The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-02-15
FORD ASSAUS
WAR INTERESTS
Ayers Lust For Blood Money Re-
spOnsible For Conflict In
Europe.

Henry Ford is extremely firm in his
conviction that the present great war
was formented primarily by interests
which make money out Of wars. His
theory is founded upon the incon tro-
vertible evidence that for years agen-
cies have existed in all the great CAPT
tails for the spread of war scares and
other propaganda intended to coerce
legislative bodies in to the purchase of
war materials and war ships.
He has studied this evidence until he
is satisfied that the enmities among the
nations of Europe, leading to this war,
were kept alive and gradually famed
to the fighting flame by these agencies.
He had seen the evidence to show that
the purchase of war materials by one
nation was reported Immediately in
rival countries, sometimes even before
the people of the purchasing nation
themselves were aware of what their
government had done.
The natural result was that the
people of the rival nations became
alarmed oyer the possibility of war and
thus competition in the manufacture
and government purchases of war ma
terlals was set up which grew and grew
until the burden upon all concerned be-
came almost intolerable.
Mr.. Ford believes the present stu
alton the result of nothing but this
international propaganda, in which
so-called patriotic organizations in
each country work hand in glove with
similar organizations in all of the other
great countries. The inevitable had to
occur. The nations went to war and
then these organizations reaped the
harvest for which they had been schem-
ing and intriguing for years. He be-
believes if this war goes on for a few
years and all the world is drawn into it,
as now seems not improbable, practi-
caIly all the money in the world will be
found in the hands of these interests
which speculate in the instrumental
ties Of organized murder.
why" exclaimed Mr.. Ford. 81
CHANGED to be in New York last Satur-
day, the day President Wilson broke
off diplomatic relations with Germany,
and with my own eyes | saw flags run
up all over Wall street. There was no
doubt about it. Those people wanted
the United States to get into war.
They publicly rejoiced and hoisted their
flags to show their patriotism What
patriotism. What patriotism? For
what there was in it.
At the same moment the market for
war babies doomed. There you had a
living picture ofi the influences which
cause wars, a braZen Illustration that
the blood of possible millions of our
boys means nothing to men who can
make money out of fighting
but | also noticed another thing.
While the flags were out and there was
public rejoicing that this country was
to be plunged into the slaughter, and
the spectators were rushing around
like mad to take advantage OF the new
crop Of blood money in sight, there
was not a single evidence that the
patriotism of these people went a
step beyond. There was no rush to get
into the trenches, no wild scramble for
the khaki uniforms, no rising market
for the shovel trade, because these
spectators were surging around to
provide for the grim business of modern
warfare.
The recruiting stations of New
York had no crowds thronging them,
demanding a chance to die tor their
country. The crowding was down on
the curb, far from the menace of bull
lets, away outside the range of the re-
cruitlng officers. There the flags con-
tinued to flutter above the heads of
men who have no use for that kind of
patriotism which calls for the last SUBJ
lime ultimate sacrifice.
my one remaining hope for the
early ending of this war is that the
step taken by President Wilson will
so align the world, through him, for
peace that it can be consummated.
The voice of all the neutrals, speaking
in unison ko =, 10
listen. Nothing else has had that eff
feet and l fear nothing else will, as
long as the fighting governments fail
to turn deaf ear to the arguments of
the patriots, who practice their kind
of patriotism only for self and do not
care who wins or loses so long as they
continue to get the money"