The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-06-05
DENY FORD CHARGE
Standard Oil and International
Harvester Co.'S. in Trial.
Said To Have Prompted Trib-
une'S Stand on Mexico.
+nEnnnnNE n
READ TRIBUNE EDITORIALS
Say Corporations Wanted War
To Further Own interests.
Tribune Owners Name Con-
nected With BernstOrff's.

Mount Clemens, Mich, June s.
Dispositions from officials of the
Standard Oil company and the Inter-
national Harvester company were
among those introduced today in the
libel suit of Henry Ford against the
Chicago Tribune. Editorials which
the plaintiff contends show pro-Ger-
manisn on the part of the Tribune
also were read by Attorney William
Lucking
The dispositions were from Freder-
lex David Asche, who was a director
of the Standard Oil company of New
Jersey at the time of publication of
the alleged libelous editorial headed
"Fcrd Is an Anarchist" and who since
1917 has been vice president of the
company; Milton NJ. Eames, assistant
secretary of the company; Arthur F.
COrwin. who was vice president of the
Penn-Mexican Fuel company in 1915;
President Harold F. Mccormick of the
International Harvester company, who
was vice president of the corporation
in 1916; George A. Raney, secretary
and treasurer of the company, and
Mrs. Elinor Medin Patterson, part
owner of the Tribune.
To Aid Business.
The dispositions of the officials of
the two big corporations were deemed
pertinent to the suit by the plaintiff
in connection with his charge that
| the Tribune wanted war with Mexico
because it would benefit the harvester
company in obtaining Sisal from Yu-
catan and the Standard Oil company
| in the matter of Mexican oil. The
! plaintiff charged that a distant re-
| lationship between Harold F. Nc
| Cormick and Col R. R. Mccormick
| one of the defendants, influenced the
! Tribune's policy.
Harold F. Mccormick deposed that
| Col. r. r. Mccormick was distantly
| related to him. He denied any in
! fluence or connection in Tribune af-
| fairs or that he was consulted in any
way as to Tribune policy. Mr.. Raney
deposed that Colonel Mccormick was
| small stockholder in the Harvester
| company in 1916 and the latter's
| father, former Ambassador Robert S
Mccormick, recently deceased, was
| the owner of twenty-four shares. Mr.
not acquainted with the Tribune own
| ers or editors and disclaimed an at
tempt to influence American policy
| in Mexico. Mr.. Asche's company sole
| crude oil to the Standard, he said.
Won Bernstorff Figures.
Mrs. Patterson's deposition con
cerned her acquaintance with the thel
German ambassador, Won Bernstotff
She admitted that he called at he
home and that this had a deterren
effect on the meeting of similar call
by the diplomatic representatives o
countries at war with Germany. Sh
found means to terminate Won Bern
storffs visits about a year before tn
United States broke relations will
Germany, she said. - t7te
The editorials read into the recort
included one headed Bitter Fruit,
in which this sentence emphasized b.
the plaintiff occurred, Fate holds
ripe apple to our lips in Mexico ant
bitter fruit in Flanders" Mr.. Fore
alleges that this editorial supports hi
charge that the Tribune desired wa
with Mexico SO that American mum
lions would be diverted from alice
countries to the use of American
troops on this continent.