The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1919-05-26
F ord d--Tribune Libel.
Case Wakes
Warm
Suit for. $1,O0O,O0O Damages
Against Chicago Paper Be-
ing Tried in Chicago

for libel against the Chicago Trib-
une continued Wednesday, May u,
with reference to the scope to be
permitted in the hearing of testi-
mony The Tribune counsel con-
tend that the widest latitude ought
to be permitted. allowing the thresh-
ing out of questions of militarisn,
preparedness. allegations of pro-
Gernanism and all the other mat
ters that have been mentioned.
Counsel for Henry Ford contend that
the issue is whether the Tribune IL
beled Henry Ford in calling him an
anarchist in their editorial Ford
counsel agree, however, that all mat
tiers bearing upon the Mexican sit
uaton, then a vital one. are admissi-
Bile in the testimony as showing what
facts the Tribune relied upon in
forming its policy, but that the ques-
tions of preparedness or militarism
are not proper to be determined by
the jury in this case. The Tribune
contends that all these matters form
a part Of the state OF facts upon
which their estimate of Henry Ford
was made.
Alfred Lucking. chief counsel for
Henry Ford. made the point We'd
nesday that even "the greatest news
paper in the world" is not exempt
from the necessity of hewing to the
line Of truth and fair comment in
discussing personalities. nor from
the necessity of making retraction
when asked.
Editorial Called Deliberate
"a very able man wrote that ed
itoriai and he knew just what he
wanted to say" said Mr.. Lucking.
"Not a chance thing was done. He
assured certain facts. and states them
as facts. Most of them turn out to
be utterly false. The ones that
were of most importance are false.
He says that Mr.. Ford is an anar-
chistic enemy of his. country. and the
place for him and his factories is in
Mexico. where anarchy prevails.
"This editorial was written by one
editorial writer and laid before
another. who is al lawyer and WHO
knew just the meaning Of every
word from the legal standpoint; and
he approved and passed it. Mr.. Nc
Cormick. another editor who is al
so = lawyer. also read it and approv-
ed it. Why did they take such pains
with this editorial? Were they get.
ting after Heary Ford? Were they
sticking to him something that would
adfaee forever. stamping him as an
anarchist unfit to live in America"
Referring to the Thibune's charge
that other papers criticized Mr..
Ford's policies. Mr.. Lucking said.
But none of them denounced Mr..
Ford - an anarchist. None of them
claimed that he was an enemy of his
country. They had perfect right
to comment on Mr.. Ford's published
views and so long as they adhered TO
the facts their arguments might be
as bitter as they saw fit. They could
be stricturous upon the subject mat
ter. not upon the individual. The
Tribune INDUCED in the right to CONF
ment in an article called The Fall
lacies of Henry Ford No complaint
was made about that They had .
perfect right to do it,"
Referring to the charge of the
plaintiff that the Tribune favored
was with Mexico for pecuniary rea-
sons, Mr.. Lucking said. "If they were
for war with Mexico and for grab
bing Mexico, all right. For private
all right. or for public pur-
poses, all right. but when they dis
covered that Germany wanted US to
have war with Mexico. that the Ger
man game was to get us into fight
with Mexico. why didn't they stop?
Talk about anarchists"
Mr.. Lucking agreed. throughout
his argument. that the Tribune
should be allowed the widest lati-
tude in reconstructing the national
situation as it existed at the time Of
the editorial This. he claimed. would
involve the Mexican question only.
Mr.. Lucking also frequently charged
the Tribune counsel with faint
he edness IN frrinn 70 soften fhA