The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1922-05-12
HENRY FORD'S ALLEGED RE-
FUND OF WAR PROFITS FAIL
ED TO MATERIALIZE.
His Promises and Publicity, Like His
Idea of History "Just Bunk"


The United States Treasury Off
cials have given up looking for that
S29,O0O,000 of war profits which
Henry Ford is alleged to have turned
back to the government. There is
not the least doubt but that Mr. Ford
is officially and unofficially on record
as stating that he would do such a
thing. On January IA, 1919, MIR
Fords attorney, Alfred Lucking,
a specific promise before the Senate
Committee on Naval Affairs that MIR
Ford would refuse to accept cent
of profits from the construction OF
Eagle boats for the Navy department.
The committee at that time was con-
Quoting hearings on war contracts.
On page Al of the report of the hear
ings is the following statement by
Senator Swanson, Democrat of V1r-
pinia, who was chairman of the COM
mittee:
1.-THE attorney for Mr. Ford author
ICES me to state that Mr. Ford said
he would not take any profit from
this contract whatever. He owns 30
per cent of the stock of the Ford
Company and / am authorized to say
that he will not accept any profit on
that So per cent of stock and if it is
paid to him he will see that it is re-
turned to the government"
So far as the records show, this
promise has not been carried out,
The Ford Company received approxi-
mately S45,000,000 in payment of 60
Eagle boats delivered. They put in
a claim for work done on boats that
were not delivered, and upon this
claim they were paid S3,900,000.
Recently book was issued THE
Truth About Henry Ford" 1t was
advertised to be facts obtained at
frst-hand from Mr. Ford and his as
sociates. 1t made the unqualified as
sertion that Mr. Ford refused to ac-
cept any war profits and that he had
returned to the government S29,0O0,-
900 which he made out of war con-
tracts. A United States senator in
terested in discovering the truth
about Mr. Ford's financial relations
with the government made inquiry of
the Treasury department regarding
the alleged return of Mr. Fords war
profits That senator received a
letter from Secretary Mellon, which
reads in part as follows:
IT understand that you recently
inquired over the telephone with
respect to statement which appear
ed in a book called The Truth
About Henry Ford to the effect that
his war profits of about $29 100000
has been turned back to the Treas
ury and that you inquired particular
ly whether the Treasury ever receiv-
ed any such sum from Mr. Ford. l
have had this matter Investigated in
the Treasury and find that the rec
ords do not show the receipt of any
donation from Mr. Ford. l have ac-
cordingly written direct to Mr. Ford
for information as to how the matter
stands from his points of view.
1.-THE Commissioner of Internal
Revenue advises me that his records
show the designation of representa-
tives of the Bureau of Internal
Revenue to examine the books of the
Ford plant covering the period of the
war with view to ascertainment of
the war profits, but that work con-
nected with this investigation proved
to be of very difficult character,
and that so far as the Internal
Revenue Bureau has been advised no
results or conclusions have ever been
made along these lines.
The Treasury has also made infor-
NAL Inquiries of the War department
with respect to the Ford contracts
for the manufacture of parts OF
Liberty motors and the contracts in
connection with the motor transport
corps of the War department and has
been advised that no deductions were
made from the regular contract
prices for articles to the War depart
ment. The Navy department has also
informally advised the Treasury that
in connection with the Ford con-
tracts for the manufacture of Eagle
boats no deductions were made from
the regular contract prices therefor .
Secretary MELONS letter to Mr. Ford
was written a month ago. The rec
ords as they stand show that Mr.
Ford did not live up to his promises
made to the Senate Committee nor
live up to the reputation which his
L