National news. (Chicago, Ill.) 1915-19??, 1916-01-08
By Jean Comerford.

BY Jean Comerford.
will you write il straight >" said
Henry Ford.
II was in San Francisco. Thomas
Edison was there. Luther Burbank
Was there-three honest men bravely
met. Three friraAa. each with God
ave and man love in his heArt-plant
love and mother love and wife love
and child love.
Edison was net By eapitaiists-by
commercial bo-ih.s Of men. Their WAS
y delegation fron, the Paciie Gas and
Electric Company. tina, same gigan-
tic trust which ., maTnihcently uti-
lines the great wizards inventions
that II pays seven PR cent dividends.
and not onl, has monopoly on coast
gas and on coast electricity. but incl
dentally controls about all the water
power available for the manufacture
OF the magic juice.
Therefore the delegations TO meet
Mr.. Edison--the lunches, the dinners.
Among them he moved unabashed and
honest-half lost in the wonder of his
own achievement. His own greatness
made him somewhat the victim Of
their systems and their class distinc-
tion. II is the common people he
loves--that is plain to see- An hon
est man, a great man. hut maybe.
without the vision.
So II was Of Henry Ford asked a
MESSAGE OF LABOK
"Will you write it straight >" said
Henry Ford.
OF Henry Ford Was the message
asked and not of the others. because
his Is THE VISION. his the under
standing. II you doubt, read his mes
sage twice.
Write it straight" There is so
little of il and its ring is 80 true. that
| could not. il would, write it
crooked.
You would know him by his pie
lures serious faced-slin. clean cut :.
with quick smile and "A direct habit
of speech that is dlsconcerting at first.
His hair is grey and there are lines
about his eyes and around his mouth.
Henry Ford has known care and poy
crty and struggles as have few men.
A. is the habi, with such men. he
masters no words.
"UNDERSTANpING" he said.
Then UNITY"
tAll of this came about in the great
foyer of the INSIDE Inn. AT the Pan
anna Pacific Fsposition).
Yes" said |. but just what is un-
derStanding -
Henry Ford pondsred. 1T is hard
to say just What il Is by itself. IL Is
too big. Isn't il about the biggest
thing IN Life"
Most of Us have been misunderstood.
| have. several times. In fact, about
the only prayer say, IL.
God give me understanding. Of
those who love me. and understand
ing of those that hate me.
Ergo Grant. oh. Universe. that
they UNDERSTAND ME-.
So shall my faults and my follles
assume their true va ues and sift its
true proportions.
Labor sand Henry Ford. must
first UNDERSTAND ITSELF. Now.
IT gropes-haf heartedly. unfeellng-
ly-in dark place. Its step Is un-
tuned. us song timeless. it's strug-
giles aimless. Always it's progress is
halted by this or that petty dispute.
Don't make any one think ! am
either for or against organized
Labor" he said. Il am for anything
that helps. Life Is difficult any way
YOU fix IT, | criticise no man save the
man. who. having open books set be
fore his eyes. will not read them"
There is much blindness" said |.
Into Henry Ford's voice their
crept tone of insisteney, in his eyes.
shone the satisfaction of a dream full
filled.
"Wilful blindness" he said. "sel-
fish blindness. The understanding
that Labor must come to have Of IL
self. cannot be gained in a day. IL is
education. Under existing capitals.
tic conditions. Labor can no more
know it's own power or cure its own
ills, than could that child some one
found once shut up in room, away
from all contact with life. II was
not an imbecile child. but il had all
the semblance of one. The reason was
LACK OF OPPORTUNITY"