The daily morning oasis., 1919-07-20
WAR IS MURDER
REITERATES FORD
mo MATTER WHO DOES 1T, WAR
is MURDER, AS MUCH AS
ANYONE ELSE"
ADMITS he IS AN IDEALIST
Manufacturer Says He Tries to Make
People Happy and Prosperous
Examination Filled With
Petty Nagging.

Mount Clemens, Mlch., July H.
"War is murder"
Henry Ford on his second day on
the witness stand, clung to this dec
laratiOn In the face of continued ques-
tioning on the part of opposing coun-
sci in the Ford-Tribune $1,000,000 Ii
bel suit. Nothing could shake him.
He would not compromise. He re-
fused to equivOcate. "War is muir
der" Even when Tribune counsel
| asked the witness whether he con-
sidered himself murderer because he
had done so much towards supplying
the government with munitions of war,
Mr.. Ford held to his point
"Yes," he said, Il was a murderer
just as much as anybody else. I was
one of the helpers of murder. When
the crisis came we all took q hand.
But it is all the same, no matter who
does it. If war isn't murder, what is
it?"
"You said," stated Tribune counsel
that the advocates of preparedness
were trying to instill fear in the minds
of people?" EYES," answered the wit
ness, "the fellows who were going to
make money out of it, who wanted
war for profit. The advocates of
over-preparedness, / meant; that
1.-THE fellows who had the most in
terest in it." Again and again Trib-
une counsel approached the question
of the witness being ian ignorant
idealist," as the editorial which is the
basis of the suit charged. For an hour
the examining attorney nagged Mr..
Ford, endeavoring to draw forth the
instances of his knowledge Of litera-
ture and history and government. Pa
tient and kindly as the witness was,
the pettishness of the attacks stirred
him finally and he exclaimed: "Oh
I'll admit that am an ignorant ideal
ist, If you WISH"
"What Is an idealist?" asked the
Tribune attorney.
"One who tries to make people hap
py and prosperous" responded Mr..
Ford, patiently. Il believe 1 can do
it little"
"You assume to educate the Ameri-
can people, Mr.. Ford; assume to
| cause them to think-to instruct the
American people as to their duties in
citizenship
"lnstructing the people as to how
they are exploited"
"You were assuming to tell the
American people whether they were
prepared or not?''
Prepared to be gouged again, pre-
pared to be exploited, yes"
"You knew there was anarchy
down in Mexico, didn't you?"
II knew there was trouble on the
Border"
"And I'll say another thing" said
Mr.. Ford suddenly, turning to the
court, twice l was asked to contrib
ute 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 l think he told me of the
same thing happening elsewhere" :"
L WAS " Tic A1CLl }
1 A. Wise Wood interview with Mr.
/ Ford and Mr.. Woods appearance On
the stand. Mr.. Ford said he came to
court especially to see what Mr.. Wood
looked like.
swell, how did he look" querled
counsel.
HE didn't look like free man,
answered Mr.. Ford.
"Looked like a slave to the finan
cial interests"
il "Mr. Wood" said Mr.. Ford, "hao
entirely misrepresented the spirit an(
form of his interview and especially
of his reference to the Stars ant
Stripes and of a possible flag of {
League of Nations"
Another attempt to show that MI
Ford has not been in agreement witt
Mr.. Wilson was made and again me1
with failure.
"As a matter of fact" said Tribune
counsel, "you were opposed to tht
president on his submarine policy?"
"NO sir, was not"
"You opposed the German use o
the submarine"
81 certainly did; yes, sir
Mr.. Ford will continue on the
| %o,,nrroyu