Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-07-18
MORE OF FORD
ADS TARGET OF
'TRIB.' COUNSEL
Auto Manufacturer Puts
in His Fifth Day On
Witness Stand.

Mount Clemens, Mich, July l8.-
A statement that one-third OF the
record OF the testimony of Henry
Ford in the latter's libel suit
against the Chicago Tribune has
been taken up by the objections of
counsel for Mr.. Ford and the re-
sultant arguments was made to
Judge Tucker at the opening OF
court today. Alfred Lucking, senior
counsel for Mr.. Ford, took an ex-
ception, remarking that the same
could be said OF Tribune counsel
when witnesses for the plaintiff
were being heard.
Fifth Day on Stand.
Mr.. Ford took the stand for his
fifth day as a witness.
Before he had been asked a ques-
ton, he was temporarily excused
and Weymouth Kirkland, Tribune
lawyer tool the stand and was ex-
amined by his colleague, Elliott G.
Stevenson. Both lawyers held
copies of the report of testimony of
General Weaver on coast defense
before the military affairs commit
tee of congress in 1916. The pur-
pose was to refute the statement
made in Mr.. Ford's anti-prepared-
ness advertisement quqoting Gen
eral Weaver as saying that the
coast defense system was adequate
The Tribune lawyer, by follow
ing General Weaver's testimony,
further than the advertisement did,
showed that General Weaver said
that the coast guns were models of
1890 and would be unable to return
the fire of modern naval guns.
QuizEed ON Gun Mounting.
Mr.. Ford resumed his testimony
under Interrogation by Attorney
Stevenson.
You heard what General Weav-
er said? Mr.. DelaVigne made an
important departure for that. didn't
he, in writing your Advertisement?
81 am not a competent judge,
answered the witness.
Attorney Alfred G. Murphy, for
the plaintiff. objected and quoted
General Weaver as stating that old
guns were being re-mounted to
do you know how long it takes
to mount a gun, Mr.. Ford?" asked
Mr.. Stevenson
mo"
at takes a long timer"
Depends on who does the mount
ing, 1 guess"
You didn't print the truth
about it,"
Told Him To Get the Facts.
AZ employed Theodore Della
vigne and told him to get the facts
and TO stick to the facts. If he
omitted things / am responsible"
'Then you want this jury and
the world to understand that you
published a misstatement broad
cast and did not know what was
in it, whether true or false?"
81 told him to get the facts"
Are you charging Mr.. Delavigne
with dishonesty"
mo"
Ford Defines mobile
"You heard what was said about
a mobile force being necessary to |
protect coast defenses from attack
in the rear?"
yes"
What do you understand by a
mobile army?'"
"An army mobilized" said the |
picking at the crease !
in his trousers.
Counsel for Mr.. Ford objected as
of words.
"It is an army. large or small. !
which can move quickly" explained |
Mr. Stevenson.
Il don't know much about mill
tarism,r added the witness.
The Tribune lawyer next went to I
the heart of the suit bringing forth /
the Tribune editorial Of June 90, |
1916, which was headed Ford Is
an Anarchist"
GWhat is a Headlinef7
What is a headline?" asked Mr. |
at shows what is in the body of |
an article under it."
Mr.. Ford yesterday testified that /
an anarchist Is bomb thrower or |
one who oYerturns government. Mr.. /
Stevenson then read the text OF the !
Nothing there about bomb /
throwing. is there, Mr. Ford?" !
mo, but the headline" /
But you said that a headline |
shows what is in the body of the |
article, Mr. Ford"
This precipitated an argument in /
the course of which Attorney |
: ~
of the plaintiff that the |
headline was libelous standing by |
Itself, for the very reason that the
text of the article related nothing |
OF Mr.. Ford.
"It seems to me, your honor"
said Mr.. Stevenson, that We have