The sun., 1919-07-12
WAR PROFITS CHIEF
FORD CASE FEATURE
Contracts Offered to Show
Harvest of 10 Per Cent. In
stead Of Cost Basis.
PRO-GERMANISM AN ISSUE
Edsel Ford Tells Of Millions
Related to Owners Of Cars
Of Company's Make.
ss.csel Dss,ascA 10 TH, sus.


Mousr CLrMsns, Mich, July ia
packed courtroom listened to-day TO
Easel b. Ford, son Of Henry Ford and
president of the Ford Motor Company,
as he gave his testimony In his fathers
$1,000 900 libel suit against the Chicago
Tytbtne The plaintiff was an attentive
listener throughout the day. He VIII
follow his son on the stand. and without
q doubt will be called to testify next
Monday.
Pro-Germanism and proht sharing
occupied no small part Of the days Sos
sion. Figures were quoted by Mr.. Ford
showing the profits Of the company and
tho amounts remitted to owners OF Ford
cars, the latter being in excess OF $12.-
100000. Fifty dollars went to every
owner Of Ford that ha6 been purchased
in the year 1915. The profits Of the
company during the FIRST year OF it's
profit sharing plan exceeded S30,0oo,0 900,
an increase Of 100000 over the pre-
vious year. and this amount reached
more than SIS, 000,0 900 two years later.
A severe reprimand was administered
to Alfred Lucking, senior counsel for
the plaintiff. when he insinuated that the
rulings Of Judge Tucker favored the TIT
bnne's case. The Court Jumped to his
feet with q severe caution and an
nounced that the remark was danger
ously near contempt Of court Mr..
Lucking was noticeably agitated.
Extracts were read from the aircraft
report Of Charles Z. Hughes In which
considerable attention was paid to an
employee OF Mr.. Ford. one Earl Emde.
head OF the Liberty motors production at
the Ford plant, and his Americanism was
challenged.
A close friend Of Mr.. Emde had been
found leaving the Ford factory with
valuable drawings and had been informed
and other we'll known department heads
had recommended that the man be dis
missed. To this Henry Ford had strenu-
ousy objected, asserting that Emde was
a first class workman. and although he
was generally known as being pro-Ger-
man he was retained by Mr.. Ford greatly
to the objection of other officials con-
nected with the business.
Although at the head OF the great
concern, young Ford admitted that he
never graduated from any school. that
he had absolutely nothing to do with
the direct manufacture of Eagles, armor
plate helmets, Liberty motors, caissons,
Shells &C., on which the $4,000 en-
ployees were all working when the ar
mistice was signed.
He said that the United States Gov
eminent had financed the Eagle plant
by furnishing $500, 900 and that after
the war was ended and the plant became
useless for boat building the Govern
ment, he thought. would appraise 1t and
II the figure was satisfactory Mr.. Ford
could buy It at the price set by the Gov
eminent. It developed that before even
one Liberty motor had been completed
and shipped the Government had ad-
vanced sums running into the millions.
Mr.. Ford. however, said he did not
consider that the Government had sim
ply reimbursed the company for money
spent for buildings and machinery.
At times Mr.. Ford's recollection was
hazy, and at such times he was shown
Government contracts which were in
tended to disclose the contention THAT
the company. instead Of doing Govern
meht work at cost, reaped rich harvest
at no time of less than 10 per cent