The Adair County news., 1919-07-30
MANUF AC'TURER MAKES 1T
CLEAR HE BELIEVES COVEN-
ANT is GREAT STEP.
DECLARES WAR is MURDER
Whirlwind OF Questions Fail to Shake
Composure of Man Who Sues for
Million Because He Was
Called Anarchist"

idealism of Henry Ford has freshened
the proceedings OF the Ford Tribune
libel case and has brought into the
wearisOme arguments OF counsel and
the duh repetition OF cross-examina-
tons, new quality.
For a week the man who has been
described as everything from an IAN
archist' to the greatest patriot OF his
day, has been on the stand facing Il
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 M Ford, visibly Ell
barrassed, raised ms hand in protest.
Tribune counsel had endeavored To
q4ote paragraphs from the Reed ar-I-
Gle bu- hau been compelled, by objec-
ton OF Fora attorneys, TO introduce
The interview in its entirety. In the
main it was mighty complimentary 10
MI. Ford.
"Make Farmer independent
What | want TO 10" Mr. Ford was
quoted as saying, rs to make the farm
er as independent as l 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 commu-
Lity, showed visible evidence OF It's 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 if you
wish"
What is an idealist?" queried Fri
bune counsel
The innate goodness of the man
, lighted up his kindly eyes with a new
light, as he leaned forward and an
swered slowly, Il think an idealist is
one who tries to make people happy
and prosperous ! think ! do that
little"
Quiet, unassuming, courteous and
patient, Henry Ford made deep i'm.
I preston on the audience. Not once
| did he lose his temper under the heck
! ling of opposing attorneys, even whesl
/ 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.
A League of Nations, or prepared
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
"War Is Murder"
He hammered that fact home and
with it he always added, WAR is muir
der"
Il was murderer he said, 81 was
helper of murder. When the crisis
came we all took hand. But it is all
the same. War is murder"
What do you mean by murder"
81 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
murder. There is a far better way
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 q
remark which he once made that {!
wouldn't give five cents for all the his
tory ever written
81 don't think much more of it nov
than did then" testified Mr.. Ford.
THE war showed us that history
didn't last a week. All the things they
told us would happen didn't happen
They went ahead, knowing what wa
meant, and made the same mistake!
all over again. The history we write
today is the thing that counts. In
not interested in yesterday"
The Flag of Nations.
The much discussed flag of Leagu
of Nations, which it has been states
Mr.. Ford was having made in his fac
tory before the United States enteret
the war, was brought into court. TIL
testimony developed the fact that MI
Ford did not originate the design o
the flag and had never seen the bar
ner itself. He saw a small drawini
Of it once in ST. Paul's Cathedral, De
troit, he said, but had never heard o
it again and knew nothing about it.
He denied emphatically that he eve