The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1921-12-01


i. Wisconsin 40 second class mail matter
problems in the Far East will likely
be settled through agreements among
the nations; and these J, agreements
may not carry with them any. form
of guarantees for their application.
The United States will doubtless
carry it's point in preventing re.
newal of the Anglo Japanese alli-
andce, and on the other pinch of the
shoe japan is likely to retain as
privileges some of the advantages
that are now in dispute. The ma
ton has been yielding slowly upor
the issue Of reduced armament, hold.
ing to this position and using it as
club to secure the retention Of it's
hold in Manchuria and elsewhere.
China's strength in the Conference
lies wholly in the fact that it is de.
fenceless, and the Conference pre-.
sents the spectacle of groups Of
strong, armed nations vieing with
each other to do justice toward q
people who have had for thousand
years q civilization" peculiar ia
themselves, which they refuse ia
fight for. Statesmen are asking
one another, what is China" and
as the answers are agreed upon they
are falling over one another to pro.
tect the Chinese in their efforts tc
work our republican form Of gov.
erment.
Despite some of the points of diff.
ferences that naturally exist in the
Conference, there is a sweet rea.
sonableness" about it all that in.
spires the optimists to entertain the
fondest hopes that the ideals of world
peace are finally to be protected by
understandings among the nations
and by establishing a new method
in world affairs that will preserve
and renew these understandings.
HENRY FORD IN WASHINGTON
Henry Ford fitted in and out Of
Washington the other day, in his
private railroad car. He came to
see the Secretary of War about the
Muscle Shoals property, which is an
overgrown war baby that has been
left squalling On Uncle Sans lap
Secretary Weeks was sick in bed, but
nevertheless he saw and talked with
Henry Ford. The President dropped
affairs of state to relieve the au-
tomobile king, and Secretary Hoover
also gave him a glad hand. The
King OF Belgium, the Prince Of Wales
Fochs BRAND, BaIifour-none of
them ever got through mose doors
in the same length of time.
From Washington the Ford party
hurried on to East Orange, New Jer-
sey, where Mr.. Ford told Mr.. Edison
all about what he would do with
the Muscle Shoals property when it
was turned over to him by the Goven-
ment. Mr.. Edison enthused enthus-
iastically, and agreed to go to Ala
bama with his friend to look over the
property Mr.. Ford also found time
to enthuse enthusiastically, and as
there were many reporters about,
the opportunity was furnished for
several millions of newspapers read
ers to likewise inthuse enthusiastic
ally over the wildly pictured bene-
factions of Mr.. Ford. The famous
"Detroitonian" when asked whether
heswould get the Muscle Shoals pro-
perry replied that "you bet 1 will. ("
and to- this he added lot of addi-
tional "you bets" in relating what
wonderful things he would do for the
South when this great project should
come into his possession. In the
haze of the composite Ford Edison
interview there appeared a statement
to the effect that "a million men
would be given employment" but
the haze about tie statement was so
dense that it would be impossible to
ever throw it up to either of those
illustrous gentlemen.
The Muscle Shoals adventure IS a
big story that has been written up
as often as the failures of American
ships, airplanes, and other wastages
that have come out Of the war. Mr..
Ford proposes to salvage the plant
that was intended to take nitrates
out Of the air, produce fertilizers,
furnish hydroelectric power, and pre-
form other useful purposes. 1t is
worthy suggestion, and the Govern
ment might take it up except for the
fact that Mr.. Ford's offer asks the
United States to spend forty or fifty