Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-14
HENRY FORDCALLED
BYPAPER He SUES
Editorials Read to Motor
Magnate in Court Not
Malicious, He Says.
BY the Assoctat ted Press.

MOUNT CLEMENS. Mich. July IA
Henry Ford took the stand as a
witness today in his libel suit against
the Chicago Daily Tribune. He was
called as q witness for the Tribune.
which he Is suing for $1,000 900 be
cause in 1915 the paper characterized
him as an anarchist. He follow ed
his son Edsel on the stand. Direct
examination was by Elliott q. Steven
son.
Mr.. Ford had been waiting since
last Thursday to testify. He Rawe
his age as fifty-six years. and in
answering preliminary questions he
SIX etched the familiar details of the
formation of the Ford Motor Com
pany sixteen years ago with a CAPT.
tai of s150.G00.
Mr.. Stevenson offered in evidence a
Tribune editorial OF January II. 1914
in which the Ford plan of a 81 mini
mum wage. which was put in effect
January -. 1914. was commended In
glowing terms as marking a new era
in the standard Of relations between
employer and employed.
Anything malicious In that MIR.
Ford ?" asked Mr. Stevenson.
No" replied the witness. in . low
voice
1T states your position fully and
fa aY.s-
Editorial Is Read
Another editorial. Extremes In
Michigan" in 1914, was read. 1t con-
trasted the lot of northern Michigan
miners who lost a nine-month strike
and returned to work, with that OF
Ford employees who were being we'll
paid and being helped to pay for
homes. The course of the mine own
clared, and that Of Henry Ford for
ward.
Anything malicious In that?' again
asked the attorney.
A third editorial asserted that Mr..
a philanthropist It referred to him
as one of the great geniuses of the
world. Witness admitted there was
nothing malicious in it
No Money Advanced
The government advanced no money
to the Ford Motor Company for war
work, according to the testimony of
Edsel Ford. president Of the com
There were times when the raw
material was on the ground and work
on 1t started, that the government re-
imbursed u.s." continued the witness
The crossexamination of Edsel
Ford was intended to show that the
man thus accused was in 1917 the
same man who was devoting all his
resources to prosecution of the war
against Germany. and doing so with
out a cent of profit to himself.
1t developed that some of the differ
ences OF operation which have arisen
among the accountants engaged by
Mr.. Ford on the books to determine
what Mr.. Fords personal profits were.
SO that he may return them to the
government. concerns automobiles
sold for war work. Some of the &C
countants hold that as these cars
were the regular product of the fac
tory, the profits should not be classed
as war earnings. There is also a
question as to the status Of cars or
dered the month before the armistice
and never used in war work.
War Work or Nothing.
The testimony dealt almost entire
~ in figures involved in war con-
tracts.
On redirect examination of Edsel
Ford, Attorney Elliott G. Stevenson
of Tribune counsel sought to show
that the Ford Company was COM
PEELED to do war work or do nothing.
NO" replied Mr.. Ford, that is not
true. The government controlled raw
material, but think we could have
continued on restricted basis"
But you would have had to Law
OF thousands of men and wreck your
organization"
Yes, it would have wrecked the