South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-07-19
HENRY FORD ON
STAND ALL WEEK
for Defendant Shows
No Signs of Reaching a
Conclusion.

q, MT. CLEMENS. Mich. July ID
Although Henry Ford Friday COM
pleted week on the witness stand
IN his suit against the Chicago Daily
Tribune, Elliott @. Stevenson. senior
counsel for the defendant, who be-
gan questioning him last Monday.
showed no signs Of reaching con-
clusion.
The examination Of the witness on
the contents OF the alleged libelous
editorial in the Tribune on June %.
1916. headed Ford is an Anarch-
ist." was the important feature OF
the day Alfred Lucking. senior
counsel for the plaintiff, character
lied the examination as brutal"
and the witness pressed TO admit the
editorial charge OF being an "ignor-
ant idealist" and reminded that on
previous occasions he had admitted
it, remarked:
you arc a good enough attorney
10 get me 10 say this or that, but II
would not be in my mind"
Haven't I tried TO be fair with
you. Mr. Ford?"
4 bsoiutely."
Il have not tried TO mislead you ?"
NO sir"
II was here that Mr. Lucking
made his charge of brutality, saying:
, Calls Ford Modest.
You take a modest witness. Mr.
Stevenson. and try 10 pound him
into saying that he is an ignorant
idealist. IL seems TO me that this
should be left to argument. It is
not right to pound a man OF Mr..
Ford's type. retiring and modest.
who does not like 10 appear in puo-
lie. and push him into saying things
against himself He is the easiest
man in the world TO get 10 say
such a thing"
Nearly two hours was consumed.
while Mr.. Ford was excused from
the stand, in reading into the record
testimony Of Gen. Erasmus Weaver
IT. 1915 before the house committee
on military affairs. 1t bore on one
OF the Ford advertisements, written
by Theodore Delavigne. formerly
plaintiffs peace publicity manager.
in which a part quotation made the
general appear 10 state that with
1000 additional men the coast de-
Tense system would be adequate. 1t
appeared from further reading that
Gen. Weaver admitted that the
GUNS were obsolete and outranged
by modern naval guns: that the for
tihcations were too far apart and
that without mobile army they
could be taken by landing parties
operating from the sea.
Questions About Army.
What do you understand by
mobile army?'" asked Mr. Steven
son.
"A large army" replied Mr. Ford.
n large armyi"
"A large army. modified
so that is your understanding OF
a mobile army"
"A large army ready TO be mobn-
led"
All right. then that was what you
thought a mobile army was when
this advertisement was printed? ,"
Il don't know" said the witness.
Mr.. Stevenson let the subject drop
after explaining that a mobile army
~. and took up the editorial.
What is the Office OF the head
line OF an editorial AIR. Ford?"
Il don't know what you have ref
erence to-"
Mr.. Stevenson explained a head
line suggests what is in the body OF
tie article under II and reminded
the witness that in previous testi-
mony he had defined an anarchist
as "A bomb thrower or one who seeks
10 overturn government
What was said I'm the editorial
about bomb throwing Mr.. Ford -"
"%othing that l know Of, only IN
the headline"
The lawyer then began reading the
editorial
Fails to stop.
Mr. Stevenson had asked Mr.. Ford
70 stop him if ne came TO anything
about bomb throwing or overturning
the government, and later reminded
the witness that he had not been
stopped.
You have read the headline, Mr..
Stevenson"
Yes. Mr.. Ford"
We'll. you can stop right there"
The headline. MIR. Ford. you said
was 10 indicate what was in the ar
ticle. 1 am reading the article so
you can compare it with the head
line You don't find anything about
bomb throwing or overturning the
government"
only in the headline"