Mansfield mirror., 1919-11-20
NO SWIVEL CHAIR
FOR F0RD'S SON
STAYED AT HOME DURING WAN
TO HELP IN PLANT-ReFUStO
TO TAKE UNIFORM.
FATHER WAS RESPONSIBLE
Declares hs Told EdssI That war
Work In Factory Needed Him
Would Not Accept Safety
First Commission.

Mt Clemens, Mich.--ieury Ford.
I during the last hour Of his seven days
| on the witness stand, took OCCASION
TO claim tull responsibility for his son.
Edsel Ford 5. claim for exemption from
the s.lectiye draft. He wanted -
enlist said Mr.. Ford. but | told him
that he could do more good where ne
Was. he was offered several comm.s'
s!ons which woa.d have permitted him
10 wear 4 uniform and stay r.Sht IN
the factory. but he wouldn't accept
them"
Having made their decision. II was
shown, both Mr.. Ford and his son re-
fused TO camoutage 1T behind .
swivel char commission carrying
boots ana spurs.
This su0. .eSt. the introduction OF
which has been awaited ever since the
trial opened. u.d not develop along he
lines which had been generally ex.
pected Mr.. F'ord's inclination TO
shoulder full responsibility, his state
ment that his son was absolutely
essential TO The war work being done
In the factory and his revelation Of
the fact that Edsel Ford turned down
several offers OF commission, dis
armed criticism. The charges, spread
during a political campaign, and re-
Gently repeated on the floor OF The
United States senate, to the effect that
the young president OF the Ford Motor
company had shirked his duty we're so
fully retuted that Tribune counsel did
not pursue the point.
1t was the first time that a full ex.
plans-i ion OF the facts in connection
with Edse Ford's war work has been
made public and 1t was easily the
feature OF the eleventh week OF the
trial
Henry Ford spent seven days on the
witness stand and Of this time he gave
less than two hours to his own law
yers As long AS counsel for The
Tribune was hammering him Mr.. Ford
sat quietly in the witness chair an
swering he constant fre Of questions
with great patience. But the instant
his own lawyers took him in hand his
ettitude changed. He became self
conscious and d!iident. He would not
accept the efforts Of his counsel 10
provide him with an opportunity tc
reveal the full extent OF his patriotic
work during the war. his humanltar!'
an views. or his advanced ideas OF the
relations which should exist between
capital and labor
1T 10 all in the records said Mr.,
Ford. Il have told It all here once.
He avoided, with care, anything that
verged on boastinx He would DOT
even describe the extent OF the wnr
work which his factories did and when
record breaking performances In the
production Of munitions was mention
ed be declared we did all We could.
let 1t 60 at that | want 70 forget
about It. feel Just as the soldiers
feel. don't want TO talk about my
war work"
The witness did, however, after be-
ing pressed, explain that his son had
bough, out the minority stockholder'
OF the Ford Motor company because
these in erests had insisted on Mr.
Ford squeezing the last dollar out Of
the public, the government. the work
ers and the product. He wan'ed to
cut loose from his associates. he said
so that he could carry out his idea:
Of the distribution Of profits to nrn
ployees through Increased wages and
TO the public through lower prices
II was either buy or sell and Mr. For
| had considered selling and organizing
a new company. His son. however
took up the task OF buying out the
| minority stockh olders and succeeded
| despite the general belief In the fnan
sial world thai this stock could not b.
purchased.
One Of the most Interesting develop
ments OF Mr. Fords testimony came
out when It was testified that the only
LEGISLATION he has ever sought was IN Il
for the protection OF birds. Othli
| II
lobbyists in the national and stats
capitol to urge and work for specia
privileges. but the one favor that Nj
Ford has ever asked from the law
makers had nothing TO do with hii
own interests. II was curious H.
Of testimony and left a dsep impres
sion on tho audience In the cour
chamber.
The subject was result OF ques
tons concerning Mr.. Ford's list o
friends. He named Thomas Edisol
and John Burroughs, the naturalist, q
his best friends outslds Of his I'm
mediate associstes
Litigation In which Mr.. Ford ha
been interested was another subjec
of interest. 1t was shown that whe
the automobile business was In II
hrss years OF its growth all manufat
tufeYs Of motor oars were compells
TO Day tribute 10 what was known 4
the seldsn patent on internal combu'
ton engines. Mr.. Ford fought thi
patent for seven years and won ani h
his victory freed the entire industr
from It's shaokles ard mado possibl
the wonderful growth which has mari
Cd the last few years.
y-s-s,s"s-s-s-s-s"s.-s"s" s"s.s,.s.s~s.s"s"s"."s<
Senator Kellogg, Of Minnesota, In
! discussing maIadrinistration Of
railroads by tho Government,
There never was Government
upprafi0n that VnS DOt WaSfeful