Evening star., 1922-12-17

One OF the gentlemen who intcI--
viewed Mr Ford on this occasion W.
himself a man Of wealth and NerN
generous toward his church. Arfe-
telling me of what took place at tlr-
interview, hc launched into a sevr,
criticism Of Mr.. Ford. l stopped h'iu.
You say that Henry Ford is w;nli.
ing in generosity" ! said to hrr
Well, do you know thar there al.
people in this city who say the san.
thing of you?"
How can they say that" he saia
evidently somewhat nettled lyon
know that il is not true. You know
that ] have given thousands, tens or
thousands. to my church and its in
stitutions''
4 know that" / replied. and thai
is just the point people make against
YOU, They say your church is you-
hobby. You give to il. but. in the
opinion of the public. you give rcl.-
lively little or nothing to anything
else"
But it's my money. isn't it? ArI
/ ] not at liberty to give il away as I
deem best? If ! want TO give ii all
to the church. whose business is it
but my own" was his reply.
why, then. criticise Henry Fol-.
/ replied. for claiming exactly The
same privilege when he comes IL
giving his money away He is cty-
ing millions 10 his employees. N,u
give TO your church. He does AZ.
d l.
and You do not believe in his metli-
! ods. Personally. ] think the world
needs both of you, that both are do
ing a service to humanity, and / an.
not going to allow either of YOU Il
criticise the other in my presence
without a protest.
:. X :. :.
, A SHORT time afterward MIR Ford
"A referred to the visit which h
had from the two members Of my
vestry. u don't believe IN building
big and costly churches for the rich
he said. in explaining his refusal to
contribute toward the erection of ths
building then under way. The amount
of money You are putting into this
oilt tu4iA-S VI 'suItl prov III ithE
a half dozen settlement houses. which.
If properly placed. would do a srea.
deal more good
1t was then that ! told him that il
he would come 10 church the next
Sunday, and give me chance 10 talk
to him when he could not talk baciE.
l would tell him why / thought tho
centers OF worship should be a heaut5-
full and costly as men could mak-
them. He said he would come. And
he did
There is a man in this city" 81
the sermon ran. in part. who has
done very unusual thing. You know
that powerhouses are built. as rule.
in the rear of factories. Often they
age Just dark, dusty greasy holes in
the ground. with mountains of coal
piled outside. Factory buildings and
office buildings are put on the street
and much thought is given to their
appearance. The power plant is puc
in a squat building. often i'm a shed,
on the rear OF the lot. But the man to
whom ] refer has done differently. lie
has built the costliest and most beau
tiful powerhouse in America. He has
put il on the avenue along with the
office building. He has filled the win
dows with plate glass. He has tiled
the floors. Outside and in. that build
ing is rubbed, scrubbed. washed ard
polished.
II can imagine people criticising
this man for the thing he. has done.
Why spend so much money on Il
building which is to shelter nothing
but the boilers and engines of
plant? Something far less costly
would have answered the purpose. In
stead of engines with fiywheels.
which do nothing but go round and
his wonderful automatic machines.
which do something, out in front.
where people could see them, and rele-
gate the power plant to the rear?
"The answer is. men spend money
on the things they love and value.
The buildings we erect are symbols
of our pride in an affection fer the
things inside. What a man thinks of
his home is revealed in the kind OF
house he builds around it. What
man thinks of his business is shown
in the buildings he erects to house it.
This man 1 have in mind was born
with a love for mechanical things.
The power that makes them go is a
thing which. to him, is worthy of a
shelter as costly and as beautiful as
he can afford to make it, The energy
that throbs through the great factory
he knows comes from the powerhouse.
where the ponderous flywheels turn in
comparative silence. The powerhouse
is back of it all-that Is why he made
1t the costly, beautiful thing it is.
"And that is why I am going to put
all the money / can get into this
church. 1t is the spiritual powerhouse
back of all the fine things men are CO.
ing in the way of service. 1t stands
for that which should be symbolized
in costly and beautiful ways. And in
that way men, who understand ii and
love it, will be glad to see it housed"
Copyright, 1922, North American Newspaper
Alliance.D
q % a.