Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1922-01-27


sition today. He is cursed, execrated
and condemned by the politicians
profteers and incompetent managers,
while the farmer and ordinary citizen
are beginning to look upon him as
light shining in the darkness.
The Newberry-Ford senatorial con-
test seems to have been the beginning
of the present situation. The Du Pont
powder trust has large holdings IN
Michigan and operates construction
companies in various cities. Incident
ally, these were among the flrst 10
declare for the "un-American open
shop plan" and to start fight on the
building craftsmen.
The Du Points are said to nave
thrown their money and influence
back of Newberry.
Later, Ford bought out his stock
holders, borrowing about $4O,OoO,ooo'
One of the Du Points is head OF Cen
eral Motors, the second largest makers
Of autos. Ford being first. Reports
have it that Du Pont, whose financial
mower is almost as great as Morgan,s
maneuyered to shut off tord's credit
and make it impossible for him to pay
the S40.OOO,OO0. This would give Du
Pont control of the auto factories.
Instead, Ford cut prices and raised
much more than the $4O,OOO,OOO, and
at the same time tore large buncheSs
of cuticle off the frame of General
Motors, which was forced to reduce
prices to meet the Ford cut.
During the late presidential cam
paign the Du Points were very active,
supporting Mr.. Harding in every way:
One of the family cameto Marion and
acted As a. sort of major domo during
the front porch festivities. lmme-
diately after the election 1t was fu-
mored the Du Points were to be given
the Muscle Shoals nitrate plant as a
reward for work we'll done.
Secretary of War Weeks was about
ready to carry out this alleged unGer-
standing, when Henry Ford stepped IN
with an offer which would mean sew
eral hundred million dollars for the
government against practically moth
ing frota the Du Points.
And then the fun began.
Ford's offer was big news item.
and it received columns of space In
every newspaper. This publicity
sstumped" Secretary Weeks, who
could not then turn the nitrate plant
over 20 Du Pont, as the protest would
be too great. /,
Weeks "stalled" and began to find
petty objections to Ford's offer, but
none substantial enough to satisfy an
aroused public.
Finally, Ford got tired of monkey
ing and called for showdown. 1t
proved to be a "show-up."
Weeks could not go back on the al
legged prediction promise and turn
zhe Muscle Shoals establishment over
to anyone but Du Pont, neither could
ne openly reject Ford's offer, so ne
did an unprecedented thing-threw up
his hands and passed the whole affair
over to congress. asking that it as
sumo all responsibility.
If Ford had gotten the Muscle
Shoals project, he intended to manu-
facture fertilizer at about half the
present cost, which would have Iut
Cno 1erlIllZOr LIuSC OuI VI CAIoC
and vastly enriched the farms Of the
country. In addition, he planned to
use the power plant for The manu-
facture of farm machinery and othe,
agricultural necessities al prices fan
under those now exacted. Thus the
farmer was vitally interested in his
success.
Henry has now got his mad up, ane
his paper, the Dearborn Independent
and his monev and his influence are
to be used in fighting the Wall street
pirates, better known as the high
financiers, whom he blames for al
the opposition put in his way. Incl
dentally, he plans to "get" a few
politicians who have been acting as
chambermaids to the pirates.
That his threat is taken at its full
value is proven by the attitude of the
National City bank, the lair of the
profteers' power, which is sending
out millions of namphlets attacking
Ford. The whole bunch appear to be
scared stiff.
The Newberry case and Ford's
avowed intentions seem to have ere
ated CONSERVATION in Washington
where congressman, senator's, cablne'
officers, and even the president, are
going through all the intricate evolu
tions incident to a modern dance
turning, twisting, side-stepping, goint
forward and reversing. A few months
ago President Harding and congress