Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-05-26
0RD-TR|BUNE CASE
NOW BEFORE COURT
Hearing of Evidence in Mil
lion-DoIlar Libel Suit Be-
gun in Chicago.

BY the Associated Press.
MT. CLEMENS. Mich, May es.-
After two weeks OF preliminaries the
taking of evidence in the $1,000. 900
libel suit of Henry Ford against the
Chicago Daily Tribune began before
Judge J. q. Tucker today.
The alleged libelous editorial of
June %, 1916. headed Ford Is an
Anarchist" was read slowly and with
solemn emphasis by Attorney Alfred
j. Murphy of counsel for Mr.. Ford
First Witness for Plaintiff.
The first witness for the plaintiff
was John J. Henkel. manager of the
employment department of the Ford
Motor Company. AS the editorial AL
legged that Mr.. Ford would not pay
employees who enlisted in the National
Guard called for service on the Mexi-
can border at that time nor hold
their places for them. Mr.. Henkel was
was called to state the plaintiffs side
of this phase of the case.
The editorial was filed as plaintiff
exhibit No. 1. and letter from Mr..
Ford about a year later demanding
retraction of the editorial state
ments in this exhibit and also of ut
terances in an editorial! headed "Fliv-
Yer PATRIOTISM became exhibit NO. z.
Mr.. Henkel's Testimony.
Mr.. Henkel was questioned by At
torney Harry Hoffman. of counsel for
Mr.. Ford. He testified that it was
the rule Of the company to reinstate
employees whose absence was beyond
their control. These reasons. he said
included military service. Employees.
he said. had attended encampments of
the National Guard In years prior to
June. 1915. and it was the practice in
all cases to hold their positions for
them. This WAS the case also. ha
testified. when the Michigan National
Guard went riot duty in the cop
per region of northern Michigan. The
rule. the witness continued. was not
varied when the call came for serv-
ice along the Rio Grande. When ons
Of their men quit at this time. he said.
he was given badge bearing the let
tiers, M. n. g." which assured him of
his old position when he returned.
Weymouth kirkland and Elliott 8.
Stevenson, of counsel for the Tribune.
interposed repeated objections. but
were overruled.
Identifies Memorandum Slip.
Mr.. Hoffman had the witness iden-
tify a memorandum slip. which show
ed that on June 10, 1915. an employe.
named F. Shaffer, advised Mr.. Henkel
that he had been notified to report at
the armory. This and similar memoir
anda relating to the call were "ok'ed"
by him, the witness testified. or by an
assistant. Other Ford employees who
were called to the armory were E. r.
Herbert, H. Schwartz and b. Sales.
Each memorandum bore the notation.
Pay at once, called for service in
Mexico" or some note of similar
meaning.
There were eight of these slips.
bearing dates from June 10 to June
%. 1918. Witness explained that
Ford employe serves six months on
probation before being given the IS
minimum for a days work.
During this period the lowest wage
is 38 cents an hour or $2.72 a day. If
an employee were absent through no
fault of his own during the probation.
period the time was nevertheless
counted as part of this period, so that
the attainment of the SIS day was
not deferred. A small handful of discs,
showing that the former wearere had
answered the call of the government.
were offered in evidence. Some. in
addition to the letters IN. N. g." bore
the words ito return"
No Uniform Rule.
Witness said that the discrepancy
was due to the fact that different
clerks gave them out and there was
no uniform rule about 1t. Mr.. Henkel
said the probation rule was applied
to the men who went with the guard
They lost nothing by their absence.
I'm hiring men, said Mr.. Henkel.
service in the National Guard was
regarded as a good point, as it in
dictated the man had certain ideas of
discipline, knew how to obey orders
and that sort of thing"
Between June is and %. 1916, did
Mr.. Ford or any one give you orders
changing this routine?" asked Attor-
ney Hoffman.
mo. SIR" replied the witness.
And you did not change IL your
self"
mo, sir"
When these men came back from
the border and presented their NJ.
N. G. discs, were they re-employed?"
They were, and some who had lost
their discs"
Mr. Henkel said his department
dealt with factory employees only. but
it appeared that there were approx
mately 10000 of these.