The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1922-05-26
f0RD'S ALLEGED REFUND
OF WAR PROFITS BUNK"
Treasury Can't Find S29, OOO, 900 of
War Profits Henry Says He
Gave to Government.

War Profits Henry Says He
Gave to Government.
Washington, May 3.-The United
States treasury officials have given up
looking for that $29 5000, 900 Of war
profits which Henry Ford is alleged
to have turned back to the govern
ment. 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 Janu-
airy IA, 1919, Mr.. Ford's attorney, AL
how the matter stands from his point
before the senate committee on naval
affairs that Mr.. Ford would refuse
to accept a cent of profits from the
construction of Eagle boats for the
Navy department. The committee at
that time was conducting hearings on
war contracts. On page Al of the re-
port of the hearings is the following
statement by Senator Swanson, Demo-
crat of Virginia, who was chairman of
the committee:
"The attorney for Mr.. Ford auth
orizes me to state that Mr.. Ford said
he would not take any profit from
this contract whatever. He owns SO
per cent of the stock of the Ford Com
pany and I am authorized to say that
he will not accept any profit on that
So per cent Of stock and if it be paid
to him he will see that it is returned
to the government"
So far as the records show, this
promise has not been carried out. The
Fort Company received approximately
$45, OOO,0 900 in payment of 60 Eagle
boats delivered. They put in a claim
for work done or boats that were not
delivered, and upon this claim they
were paid $4,000, 600.
Recently a book was issued entitled
"The Truth About Henry Ford" It
was advertised to be facts obtained
at first hand from Mr.. Ford and his
associates. 1t made the unqualified
assertion that Mr.. Ford had refused
to accept any war profits and that he
had returned to the government $780,
100000 which he made out of war
contracts. A Uunited States senator
interested 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.. Ford's war pro-
fits. That senator received a letter
from Secretary Mellon which reads as
follows:
II understand that you recently in
quired over the telephone with respect
to a statement which appeared in a
book called The Truth About Henry
Ford to the effect that his war pro-
fits of about $29, OOO, 900 has been
turned back to the treasury and that
you inquired particularly whether the
treasury ever received any such sum
from Mr.. Ford. l have had this mat
ter investigated in the Treasury and
find that the records do not show the
receipt Of any donation from Mr..
Ford. l have accordingly written d.
rect to Mr.. Ford for information rs to
how the matter stands from his point
Of view.
1.-THE commissioner of internal rev.
enue advises me that his records show
the resignation of representatives of
the bureau of internal revenue to ex-
anime the books of the Ford plant
covering the period of the war with
a view to ascertaining the profits, but
that work connected with this investi-
cation proved to be of a very difficult
character, and that so far as the in
ternal revenue bureau has been ad-
vised no results or conclusions have
ever been obtained. For a year or
more no progress has been made along
these lines.
1.-The treasury has also made infor-
NAL inquiries of the war department
with respect to the Ford contracts for
the manufacture of Liberty motors
n 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 department. The navy depart
ment has also informally advised the
treasury that in connection with the
ford contracts 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
records as they stand show that Mr..
Ford did not live up to his promises
made to the senate finance committee
o live up to his reputation which his
publicity mediums have given him.