The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-07-18
HENRY FORD DENIES
CR|TIC|S|NG WILSON
Automobile Manufacturer. However
Differs With President on Cues
ton of War.

/
| Mount Clemr1ens. Mich. July IT,
Henry Ford today denied any inten-
ton of criticising President Wilson, al
though he differed with the President
on tho question Of the war The de-
NAL was made by the automobile
manufacturer during his testimony in
his 100000 libel suit against the
Chicago Tribune.
Elliott c. Stevenson, attorney for
the Tribune asked Ford.
would you say the President was
a possible murderer because he aided
lin preparedness
Counsel for Ford hurriedly objected
ITO the question but the witness answer
ed with emphasis:
I'D never say that about the Presi-
dent"
We'll, you stated that all who IA
vored preparedness were promoters Of
murder" shouted the lawyer
Well. started my propaganda be
fore the President" MIR. Ford replied
with a drawl.
During the examination 1t was
brought out that Ford believed the
, 1.-THE German for beer and that of the
French for wine.
, How" asked Stevenson.
, 1T made them suspicious of each
other" said Ford
The reading of a magazine article
: in which the writer referred TO Ford
as man with the mouth and nose
. OF simple minded saint caused
much amusement As the reading Of
, the article, which was in the nature
Of a fulsome eulogy, proceeded there
, was much laughter among the court
4 room audience and the object of tbs
eulogY showed great er1 t1arrassfffe Ht
The article contained such quotation.
d as
Il wouldn't give a nickel for all tht
history in the world"
: Il think flags are silly. They are
u rallying points. If the country l.
rotten. the flag is rotten"
II don't believe in preparedness
= Working men will upset wars"
TN this country most soldiers arr
lazy or crazy, or out OF a job. and we
are going to see that they have jobs
II don't see the difference betweeI
2 | a monarchy, republic and an en-
= nire. They are all built up around I
e few interests"
There was a reference In the stor,
Y to Ford as the type OF man who like
. to sit whiting on the back porch
: Here the attorney asked:
The story says the house cost {
2 million. Didn't it cost more ?"
Il can't say" Ford answered. 81
went up TO twelve hundred thousand
, and | told the contractor not to tel
me after that"
/ Ford was given short respite
while Kirkland r. Alexander. De
troit publicity man, was called 70 thf
stand and questioned regarding his
conversation with Ford at a dinner ir
December, 1877 Mr. Kirkland saic
he asked Ford IL he didn't think Ger
I many had started the war by invading
Belgium and that Ford said. mo il
Germany hadn't done so. England OF
. France would have beaten her TO it.
Later he said, when somebody az
the table asked what would happen
to American widows and other poor
people who had bought Russian
bonds. if these bonds were repudi-
ated, Ford remarked; Let them so To
work"
[ and when the same man suggested
Perhaps many of them are sick,
Ford's reply was Then let them get
we'll"
Later" continued Mr.. Kirkland, II
asked him what he accomplished on
the peace ship. He said he found the
German people and emperor were for
peace, hut that the people who
wanted war prevented peace, He said
the nation would not accept the
pope's peace terms 1t would leave
the pope too hlgh up
i Considerable time was given 10
questions regarding Ford's character
ization of Henry Wise Wood. The
witness admitted that he had no di-
rect knowledge that Mr. Wood was
tied up with an interest, but said;
| Il may have said that he was
playing politics little. thought
So"
/ Just before adjournment the de-
Tense charged that a statement made
by General Weaver and published by
+, Ford had been garbled for use as