The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-09-19
VIGOROUSLY ASSA|LS
f0RD's PEACE VIEWS
FORD SAYS BANKRUPTCY
OF EUROPE TO BE HOPED FOR
Declares Would End Whole Miserable
Businees-Says He Would Favor
Reputation OF Every Dollar Of
War Debts Wero He European.

New York. Sept. 1S.-Henry WOOD
house. a governor of the Aero Club
and q member of the counsel on Ma
tional Preparedness, has written let
ter to Henry Ford. pointing out the
fundamental mistakes In his proposal
to- spend S1a.o0O,000 ITO oppose mill
tary preparedness"
Both of U.S." writes Mr. Woodhouse.
earnestly desire to attain the same
object-the maintenance of peace. Both
Of us are sincere. yet one of US IL
wrong and IL the newspapers have
quoted you correctly. you are funda-
mentally so. and the 100000 you
are about to spend will not offset tho
present evil influences, but will assist
In staging another war--a war on this
country I assure you, Mr. Ford, in
all frankness, that your proposal to
substitute the jitney-bus for ship Of
State IL too preposterious to be taken
seriously
Mr.. woodhouse goes over each count
eight Of them--in detail. To Mr..
Ford he says:
Not In Grip u war Spirit.
You seem to be swayed or obsessed
with an idea that this country Is in
the grip OF the war spirit Nothing
could be further from the truth as
one who keeps In touch with con-
ditions must admit The only thing
that can be said Of the patriotic work
tional dSfencea In that they are far
seeing patriots. and OF the American
press 10 that they are heartily pro-
American"
You have said. 1fust we Kill our
men because some foolish Americans
will voyage on ships that are In dan
ger when they might use equally good
ships that are safe--or better still,
stay az home This II very unwise
utterance, II you do not know why.
advise you to read President Will
sons notes to Germany"
wenld Not Meen Peaee.
Mr woodhouse points out that Mr..
Ford.s. $4,000. 600 campaign against
improvements Of the country's de-
feacss. instead Of resulting In peace
full conditions. would really be spent
to stage 4 war on this continent. be-
cause II would mssp the end OF the
Monroe doctrine,
loss condition Of the United States."
He believes Mr.. Ford's ten million
would be 4 national danger.
II shudder." writes Mr.. woodhouse.
ito think what might result II the
defenceless condition of this coun-
try 10 made public and no steps are
taken to meet the need You owe 1t
to the nation as we'll As to yourself
not to take any steps before you have
investigated the nations needs and
problems. I feel confident you will
md that lie what Is being done is meet
ing the issues with dignity and firm
ness and by contrast of what you
propose to do 10 to 5itney Uncle Sam
through perilous road OF uncertainty"
Z Assatls Ford vigorously.
The writer objects vigorously to Mr..
Ford'a reported condemnation of the
military element of the country AZ
"militAristic PARISHES" MIR. Ford. he
says owes an apology for the insult
to such men as Major General Leonard
Wood. Mr. Ford. he continues. 10 pay
ting more mparativeiy in insurance
land watchmen's salaries besides the
police and IRE protection he enjoys for
his Detroit plant than the United States
il spending 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 employees every inducement
to Join the National Guard sor Naval
Militia and share the responsibilities
of the nation. / must confess that
your hoasting Of the fact that Tess than
ten Of your 10000 employees attended
the recent encampment of the national
guard. atrtkes me as not only unpa-
triotic, but positively disloyal"