New-York tribune., 1918-03-25
u. S. Tool Power
Must Be Modified
To Win, Says Ford
Tanks in Trenches and
Tractors on Farms Are
Needed, He Declares
Men Alone Not Enough
Prohteering Must Stop if De-
m0cracy Is to Succeed,
He Warns

All Of Americas tool power and the
entire weight of her industries must be
thrown into the balance if this country
S 20 wiz the war, according to Henry
Ford, who discussed the situation yes
terday.
The side that musters the best ma
chinery will VIM" the manufacturer
said we do not yet realize that our
rroblem centres in the management of
factories and the fullest use of ma
chinery, nor have we organized to con-
eentrate our industrial resources upon
essential war work"
tanks as vital factor in modern war
fare. Mr.. Ford continued:
Man Power Not Sufficient
Russia. with a man power of 1885,
100000. was almost entirely lacking in
machine power. She mobiiized 15,O00,-
900 men, but she sent them into battle
poorly equipped, armed with obsolete
rifles, small calibre guns and in many
cases only with clubs. This poorly
equipped and poorly armed army was
pitted against the vastly superior rifles,
machine guns and large calibre cannon
which were turned out in vast quaint
TIES by great factories and a highly
organized railroad system in Germany.
Russia lost 100000 men and her
power collapsed.
The lesson for US is that not num-
bers nor latent resources, but better
machinery and better organization are
decisive in warfare.
'Trenches can be conquered and the
stalemate of the West front broken if
we develop and use the right ma
chinery. For long time in the middle
ages castles were impregnable when
men attacked them with spears and
catapults, cut they fell easily to the
new tools using gunpowder
To me il seems out OF place to send
men with bare bodies and rifles against
trenches Of concrete, fortled with
barbed wire machine guns and can
non A small tank can be made for at
.ack that will carry two men and
machine gun with armor protection
strong enough to resist the hail of
machine gun bullets and shrapnel
spiinter..
10000 Tanks in Three Months
Such tanks, Hf standardized to one
model, could be produced at the rate
Of one or two thousand a day. Once
production was started ninety thou
sand tanks could be made in three
months Distributed equally along the
West front this would place one tank
every eighteen feet. In each tank two
men. shielded by armorplate, with
machine gun, would have the offensive
power of fifty soldiers with rifles That
advantage would come from possession
of the better piece of fighting ma
chinery. Soldiers would stand in line
% have chance to attack in such out
fits.
In our food problems also we have
failed to realize that the solution lies
in the increase of tool power on the
land. The farms of England, France
and America have been drained of
their men, first to fill the armies, then
10 fill the munition factories, so that
to-day food production lags. For three
decades men have been leaving the
farm to get to the easier work of the
factories and on railroads, where en-
gine power has removed the drudgery
Of heavy muscular labor.
The curse of Adam-to labor in the
sweat of thy brow-stiIl rests upon
farm workers. 1t remains for America
20 carry engine power to agriculture
Until 1850 harvesting and thrashing
we're done by human muscles using
sickle, scythe and fail. Then America
invented the binder and harvesting ma
chine, and shifted these two tasks to
the animal. To-day America must sub
stitute engine power for human and
animal muscles on all kinds of farm
work
"A tractor engine Will plough, har-
vest, seed, pull binders, make hay, cut
ensllage, pump water, churn and do the
chores of the farm. It will multiply
give him new joy and pride in his work.
II will keep the boy on the farm. With
the aid of tractors reduced number Of
farm laborers can still produce a full
crop
"One tractor sent to France or Eng
land now will produce fifty times its
weight and bulk in wheat and food this
rear. One ship carrying tractors now
Is az good as fifty ships carrying food
next fall.
"In properly organized factory, run
ring on one model, an ordinary work
nan can build tractor in fifteen days,
ana each tractor will add the working
power of two Or three men to a farm
during the whole year. Fifteen thou
sand men can produce !, 900 tractors a
Gay. or 100000 tractors a year.
We shall get more food not by book
keeping and clerical regulation in the
cities, but by the use Of more and bet
ter machinery on the land.