Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1919-07-31
LEAGUE OR WAR
DECLARES FORD
MANUFACTURER MAKES IT
CLEAR HE BELIEVES coVEN.
ANT is GREAT STEP.
DECLARES 4WAR is MURDER
Whirlwind of Questions Fall to Shake
ComPosure of Man Who Sues for
Million Because He Was E
Called Anarchist"

Mt. Clemens, Mich.-The high
idealism of Henry Ford has freshened
the proceedings of the Ford Tribune
libel case and has brought into the
wearisome arguments of counsel and
the dull repetition of cross-examina-
lions, a new quality.
For a week the man who has been
described as everything from an IAN
archist' taDthe greatest patriot Of his
day, has been on the stand facing q
merciless fire 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 arti-
y Gle but had been compelled, by objec-
ton of Ford attorneys, to introduce
the interview in it's entirety. In the
main it was highly complimentary TO
MI. Ford.
snake Farmer independent"
What l want to do" Mr.. Ford was
quoted as saying, lis to make the farm
er as independent as I am; independ-
ent Of the banks, Independent OF the
trusts, independent of the railroads"
The audience, many of them from
the surrounding farms Of this commu-
Eity, showed visible evidence of It's ap-
probation of that ideal.
Twice Mr.. Ford, wearying of the
questions having to do with his knowl-
edge of history, said ooh, I'll admit
that I'm an ignorant idealist if you
wish"
What is an idealist?' queried Fri
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 is
n who tries to m~akeNpeople happy
and prosperous. l think I do that a
little"
Quiet, unassuming, courteous and
patient, Henry Ford made a deep i'm.
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
his heart, the League of Nations, war
and the happiness and prosperity Of
Humanity, counsel found him eagerly
alert.
A League of Nations, or prepared.
ness up to the hilt.
That is the way he sees the situa-
ton today. 1--WE must either" he said,
accept the covenant of peace or DEM
ocracy must arm and stand guard for
ever at the threshold of liberty"
"War Is Murder"
He hammered that fact home and
with it he always added, "War is muir
der"
Il was a murderer" he said, II was
a helper Of murder. When the crisis
came we all took a hand. But it is all
the same. War is murder"
What do you mean by murder"
81 NEAR killing people"
killing people to protect the inter
ests Of the people?"
killing anybody or anything.
don't know what else wa is. War is
murder. There is a far better way
what is the better way%
why, to educate people. To teach
them to think for themselves"
A long examination was conducted
which sought to quiz Mr.. Ford concern.
ing his views on history, based on a
remark which he once made that ~
wouldn't give five cents for all the his,
tory ever written"
Il don't think much more of it now
than I did them" testified Mr.. Ford.
1.-THE war showed us that history
didn't last a week. All the things they
told us would happen didn't happen
They went ahead, knowing what wal
meant, and made the same mistakes
all over again. The history we write
today is the thing that counts. In
not interested In yesterday"
The Flag Of Nations.
The much discussed flag Of a 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 Me
Ford did not originate the design o.
the flag and had never seen the ban
her itself. He saw a small drawing
Of 1t once in st. Pauls Cathedral, De
troit, he said, but had never heard o
1t again and knew nothing about 1t.
He denied emphatically that he eve
said he would raise this flag allow
the stars and Stripes, and said TIL
statement that he r~everenced this bar