The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-06-19
.FORD'S DEFENSE IN
SPECTACULAR PLAY

MOUNT CLEMENS. Mich. June 1S-
A shadow Of Henry Ford's flag Of hu-
manity" was unfurled in Judge fuckers
court today in course Of the hearing Of
Mr.. Ford's libel suit against the Chicago
Daily Tribune.
Evidence in the case has quoted MI
Ford as opposing flags OF nations as OBJ
something to rally around" or
as the refuge Of scoundrcls" and as ad-
vocating flag OF humanity the crca-
ton OF which he is said to have referred
to in q fugitive remark in 1915.
the Photographic and advertising depart
the Photographic and advertising depart
ments Of the Ford Motor company, was
called TO the stand.
1T was quite long time ago and I
do not recall clearly the incident" said
the witness. II think. however. that the
idea Of designing such a flag was put to
me either by Dean Marquis, head Of the
educational. department. or Mr.. Brownell,
the advertising manager. / made some
sort Of O sketch in water colors. 1 be-
lirve the field was purple and the world
was hown and symbols OF universal
brotherhood, fraternity. peace and in
dustry-thtngS like that"
Other witnesses today were Henry A
Wise Wood. New York engineer. man
ufacturer and inventor, who was a menu
Der Of the conference committee on ma
tional preparedness, the co-ordinating
body of preparedness organizations and
who, for few months in 1915. was a
member Of the navy advisory board:
Willis J. Abbott. the writer. long asso-
ciated with Hearst publications, and
FLOYD Gibbons. Tribune correspondent
cross examination Of whom, was con.
Guided.
No Il
visory hoard in a letter which accused
Secretary Of the Navy Daniels Of mis-
statements regarding the position Of the
advisory board on naval expansion. The
letter was made public and created some
sensat ion at the time.
Mr.. Wood said he interviewed Mr.
Ford in Detroit in 1916, in an attempt
TO convert the manufacturer to the pre-
paredness view. The latter. the witness
said, was rather impatient of his argu
ments, and remarked that flags were
something to rally round" and that
after tho world war they would all be
hauled down. They talked also Of tho
IS n day minimum wage" at the Ford
plant, and the witness testified that Mr..
Ford said this scale or profit-sharing
plan, was not humanitarian, but
profitable economic measure.
z was through this witness that the
defendant introduced its first prepared
ness evidence under Judge fuckers
ruling yesterday on scope OF evidence.
Mr.. Wood introduced a formal report Of
the staff Of the war college at Washing
ton in 1915 in the course of which II was
stated that within 46 days Germany
could land $4,000 men on the Atlantic
coast while the United States govern
ment was helples to prevent it. Ques-
! toned as to his opinion of Mr.. Ford the
| witness said that there were many good
men who wer not good Americans.
Mr. Abbots' testimony indicated that
| in 1918, when the Ford plant was largely
gievn over to war work. Mr.. Ford had
become one Of the most militant Of the
opponents Of Germany. Mr.. Abbot read
a long magazine article TO the jury and
court which he wrote in 1918. based on
a visit to the Ford plant and two inter
views with the manufacturer.
Il had not been two hours in Stock
holm ton the peace ship trip in 1879
when I realized that German militarism
must be crushed before universal peace
could be considered" the witness quoted
Mr.. Ford as saying.
This testimony was introduced by the
Tribune in contrast 10 the allegation
that q year later Gal6) Mr.. Ford was
actively opposing the use Of force
against Mexico and opposing war with
Germany