The Washington times., 1921-12-17

Wos 70 WhIskey's Friends.
The Banker "In" Silk.
MUSCLE Shoals for Ford.
Also Competition.
ARTHUR BRISBANE.
(cepyrtght ie31.y

4 Il
il-Dy ARTHUR BRISBANE
ecspSrisht is3lS
An able. earnest young business
man asked yesterday. "why don't
you write editorials denouncing
those that supply poisonous whis-
Key to young people 2" Only the
man with money can get spirits
now. but there Is much drunk
enness among young people. and
man Of means are largely re-
sponsible for it. The law is made
contemptible by those that should
! set : good example. Do men Of
mature years realize that ridi-
culing one law makes other laws
NeontGnptible? When they flout
ths prohibition law before the
youn&. the latter may conclude
ehst laws protecting property are
also silly.
II is curious that clergymen
preach 20 few sermons on break
ing the law lishtly. Whiskey
ooison is responsible for crime
and immortality. There Is an ex-
esllent text. promising woe to
him through whom evil comes.
II might be usefully aimed at
the prosperous business man who
thinks 1t "funny" and ingenious
10 break the law and encourage
whiskey drinking among the
young. Such a man would de-
spfse anyone forcing opium upon
the Chinese, struggling AGAINST
It. 1t is just as bad to make a
joke of whiskey and lawbreaking
IN this country.
Henry M. Butzel and Levy
Mayer. bloodhounds of the law,
discussed terseness.i
"In these days Of worry" said
Butzel. "our clients are terser
than we are. A silk man ap-
pealed to his banker. almost
weepinR:
The silk business is terrible.
You must let me have more
money
"The banker replied. Not a
dollar. You are into us too deep
already
Were you ever in the silk
business!' the silk man asked.
"Never,' replied the banker.
"Well, you're In it now. Good
by"
Bankers will see the point.
Many are in dozen businesses
and they WISH THEY WE'RE
NOT.
Deep spots are in Henry Ford.
despite his apparent lack of guile.
He wanted Muscle Shoals, but
made known that nsthius .vnuld
induce him to touch the thing.
The interests, big and wise, made
sure that Ford would not bid.
then made their usual offer!
"The Government must supply
the capital: must guarantee
against loss" The bidders would
pay dollar down and a dollar
a year. Muscle Shoals is not q
going concern: it is a favor to
take it for nothing" etc.
Then up steps Ford and makes
his bid. He will pay one hundred
millions in real money. agree
never to take more than 8 per
cent profit. will use the plant to
make cheap fertilizer for farmers,
supply cheap power to manufac-
turers, and, incidentally. demon
strate the value of natural re-
sources.
The Government does not like
Ford, and bankers dosnot like
him. But to reject Ford's offer
would be cheating the public,
the farmers, and the Govern
ment, and Ford undoubtedly will
get his chance to do useful work
on a big new scale.
Ford may be. wild in his fnan-
cial theories, that would put
kilowatts, or units of human en-
ergy, in place Of good old gold,
yellow and cold, scorned by the
young and loved by the old. He
has ruined his political chances
and his hope for the Presidency
permanently by unwise, unjust,
un-American attacks on the
Jews. But when it comes to
business, don't mix him up with
Parsifal.
Here is more Ford news. He
is to have competition. F. L.
Klingensmith, until lately vice
president and treasurer Of the
Ford company, is making a car
to undersell Ford. He starts a
production of $4,000 cars. Ford
could make them in one week.
Klingensmith says he can beat
Ford by more than dollar per
hour in cost of overhead, etc,
because of industrial conditions.
He will sell within $25 of Ford's
price now, and undersell him
next year.