The daily banner., 1919-07-19
"WAR IS MURDER, !"
REITERATES FORD
HNo MATTER WHO DOES 1T, WAR
is MURDER, AS MUCH AS
ANY ONE ELSE.
ADMITS HE is AN IDEALIST
Manufacturer Says He Tries to Make
People Happy and Prosperous
Examination Filled by
Petty Naeging.

Mt Clemens, Mich.-"War IS muir
der" Henry Ford, on his second oay
ON the witness stand, clung 10 inns
declaration in the face Oh conllnueu
questioning on the part OF opposing
counsel in the Ford-Tribune $1,OOO,OOO
libel suit. Nothing could shake him.
He would not compromise, he refused
to equivocate.
"War is murder" even when Tribune
counsel asked the witness whether ne
considered himself a murderer pc
cause he had done so much towards
supplying the government with mu-
nitions of war, Mr.. Ford held to MS
point.
Ford Says War is Murder.
"Yes," he said, 81 was a murderer
lust as much as anybody else, was
one of the helpers of murder. When
the crisis came we all took a hand.
But it is all the same, no matter VINO
does it, If war isn't murder, what Is
itYs
"You. said" stated Tribune counsel,
"that the advocates of preparedness
were irving to instill fear in the minds
of the people"
"Yes" answered the witness. 1.-The
fellows who were going to make money
ont of it, who wanted war for proht
The advocates of over-preparedness,
meant. That would be the fellows at
the bottom of it, the fellows VINO hao
most interest in it."
Again and again Tribune counsel ap-
preached the question OF the witness
being ian ignorant idealist, as the
basis of the suit charged.
For an hour the demanding attor-
ney nagged Mr.. Ford, endeavorlng TO
draw forth instances of his knowledge
of literature and history and govern
ment. Patient and kindly as the wit
ness was, the pettishness of the at
tacks stirred him finally, and he ex-
claimed, "Oh, I'll admit that am an
ignorant idealist, if you wish
What is an IdeaIist?
"What is an idealist?" asked the
Ir1DuuG dItOIhCys
"One who tries to make people hap
DIV and prosperous" responded Mr..
Ford.
SIS that your best definitionT asked
counsel with some, scOrn.
"Let it stand" responded Mr.. Ford,
patiently.
"You assume to educate the Ameri-
can people, Mr.. Ford
aAssumed to cause them to think.
sTo instruct the American people as
to their duties in citizenship"
.Instructing the people as to how
they are exploited"
elsyou were assuming to tell the
American people whether they were
prepared or not
"Prepared to be gouged again, pre-
pared to be exploited, yes"
ssYou knew there was anarchy down
In Mexico, didn't you?"
"I knew there was trouble on the
border, and I'll say another thing"
said Mr.. Ford suddenly, turning to the
court. ''Twice was asked TO con-
tribute money to keep that trouble
going down the road. That's what
started me off against militarism."
"Did you tell the president that?'
eyes, and I think he told me of the
same thing happening elsewhere"
Ford Wanted to See Wood.
Reference was made to the Henry
A. Wood interview with Mr.. Ford and
Mr.. Woods appearance on the stand.
Mr.. Ford said he came to court espe-
cially to see what Mr.. Wood looked
| like.
swell, how did he look?" queried
counsel.
'He didn't look like a free man,
answered Mr.. Ford. Looked like a
slave to the financial interests"
Mr.. Wood, said Mr.. Ford, had en-
tirely misrepresented the spirit and
form of his interview and especially
of his reference to the Stars and
Stripes and of a possible flag of a
league of nations.
| Another attempt to show that Mr..
Ford has not been in agreement with
Mr.. Wilson was made and again met
with failure.
GAS a matter Of fact" said Tribune
counsel, "you were opposed to the
president on his submarine policy"
"No, sir; was not.'
"You opposed the German use OF
the submarine?"
"I certainly did: yes, sir"
Mr.. Ford will continue on the stand
tomorrow.