
wise you to read President Wilson's
notes TO Germany"
Mr.. Woodhouse points out that Mr..
Ford's $4,000, 200 campaign against i'm
provement OF the country's defences in
stead OF resulting in peaceful conds lone
woul really be spent to stage a war
on this continent, because II would mean
the end OF the Monroe Doctrine and
bring competitive armament on the part
OF South and Central American coun-
tries.
Il %shudder,' writes Mr.. woodhouse,
TO think what might result II the
defenceless condition of this country is
made public and no steps are taken to
meet the need. You owe II to the nation
as well as to yourself not TO lake any
steps before you have investigated tho
nations needs u problems. | feet
confident you will Ind that what is
being done IL meeting the issues with
dignity and firmness and that by con-
trast what you propose to do is to
attempt to jitney Uncle Sam through
the p%erilous road OF uncertainty"
The writer objects vigorously 10 Mr..
Ford's reported condemnation OF the
military element of the country as
"militaristic parasites" Mr.. Ford, he
says, owes an apology for the insult to
such as M~ator-Gen. Leonard Wood.
Mr.. Ford, he continues. is paying more
comparatively in Insurance and watch
mems salaries, besides the police and
fre protection he enjoys for his Detroit
plant, than the United States is spend
ing for national protection.
You will not" the letter states, have
proven your patriotism until you have
followed the example Of those patriotic
organizations which have given their EN-
ployees every inducement TO join the
National Guard or naval militia and
share the responsibilities of the nation.
l must confess that YOU boasting Of the
fact that less than ten Of your 10000
employees attended the recent encamp-
ment Of the Michigan National Guard
strikes me as being not only unpatriotic
but positively disiOyul."