New-York tribune., 1922-03-28
Mellon Calls On
Ford to Explain
w ar Profit Gift
Treasury Has No Record of
100000 Alleged to
Have Been Turned Over
to Government, He Says
Full Price Was Collected
Manufacturer Has Neither
Denied Nor Affirmed
Claims Made in Book
Special p.spateA to yAe 4..1a.e G

DETROIT, 5larch 27.-A special dis
patch received to-day from Washington
says that Secretary Of the Treasury
Mellon has called upon Henry Ford IN
an official way to make an explanation
Of Che claim that s29 100000 Of Ford's
war profits have been returned TO the
Treasury of the United States to be
used as the government sees IL.
This request was made folloTing the
recent publication OF BOOK called
"'rhe Truth About Henry Ford which
aroused much Interest in Washington
oficial circles. This book, it was an
nounced, was written with .tr. Ford'5
approval and declared the facts thc
book cor rtaincd were collected at hTst
hand from Mr.. Ford and his ssociates:.
The book asserts IN unqualified
terms that war profits amounting TO
S29 coo 900 we're returned TO the gov
cvrnnent by Mr.. Ford and tnat MIS- ex-
tcnsive war contracts did not yield MN
cent OF profit This declaration y'as
denied by Treasury officials and Sec
retarv Mellon has conducted az In
vestigation when reveals has NJ. Ford
collected the full price for Al articles
manufactured for the goveZnment from
Eagle boats TO Liberty motors parts.
War Profits Unknown
Secretary MELONS inves5igaSion fur
thcr revealed that the Bureau OF n
ternal Revtnue has been unable during
the three ycars since the end o. the
war TO discover just what the var
time proits Of the Ford plants amount
cd to. Treasury department agent
have endeavored 70 get This iEfornHa-
tion.
Il, spite o9 Mr. Nellon's denial thai
FORD has made the United States
present OF s29,00O,00 10 explanatory
l..
Neither has he repudi2ted the CLAIMS
made in the Doot; written about him.
1t Is for this reason that M-. Mellon
has written M Ford asking him Gor
an explanation.
In letter written to 4 member o.
the Senate who was interested il dis
covering the truth about the matter
the Secretary described Mr.. Ford's 6
1.ancial relations With the government
letter from Secretary aIelIon follows:
~ understand that you recently IN
CURED over the telephone with respect
70 a statement which appeared in q
book called THE Truth About Hem.
Ford to the effect that his war proGrs
OF about $23,000,000 has been turned
back TO the treasury ard that you in
CURED particularly whether the treas
ury ever received any such sum from
Mr.. Ford. have had this matter in
vests gated in the Treasury ard lnd
that the records DO not shor- the ro-
celpt Of any donation from Mr. Ford
! h&Ee accordingly written direct to
ar. Ford for Information as TO how tl,e
mater stands from His point Of v;eE-.
Books Ordered Examined
The Commissioner o. Internal Re-
nue. advises ne that his records sho9-
the designation Of pressnta1ives @
the Bureau OF Internal Revenue to c.
anime the books Of the Ford plant COW
ering the period Of the war with
view to ascertainment cf the var
proft5, but that work connected with
this Investigation proved 10 be o. G
very difficult character, and that 50
Ear as the Internal Revenue Bureau
has been advised no results or cor
clusions have ever been obtained. For
d year or more 10 progress mas been
made along these lines.
The Treasury has also made iufor-
ma inquiries OF the War Department
with respect TO the Ford contracts for
the manufacture OF parts Of Liberty
motors ana the contracts in connection
War Department and has been ad-
yi8ed that no deductions we're made
from the regular contract prices FOR
articles to the War Department.. The
Navy Department has also informally
advised the Treasury that in counec-
tion with the Ford contracts for the
manufacture Of Eagle boats no dedac-
tions We're made from the regular con-
tract prices therefor. AS to contracts |
OF this character, and contracts with /.
otner departments and establishments !
OF the government. the Treasury has !
no information Of It's own and cannot
determine whether or not any deduc- !
tlons were made from contract prices +
as Donation 10 tie Inited Statesn