Evening star., 1923-11-04
CHANCE TO ST|FLE
FORD'S BOOM. SEEN
Politicians Think Giving Him
Shoals Will Balk Presi-
Dental Race.
BY ROBERT II. SMALL.
snecial pispatch to The star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, November 3.-The
wise men of the east are about con-
WINGED at last that Henry Ford is
not an aspirant for the presidency.
piecing this and that bit of informa-
tion and evidence together, they be-
lieve now that Mr.. Ford has per-
mitted the Ford boom to spread its
wings far and wide for the sole pur-
pose of furthering his fight to gain
a leasehold on Muscle shoals.
Mr. Ford intends to make a fight
for Muscle shoals in the coming ses-
sion of Congress. He believes he can
win from Congress the contract the
executive branch of the governments
has denied him. If Mr. Ford gets
Muscle shoals and enters into con-
tractual relations with the govern
ment, he could not aspire further to
the White House. He could not be
President and have a contract with
the government at the same time.
That is inhibited by Constitution and
custom.
Hence there is a growing move
ment in both of the old parties which
has for its slogan give the shoals
to Henry and sidetrack him for all
time as presidential threat" And
Henry is good enough politician,
good enough psychologist to know
what an influence he will have on
Congress so long as he remains a
presidential possibility. If he should
. Of iS
time, his standing before Congress
would be that of mere suppliant.
BY keeping every one guessing Ford
stands as a man who must be dealt
with carefully and considerably.
Ford Sentiment Strong.
Political wayfarers returning from
the west are agreed as to the Ford
sentiment existing among the COM
mon people. but they are also agreed
that If his Muscle Shoals project goes
through the automobile multi million :
aire will have his mind on other
things. Persons who have talked inti-
mately with Henry Ford say that
his life ambition is to become the
great benefactor of agriculture and
he believes he can attain this through
the furnishing first of all of cheap
fertilizers made from nitrates taken
from the air.
When the Muscle Shoals fight
reaches the floor of Congress. Mr.
Ford will have the strongest sort OF
backing from southern and western
representatives and senator's. Thsy
will back him because they believe in
his project. Others will back him
because of the politics of the situ-
alton. With these two factors at
work Mr.. Ford is convinced his bid
will go through.
In the meantime the movement to
make Mr. Ford President is going
forward and may yet bring some
measure of embarrassment to the au-
tomobile and tractor manufacturer.
The clubs which are being formed in
various sections Of the country are
continuing to function regardless of
discouragements which come to them
now and then from one or another OF
the Ford secretaries.
Mr.. Ford, however, is said to harbor
e
this were not so his best friend.
Thomas A. Edison, would not have
stated that he could not think of Mr..
Ford as President of the United
States Ford knows the cards are
stacked against him so far as the
regular republican or democratic
nomination is concerned. His only
chance would be as third-Darty man
Peace Ship Paid Ford.
One prominent politician said not SO
long ago that if, by any chance, Henry
Ford should be elected President, he
would resign within six months, be-
cause Of the restrictions and the clouds
of red tape he would find surrounding
him. Despite the fact that he got his
fingers rather badly burned in sending
the famous peace ship to Europe to get
the boys out of the trenches by Christ
mas of 1915, Mr.. Ford is practical
man. And after all is said and done
that peace ship project more than paid
for itself in international advertising.
The Ford car is known today from one
end of the world to the other.
But the presidency is different. Mr.
Ford is said to realize that he could
not accomplish in the White House
one tithe of the things that his fol-
lowers would expect of him.
The psychology back of the Ford
boom had a homely illustration two
nights ago in a skyscraper of down.
town New York. An old charwoman
was on her knees scrubbing the mar
BILE floor. A late tenant passed a
kindly word with her and asked her
what pay she received for such hard
work
Sure and it is only $3.50 a night
now" she replied, but when Mr.. Ford
is President, you bet, we poor scrub
women will be getting s5 a night in
stead
And that scrubwoman has just as
big vote as ]. Pierpont Morgan.