The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-07-05
POLITICIANS
PUZZLED BY
HENRY FORD
Auto Magnate Shivers Down
Many Political Spines =
Scouts of Both Parties Seek
His Intentions.
HIS STAND is UNKNOWN
BY MARK SULLIVAN

WASHINGTON, July 5.-The po-
litical intentions of Henry Ford are
a subject of increasingly serious spec
ulation. Nothing definite is known.
When the most astute political scouts,
inspired by political interest or pr1-
vate curiosity, try to find out what
Mr.. Ford is going TO do. they are
baffled. They come back with moth
ing tangible. but with a variety OF
speculation and surmise which in
cludes some disturbing rumors.
One of the rumors is that 1t is not
as a Democrat but as a Republican
that Mr. Ford will figure in the pres
idential situation. This guess is ac-
companied by intimations that Mr..
Ford is really Republican Just
what party Mr.. Ford voted within the
presidential elections of the past IL
or 90 years is a subject about which
many political strategists would like
to have information Whether Mr..
Ford personally regards himself as
Republican or not, the intimation IS
made that the wife and son regard
themselves as Republicans. and de
plore the idea of Mr. Ford having any
thing to do with the Democratic party.
Idea Far-Fetched
Henry Ford as a possibility for the
Republican nomination for president
would seem far-fetched indeed. and yet
if is not improbable that the Republi-
cans who gave the senatorial nomina-
ton to Frazier in North Dakota last
week and the Republicans who gave
the senatorial nomination TO Brook
hart in Iowa last month would be
yalrr a
presidential nomination to Henry
Ford The only question is whether
there are enough Republicans who
think this way in the larger states IN
the east like Pennsylvania.
The assumption that Mr.. Ford would
get the Republican nomination for the
presidency is so improbable that 1t is
difficult for experienced politicians to
take 1t seriously. The assumption that
Harding, as a Republican president
serving his first term, will be renom-
mated. is so completely borne out by
precedent and by all ordinary caicula-
tions that it is taken for granted 4
II is true that Mr.. Harding has less
lust for power and less of anything
like greed for the office than most
men who come to the presidency. But
comes, should be in a state of mind
where he was unwilling as personal
matter to exert any effort to renomin-
ate himself he probably would feel i'm
PEELED to make the effort in the alter
native threatened to be a raiding of
the Republican party by Henry Ford
That Mr.. Ford should figure in the
Democratic situation Is more easy to
conceive Until operations of the d1-
rect primary, and with the present
lack of leadership and organization In
the party. 1t is possible for almost any
body TO raid it and carry away the
prize of the presidential nomination
Ford is said to be more popular
among the Democratic voters of the
southern states than any northern
man since the Civil war.
Radical Appeal.
To those who compose the radical
element of the Democratic party Ford
provides the picture of a man who has
accomplished the unique thing aimed
at all dreamers,- rs,-namely to give the
highest wages to the worker and a.
the same time make the lowest price
TO the customer. When Mr.. Ford says
he could do the same thing with the
railroads of the country if he had {
chance, it sounds alluring.
Further than this, Mr.. Ford has helC
ont the idea that he is willing to make
cheaper fertilizers for the farmer thai
ANYBODY else. Finally, Mr.. Ford ha:
given out the notion that he can pro
vide the country with kind OF fla
money, a notion likely to be extremel!
alluring if we should run into sever
business depression during the mex
two years The long and short OF /
is that Mr.. Ford really makes the Ell
fort to cut a large figure in the presi
Dental situation ahead of us he cal
readily do it.
Ford's Stand
About all he himself has said so ia
; is that he will spend no money. Tha
amounts to little. The amount Of pub
licity, and his position in the world, /
such that he does not need to spent
any money. Moreover Mr.. Ford i
able to make his business ambition
and his political ambitions, if he ha
any, work for each other II is OF
served that the circulars advertisin
Ford cars and Ford tractors. whicl
find their way into the hands of nearl
everybody in the country, include
full page portrait of Mr. Ford himselt
a portrait taken in a mood of beneJ
olence and giving an impression @
studied simplicity which looks YER
much like a man who would like {
make the country think agreeably G
him.
Copyright 1922 by the New Yor
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