Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-05-29
FORD URGES STRONGER NAVAL
AND AERIAL FORCES; WOULD
CENTRALIZE RAIL CONTROL
Laughs at Talk of Race for
President = Says Courts
Should Be Subordinate to
People

LIE null, H1dy
Ford today declared that:
/. The United States navy must
be strengthened.
2. American air power must be in
| creased.
3. The courts must be made subor-
dinate to the people.
4. Railroads must be reorganized
and centralized, possibly under some
form of government control.
The automobile manufacturer, now
reputed to be the richest man in the
world, incidentally said he was not
| interested in the presidency and as
| serted that the financial center Of
America is passing from Wall street
! to the middlewest.
For the first time Ford, whose
fame as a hater of militarism is
worldwide, voiced his belief that
| conditions now are such as to make
increased American naval and air
| forces more vital than participation
| by the United States in any charac-
| ter of international world court. He
| frankly expressed his distrust of
| both the world court and League of
| Nations, as these plans are now pro-
mulgated.
THE time may soon come when
| America may have to police the
world" he said.
Can Help Little Now
1--WE can do little to help the peo-
| they do more to help themselves,
and we can do less with our money
in Europe now than ever. The peo-
pie of Europe first must set their
| own houses in order and clear away
| the rubbish of the old, wornout
systems of special privilege before
we can assist those that really need
| the help.
IT am not afraid that the develop
|, ment of our navy and our air forces
| will make this country a militaristic
| nation.
mo man in America hates war Or
has more hearty dislike for military
trumpery> than I, but there are
| times in every community when it
is plain that policemen are needed.
and I think that this is true in the
world right now"
Ford is much more amused than
! interested in talk that associates
his name with the presidency. y
His attention was called to pub
| lished first week results of a ma
tionwide informal poll on presiden-
tial possibilities, made by Golfers
Weekly, in which his name led the
Flist.
"Yes," he said, and laughed. IT
saw it, but that doesn't mean any
thing, Next week someone else will
be in the lead"
Ford was reclining on a low set
tee before log fire in a small liv-
ing room in the old Ford homestead
near Dearbon where he was born
and where the first twenty years Of
his life were spent.
Shuns Politics
people come out here occasional
ly and try to talk politics with me-"
he said, 'and wonder who they
think they are talking for and who
they think they represent.
81 have tremendous confidence in
the people of the United States to
take care of themselves. AS long
as the affairs of the nation run
smoothly, people don't care much
who is president and when great
crisis arise, the people SO far seem
able to get a man to lead them who
is great enough to meet the situa-
ton.
when a man comes to see me
who says that they will make this
man president and another states
they will make another man presi-
dent begin to wonder who they
are and when the people asked them
to select presidents.
Just as long as it doesn't matter
much, people let these fellows run
along; but once the folks make up
their minds that the situation is Sc
rious, they get what they want.
my interest in politicas never
was less than it is today. My job
here at the Ford works never was
bigger or more interesting. We now
are producing 1000 cars a day and
by next year we will be producing
10000 cars day. believe the pros
perity Of this country is fundamen-
tally sound. OF course there will be
some pauses and perhaps some
slight reactions, but they will not
be important.
Hard Work Counts
1.-THE people of the country are
getting back to work, and that is re-
sponsible for present good times. II
every man in the country worked
six hours each day. the prosperity
of this country would break all rec
ords.
Besides work here in the auto
mobile plant, we are planning an ex-
tension of the Detroit, Toledo and
Ironton south of the Ohio river to
our coal fields in eastern Kentucky
and West Virginia, an addition of
about SIS miles, and electrification OF
the entire system. We hope to get
government permission to build
large power dam across the Ohio
near Ironton which not only will
provide a roadbed for the railroad
over the river but provide electric
power and in no way interfere with
river navigation. Such road would
give Detroit direct connection with
| the coal fields and insure g. certain
coal supply.
"Jobs like these are worth while
and are interesting. Do you won
der that I smile when folks talk to
me about the presidency?
Iner6 are TWO plS OUTSTANDING
problems before America today that
soon must be solved. One is con-
troll of the judiciary; the other is
solution of the railroad question.
No Confidence in Courts
1.-THE people have lost confidence
| in our courts which have taken over
powers it never was intended they
| should have. The railroad prob
| lam is a largo mart of the prOblem
| of the farmer and manufacturer.
The American railroad system must
be centralized, possibly under gov
eminent control of some character.
Rail rates must be reduced and bet
| ter service rendered.
1.-THE day of Wall street control
of railroads is over. But as far as
| that is concerned, the day of Wall