The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-11-26

anu OlItlS Luz HUhitA Z Us " lIi6iltlbis
have made a beaten path to his
door, not because Emerson's magical
mousetrap is there, but because the
philosophers stone, that turns 81
much vanadium steel into gold. is
there, and is to them an irresistible
ltadstone. They have heard Of
Henry Ford as the friend of man.
and they feel sure he will finance
anything they have to offer.
Wherever he goes the crowds
press upon him. as if he were king
out for an airing, and thrust their
petitions, not into his hands, but into
his ears. l once took him to a reccp-
tion at which a large number of
high dignitaries of the church were
present. They formed in a line, like
purchasers of tickets at a circus, and
IN turn made their wants known
for schools, colleges, missions and
struggling parishes. He left that re-
ception with a pocket full Of cards
On which were noted the amounts
Of money and the number Of Ford
cars each ecclesiastic could use in his
business. l have seen him besieged in
a similar manner by business men
at club receptions. l can understand
Henry Ford's aversion to polite So
eiety. l do not altogether blame him
for preferring to live behind a Chi
nese wall
And let no one think he has got
ten to him when. by hook or crook.
ne has gotten over or under or
through the wall. Back of the
wall and beyond the moat stands
the castle of his mind. 1t is a mind
that prefers to think its own
thoughts and to choose its own
themes for conversation. You want
TO see Henry Ford? He will see
You, but not to talk about the
thing you wish to talk about, but
TO tell you something he has to say
to you. You fence and jockey in
vain attempt to turn the conversa-
tion in the direction of the matter
for which you have sought the in
terview.
l recall, by way of Illustration an
interview which two men had with
him at his own home. 1t was BY
appointment and was In regard to
a contribution to a church building
fund. What success did you have?''
l asked one of them the next day.
We had delightful visit" he re-
Piled, MI. Ford entertained us and
so led the conversation that we
never got chance to mention the
church.
During the war three men came
all the way from New York to see
him on camp recreational work.
They had insisted on an interview.
and he had finally told them that
il they came to Detroit he would
see them. They came. He met
them. Then he came TO me and
said, You take these fellows and
talk to them. | told them that III
they came ] would see them
have seen them. | met them and
faid good morning when they came
in. That is all they viii see of me.
When you are through with them.
turn them over to my secretary"
He kept his word They had seen"
York without putting their cause
before him.
speaks With FinaIity
He speaks at times with The AIR
of great finality, as man who has
received Il revelation. or has secret
sources Of information on the great
subjects of the day He talks in
short broken disconnected SEN
tences And he has a way Of dis
ccursing on one Of his favorite
themes-Wall street the Jew, in
ternational bankers sitting Ii Sc
cret conclave somewhere and plan
ming another war. world peace
through farm tractors and water
power. the synthetic Gown a way
that produces among his listeners a
profound and embarrassing silence.
broken occasionally b. a remark
from one Of his two or three ramil-
ars whose words OF approval 90 not
always leave the impression that hey
are speaking out Of the depths NJ
knowledge or profound convicti1a.