The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-07-25
LEAGUE OR war.
. DECLARES FORD
MA FAcTuR ER MAKES IT
CLEAR HE BELIEVES covEN.
ANT is GREAT STEP. 4.
DECLARES WAR IS MURDER
WhlrlwSnd Of Questions Fall to Shake
composure Of Man Who Sues for
Million Because He Was
Called Anarchist"

idealism of Henry Ford has freshened
the proceedings Of the ord-Tribune
libel case and has brought into the
wearisome arguments of COUNSEL and
the dull repetition of cross-examina-
tons, new quality.
For a week the man who has been
described as everything from an IAN
archjst' to the greatest patriot of his
day, has been on the stand facing a
merciless fire Of questions,
During the reading of an article
written by John Reed on Henry Ford,
end published in the Metropolitan Mag.
azine, the audience in the court cham
Der violated all precedent by breaking
into applause and Mr.. Ford. visibly EN-
barrassed, raised his hand in protest.
Tribune counsel had endeavored to
quote paragraphs from the Reed ARA.
Gle but had been compelled, by objec-
ton Of Ford attorneys, to introduce
the interview in its entirety. In the
main it was highly complimentary to
Mr.. Ford.
snake Farmer Independent" ,,,-
What l want to do" Mr.. Ford was
quoted as saying, lis to make the farm.
er as independent as am; independ-
ent OF the banks, Independent. of the
trusts, independent Of the railroads"
The audience. many of them from
the surrounding farms of this comInu-
Eity, showed visible evidence of its APP.
probation of that ideal.
Twice Mr.. Ford, wearying Of the
questions having to do with his knowl-
edge of history, said "Oh, I'll admit
that I'm an ignorant idealist II you
wish" ''~ '''N
what Is an idealist?" queried Tri-
bune counsel. i'm
The innate goodness OF the man
lighted up his kindly eyes with new
light, as he leaned forward and 1anH
Ewered slowly, Il think an idealist rs
and prosperous. l think I do that u
little"
Quiet, unassuming, courteous and
patient, Henry Ford made deep i'm.
preston on the audience. Not once
did he lose his temper under the heck
ling of opposing attorneys, even when
their questions verged on the edge Of
insult. But when the examination
touched on subjects which are close to
his heart, the League Of Nations, war
and the happiness and prosperity OF
Humanity, counsel found him eagerly
alert.
ness up to the hilt.
That is the way he sees the situa-
ton today. I'VE must either" he said,
accept the covenant of peace or DEM
ocracy must arm and stand guard for.
ever at the threshold of liberty" q"
"War Is Murder"
He hammered that fact home and
with 1t he always added, War is muir
der"
81 was a murderer he said, 81 was
a helper of murder. When the crisis
came we all took hand. But 1t is all
the same War is murder"
What do you mean by murder"
~ mean killing people"
killing people to protect the inter-
ests of the people?"
killing anybody or anything. |
don't know what else war is. War is
What is the better way?"
why, to educate people. To teach
them to think for themselves"
A long examination was conducted
which sought to quiz Mr. Ford concern
ing his views on history, based on a
remark which he once made that y
wouldn't give five cents for all the his
tory ever written"
II don't think much more Of 1t now
than did then" testified Mr.. Ford.
1.-THE war showed us that history
didn't last week. All the things they
told us would happen didn't happen.
They went ahead, knowing what war
meant, and made the same mistakes
all over again. The history we write
1 today is the thing that counts. I'm
not interested in yesterday" VI
\ The Flag Of Nations. r.
The much discussed flag of a League
Of Nations, which 1t has been stated
Mr.. Ford was having made in his fac
tory before the United States entered
1.-The war, was brought into court. The
testimony developed the fact that MIR.
Ford did not originate the design OF
tho flag and had never seen the ban
ner Itself. He saw small drawing
!. Of 1t once in st. Pauls Cathedral, De
troit, he said, but had never heard OF
1t again and knew nothing about 1t.
He denied emphatically that he ever
said he would raise this flag above
the Stars and Stripes. and said the
statement that he reverenced this han.
| above the flag Of his country was
>rrib1e thing to say about anlAiG.