The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-04-23
FORD BARES VIEWS
AS TO PRESIDENCY
|. Millionaire Pacifist Undecided
About Candidacy, But II
Seems It's CInched.

NEW YORK. April Bit Is stiil quite
embarrassing for Henry Ford to talk
about himself as Presidential candi-
date. The primaries In Michigan and
Nebraska occurred such short time
ago that he hasn't ceased to blush.
Although he knew Il would be painful
ordeal for him, Ford called the re-
porters around him yesterday after
noon in the Hotel Biitmore, just before
he started for Detroit, and nervously
discussed politics. Among other things
he explained how the Government
should be run-like factory or home.
Despite Fords shyness on the sub
ject of running for office-he has
evolved the brand new theory that the
political Job should seek the man-it
was possible to extract ms a x,ews on
with Germany, the possibility OF oper-
ating an automobile on the new water
fuel. and what his former partner, Jim
Cousens's little boy thinks about the
sinking OF the Lusitsnia. Ford didn't
say he has made UP his mind to run
for President, but he talked about
national issues as fervently as n man
who has a nomination In his hip pocket.
Ford defined his attitude on prepared
II believe in a standing army of
100000 men, but what would you do with
them7 Where would you transport
thsmI who t. sOins, nv to ,vo attack or tbr rs;
thousand miles OF water?"
What Ford objects to Is &c ossive or
lavish preparedness"
Against Dreadnaughts.
Huge dreadnaughts are good only to
be sealed up in the Kiel Canal or the
Orkney Islands. That II where all the
dreadnaughts are. you know"
/. This In the FIRST intimatlon from q
man In public life who has talked with
: British navy officers that the British
feet Is hiding In the orkneys.
But you certainly ought TO be
prepared when others are prepared"
said Ford, after dropping this import
ant, X true, secret about the British
navy. ION the other hand, you should
keep wary eye on the three war
mot more than per cent of all tho
people want war-in fact, not more
than 1 per cent You could count on
the fingers Of your right hand the
why the propaganda against prepared
ness will get somewhere.
WHO was It that sent the people
to Columbus. N. M. to shoot up tho
one ten-thousandth part Of the money
now used for warlike purposes In ind
Ing out how war starts and who
Ford said this country needs only
aeroplanes and submarines.
1--WE could build submarines enoush
70 keep anyone away" SAID the mil
jonaire motor Manufactured thus
could be done at 50 small cost thsf
We turn out three to four thousand
automobiles a day. so We ought to Dc
able to turn out thirty or forty tnou-
snnd aeropianes In the same time"
Relations With Germany.
Ford later corrected this TO three or
four thousand aeroplanes.
Questioned rs to his attitude IN the
German mix-op, Ford asserted he sees
. no reason why this country should
break OF its relations with the Kaiser.
III there wasn't any reason for q
break after the Lusitania was sunk.
there certainly isn't any reason why we
should quarrel 'over the sussex. MOI
Mention OF the Lusitania stirred some
reminiscent chord In the mind OF Ford's
press agent. Theodore Delavagne.
''Tel. them about Jim Couzens' lit
tie boy" said Delavagne. SO Ford ex-
planned that before he made up his
mind about the Lusitania he talked
to younR Couzens and five other boys
whose ages ran from eleven to sixteen
years. Their answers influenced him
In his final judgment.
Each of the little boys. with sur
prising unanimity and with shocking
forgetfulness OF Sunday school train
ing, cpenking of the victims OF the big
Curarder. said to Ford:
why the h should they go out
On the Presidency.
Fcrd didn't say whather the little
boys came from Milwaukee or De
troit, but their logic was good enough
for him.
In a manNer equally naive Ford
talked about Presidential contests and
such.
How do you like the prospect o.
running for PRESIDENT" he was asked
~ didn't know I was In q Western
State until few days ago. That 10
] hew ! was In one. but didn't know
II have always been a little interest,"
ed In political AFFAIRS. ! never made Q
study of them. though. l think the
Government Is as much OF an organise
ton as the home or the factory. IL 4
isn't. It should be-, and lots of people
are waking up to that fact"
Are you going to take advantage o.
your popularity In Michigan to run tbii
II don't know what ! might do" sait
Ford. with a worried look on his face
You know, / don't think anybody
ought to run for President. When the,
run for President people always hav'
motives"
Standing as he does on the platform
OF business man In the White Hous,
for the benefit OF other business men
Ford agreed to the proposition that
ought TO be kept there indefinitely
That's what he does in his Detroit fac
tory. and he sees no reason why tn