The Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 191?-19??, 1919-07-26
M ANUFAcTUR Err MAKES IT.
CLEAR HE BELIEVES covEN.
ANT is, GREAT STEP. :.
DECLARES WAR is MURDER
WhIrIwind of ouestIOns Fail to Shake
cOmposure Of Man Who Sues for
Million Because He Was
Called anarchist"


the proceedings Of the Ford Tribune
libel case and has brought into the
wearisome arguments Of counsel and
the dull repetition OF cross-examina-
tons. new quality.
For week the man who has been
described as everything from an IAN
archist" to the greatest patriot Of his
day, has been on the stand facing a
merciless IRE Of questions.
During the reading Of an article
written by John Reed on Henry Ford,
end published in the Metropolitan Mag
azine, the audience in the court cham
Der violated all precedent by breaking
into applause and Mr. Ford, visibly EN-
barrassed, raised his hand in protest.
Tribune counsel had endeavored To
quote paragraphs from the Reed ar.l-
Gle but had been compelled. by ohjec-
ton OF Ford attorneys, to introduce
the interview in its entirety. In the
main it was highly complimentary 70
Mr.. FORD.
MAKE Farmer Independent"
what I want to do" Mr.. Ford was
quoted as saying. lis TO make the farm
er as Independent as | am; independ-
ent OF the banks, independent. OF the,
/ trusts, independent OF the railroads"
4 The audience, many of them from
the surrounding farms of this comuu-
E1ty, showed visible evidence Of Its APP.
probation OF that ideal.
Twice Mr.. Ford, wearying of the
questions having to do with his knowl-
edge of history, said ooh, III admit
/ that I'm an ignorant idealist II you
WISH"
what Is an idealist2" Qusried 1'ri-
bune counsel.
The innate goodness of the man
! lighted up his kindly eyes with a new
light, as he leaned forward and an
swered slowly, Il think an idealist IA
one who tries to make people happy
and prosperous. l think / do that a
little"
Quiet, unassuming, courteous and
patient, Henry Ford made a deep Inn.
preston on the audience. Not once
did he lose his temper under the heck
ling OF opposing attorneys, even when
their questions verged on the edge of
insult But when the examination
touched on subjects which are close to
bis heart, the League OF Nations, war
and the happiness and prosperity OF
Humanity, counsel found nim eagerly
alert.
A League of Nations, or prepared
ness up to the hilt
That is the way he sees the situa-
ton today. I'VE must either" he said,
accept the covenant Of peace or DEM
ocracy must arm and stand guard for
ever at the threshold Of liberty"
"WaP 10 Murder"
He hammered that fact home and
with it he always added. war lie muir
der"
81 was murderer" he said, II was
helper Of murder. When the crisis
came We all took hand. But It il all
the same. War 10 murder"
What do you mean BY murder"
II mean killing people"
killing people to protect the inter
ests Of the peopls?'
killing anybody or anything. l
don't know what else war L.. War Is
murder. There IL far better way
What Ia the better wayf"
why, to educate people. To teach
them TO think for themselves"
A long examination was conducted
which sought TO quia Mr.. Ford concern
ing his views on history, based On q
remark which he once made that II
wouldn't give ave cents for all the his
tory ever written"
81 don't think much more Of 1t now
than did then" testified Mr.. Ford.
"ThO war showed Us that history
didn't last a week. All the things they
told as would happen didn't happen.
They went ahead, knowing what war
meant, and made the same mistakel
all over again. The history we write
! today Ia the thing that counts. I'm
not interested In yesterday"
The Flag Of Nations.
The much discussed flag OF League
of Nations, which it has been stated
Mr.. Ford was having made in his fac
tory before the United States entered
the war, was brought into court. The
testimony developed the fact that Mr.,
Ford did not originate the design OF
the flag and had never seen the ban.
ner itself. He saw a small drawing
Of it once in st. Pauls Cathedral, De.
troit. he said, but had never heard OF
I It again and knew nothing about 1t.
/ He denied emphatically that he ever
! said he would raise this nag above
j. the stars and Stripes, and said the
/. staten emit that he reverenced this ban
. ner above the flag of his country was