Evening star., 1923-08-18
FORD'S PREDICTION
OF WAR REPORTED
Allan |. Benson Says Auto
Maker Saw HostiIities Last
September.
BY the Associated Press.

\ BY the Associated Press.
| NEW YORK, August 1S.-The as
! sertion that there would he another
/ world war. and the United States
| should get into il at the beginning
and clean them all up" was made fy
! Henry Ford in September. 1922 il is
declared in a biography of the manu-
4 facturer written by Allan L. Benson
once socialist candidate for presi-
| dent.
Mr.. Benson says the statement was
| made at time when the dipIomatic
situation between Great Britain and
| Turkey was at its most acute stage
sides.
Relieving that if war should come
| says Mr.. Benson in his book. "propa
/ ganda would al once be unIooScd to
drag the United States into il. !
| stopped ut Fort Dearborn 10 inter
| view Ford ] thought he would sound:
! a warning against American partici-
patton in European affairs. TO my
surprise he did precisely the or
poSite.
Feared Wall street.
Benson SAYS he did not publish the
I Interview at that time because Il
did not wish his Wall street friends
|
with. lie was not then a political
factor. and il seemed best not Ia
| provide his industrial enemies with
! another weapon. Since then Ford
has become political factor. and the
! people are entitled TO know. every
thing he thinks about public affairs
f'OrdS views on war and peace
! have changed radically since the he
| ginning Of the world war" writes
Mr. Benson. HE tol9 me in 1916 that ha
/ would not be in favor of resisting
even invasion by armed force. H.
! took the extreme pacifist position.
/ After America entered the war h
perhaps contributed more to its
prosecution than any other civilian.
/ lie now believes that we shall hs
| most likely to have peace if We have
| the strongest navy in the world
1 Benson points out that Theod"F"
ROOSEVELT once predicted that Ford
would be a candidate for President in
1924. 1t was not until 1923, however.
| he continues. when Ford for I'resI-
dent clubs began to spring up, that
the public paid any serious attention
! to the possibility.
! As an indication of how Ford felt
toward the idea of being President
Mr. Benson describes an incident
| 1922. after luncheon attended by the
| full staff of executives of the Ford
| Motor Company.
| Ford and | walked behind the
4
says Mr.. Benson. "Apropos of nothing
! in particular. Ford suddenly pointed
| TO one of his men and said There Is
| the kind of man ! would appoint
secretary OF the Navy
! Views ON Cabinet.
! After that il did not seem 10 he
necessary to pay much attention /"
! Ford's remarks about his lack OF N
terest in the greatest Office in the
world Men who are not thinking ol
the presidency do not consider what
men they would appoint 10 the cabl-
net Moreover. men in high position
| in F'ord's service have long urged hih5
las a presidential candidate Ford
! could have stopped them. tie let them
talk"
| Mr.. Benson's biography also touches
! upon Fords campaign against Inc
Jews and it's sudden cessation. Th"S"
/ az; ;icles. which charged world ide
/ conspiracy to overthrow CHRISTIAN
F., civilizations We're published in the
Dearborn independent. However. MI.
f, Benson relates that Ford repeatedly
denied that he felt antipathy toward
{ the individual Jew. and pointed out
that many were in his employ.
! After the campaigns had been under
/ way for some time. Benson SAYS, Ford
! suddenly told him he would stop
printing the articles. giving as his
! reason that there is too much anti
! Semetic feeling"
! y can feel ii around here" the
{ manufactures is quoted as saying. II
we were to keep this up something
I might happen to the jews. | do not
! want any harm to come I" them.
: The biography. which IS published
by Funk < WaEnalls Company. SAYS
! Ford declared. on the occasion that ne
j discussed Americas entry into M
war. that all that is the matter with
this world is injustice. Establish jus.
! tice and everything Will he all right
! Asked what should be done to re-
move injustice Mr.. Benson saws Ford
told him the salaries of Supreme
Court justices should he increased.
but did not recommend change IN
the appointing power that makes the