The sun., 1918-09-01
FORD'S EXEMPTED
son is SATIRIzED
Senator Sherman Also Attacks
Motor Car Manufacturers
War Time Generosity.
MOTIVES ARE ASSAILED
Candidates. Course Criticised
as Running Counter to
Pure Ballot Law.
Sp.cior D,spdfch 10 TIE SuS.

Special Despdfch 10 THE STU.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 31.-The status OF
Edsel Ford. son OF the Detroit motor car
manufacturer and Democratic candidate
for the United States Senate from Michi-
gan, furnished the subject OF an acri-
monious criticism because OF young
Ford's exemption from military service
by reason Of his alleged Indispensability
to the great plant of which his father Is
the head
Senator Sherman Gll.) took the lead
in the debate and other members OF the
Senate lent him aid and comfort. They
asked the necessary questions at the
proper moment to give the Illinois Sena-
tor an opportunity to make the telling
answers which he had planned.
In the course OF his criticism OF the
Michigan candidate Senator Sherman al
legged that the, profits Of the Ford Motor
Company transcribed in ratio TO IN
vested capital the profits of the beer
PACKERS, the investigation Of whose busi-
ness by the Federal Trade Commission
had consumed many months. vast energy
and hundreds OF thousands OF dollars.
Senator Sherman expressed the view
that the Federal Trade Commission
should look into the profits OF the Ford
concern He thought that the willing
ness OF Mr.. Ford to turn his war time
profits into the Federal Treasury was an
afterthought.
Ford's Generosity.
Referring to Mr.. Ford, the Illinois
Senator said:
Recently he has expressed the will
ingness to turn all OF the profits into the
Treasury. He is not the, first candidate
I have known to forego all profit con-
nected with any public transaction. The
courts Of several States have said that
such promises are as morally repre-
hens bile and as full OF turpitude as a
man who goes out and buys an individ-
nal vote on election day, and they have
condemned without stint such oners
made to release lawful profits or fees in
nsideration of the releasor being en-
gagged in a strenuous campaign Tor cleo
ton to public office.
IT would have thought more Of the
atonement of MIR. Ford II he out OF the
generosity Of his system and the good
ness Of his heart had released all his
lroflts before he became a candidate.
"If the packers made as much of the
public as Ford does Off the Government
they would average s450,o00,000 Of
profits during the pre-war period OF 1919.
1916 and 1917 instead of the $4,000 600
complained OF by the Trade Commission
in those three years. Ford Is public
benefactor for making three times as
much as the packers"
Ford Indirectly Quoted.
II think Mr. Ford can be of much
more benefit to the country where he is
= ~ in, ha IN nj
rppted Senator Thomas (Col), land for
that reason l should be sorry to see him
elected: but | think in Justice to Mr..
Ford, in view OF what the Senator had
just said, I would perhaps be excused
for making public a private conversation
which | had with Mr.. Ford during the
first week of last June, on which occa-
sion he said it was his intention to turn
back into the Treasury OF the United
States all the profit that he would make
in Government work during the war
That was before he became a candidate"
Before he became candidate
SENATOR Sherman asked. II am very
glad to hear II. II somewhat purihes
his motive. Let me see 10 per cent
OF the amount | have named will be
$40. 900. 900. In small measure that
will help undo the damage he did when
he was pacifst, before we entered the
war and even after We entered the wal ,
and before he experienced change OF
heart. 1t will not. however. remove him
from the group OF dependent fathers
which l shall now comment upon.
"Mr. Ford's son is % years Of age.
Without any express exemption by supe-
rior authority such conditions have been
created that he has not been mustered
into the service. 1t is upon the plea.
upon various procedures held before diff
ferent circumlocution officers in various
parts of the country reaching all the
way from Detroit to Washington, that
the son is indispensable to the father in
the management of the factory and that
the factory has a large war contract.
Waste of Man Power.
"In that event II would be a shameless
waste of man power and brains to elect
the father to the Senate and let the
burden and the mantle OF the entire busi-
ness fall upon n twenty three year-old
stripping in the person of young Ford.
80 I think the best thing would be
to muster the son into the service, like
my neighbours sons have been sent. like
my relatives and your relatives have
been sent of proper drau age, and to
claim no privileges of that kind to let
the son go where he can bear the usual
burden without regard to parentage. or
social standing or wealth, and let the
father. the original charter member OF
the club of dependent fathers in the
United States remain in charge of his
factory"
Senator Sherman said that the draft had
taken the only son of his dead law
partner.
The blood OF young Ford is no better
than tine blood OF my partners SON."