The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-07-18
TRIBUNE EDITORIAL WRITER
TESTIFIED PAPER THOUGHT
INTERVENTION WOULD
BE PROFITABLE.
NINTH WEEK OF FORD CASE
Famous Million Dollar Libel Case Con
tinues in Mt. CIemens--EdseI
Ford is Called to Stand
by Newspaper.

pune, anu eullorlal WrlterS VINO put
that policy into printed words, were
the witnesses produced by the defense
during the ninth week of the Ford.
Tribune $1,OOO,OOO libel case.
Tiffany Blake, chief editorial writer
OF The Tribune, was one of the most
interesting Witnesses. Mr. Blake ties.
titled that he had deliberately permit.
ted the characterization of Mr.. Ford
as an anarchist because it seemed TO
him to sum up Mr. Ford's activities.
He testified at length, under cross-ex.
animation, concerning the attitude
which mis- paper took In favor Of war
with Mexico but against war with Ger
many, and admitted that The Tribune
had In mind the material benefits
which would accrue to the United
States in the event of Intervention,
and the fact that no such gains could
be reaped from war with Germany.
Ford Was In the Way.
During the course of his testimony
Mr.. Blake characterized the utter
ances and the attitude of Mr.. Ford as
notorious" Ford counsel took the
stand that Mr.. Fords position could
not have been notorious to readers of
The Tribune because The Tribune new
er referred to the alleged statements
which it is now using as a means Of
itlo wi To of PC ntt ttNdn In
wards Mr.. Ford, counsel attempted to
show by questioning the witness, was
based upon the fact that Just when 1t
seemed that the papers long campaign
for war with Mexico was about to
bear fruit, and troops we're being hur.
ried to the border, it suddenly found
Henry Ford in its way.
Submarine warfare, in, the estima-
ton Of The Tribune, the witness said,
was never sufficient cause for war. Mr..
Blake admitted that the newspaper
did not demand armed redress after
the sinking of the Lusitania, and that
when the President used the Sussex
case as a test, The Tribune continued
to declare that the submarine issue
was no cause for war.
An editorial from The Tribune was
introduced and Ford counsel proceed
ed to read from it, "If We win In Ger
many, what do we win -
Yes, what do we win," interjected
the witness.
blessed IL we know"--continue
the editorial.
Yes, blessed II we know" broke In
the witness again, I'VE don't know To-
day."
you stated" said Ford counsel.
"that when the government finally de.
cided on its position that you sup
ported it and stopped argument
against war with Germany Do you
consider that when the President had
presented an ultimatum and broken off
diplomatic relations that you were
supporting him and the nation by con.
tinuing to tell the people that the
President had no ground for war with
Germany"
Eyes, because the submarine issue
was not a good ground for war"
well, when the President broaden
ed the issue by telling the country
that we must enter the war to make
the world safe for democracy, did you
argue for war on these broader
grounds?''
"No, we did not"
Overlooked Ford's Offer.
did you know, Mr. Blake, that Mr..
Ford was the first person in the Unit.
ed States to offer himself, his ability.
his factories and all he had, to assist
the government IN the event of war
did you know that?"
"No, l did not know that"
"Your perusal of The Tribune did
not give you that information about
Mr.. Ford?"
mo"
R. r. Mccormick. president Of The
Tribune company, and one of the edi-
tors of the paper, was another wit
ness. Mr.. Mccormick testified that
The Standard Oil and International
Harvester interests, in which Tribune
stockholders have holdings, never In
any way directed the policy Of the pa
per towards Mexico. His testimony
also touched the matter of salaries,
which The Tribune cut off as soon as
men entered the service of the nation
iii the great war, although n had con-
tinued salaries when Its employees
were called to the border. The fact
that the army pay had been doubled,
that married men were discharged
from the guard and that CONSUMPTION
had been put in force, caused the pa
per to change its policies, Mr.. Meteor
mick stated.
e. G. Liebold, general secretary to
Mr.. Ford, and Edsel Ford, the presi.
dent of the Ford Motor Company, were
called to the witness stand by The
Tribune late in the week. Mr.. Liebold
testified concerning letter which he
had written in response to a commu.
nication which sought to interest Mr..
Ford in device which would deal
II death.