The Washington times., 1923-08-01
CANDIDACY
WOULD BE
ILLEGAL
As Contractor Dealing With
U. S. He Would Be Ineligible
For White House.
BY WILLIAM HARD.

To give Henry Ford his Muscle
Shoals contract and thus to head
him off from both the moral and
the legal right to hold Federal
office: that is the latest scheme
among the politicians here for
disposing of the Henry Ford
alarming Presidential candidacy.
Congressman John c. McKen-
zie of Illinois will come back to
Washington to press his support
and advocacy of a Henry Ford
Muscle Shoals plan. Mr.. McKen-
zie is the acting head of the House
Committee on Military Affairs
the committee which has all Mus
Gle Shoals plans in charge.
Agree With Mckenzie.
Julius Kahn. Of California, is
chairman Of the committee, but dur
ing Mr.. Kahn's illness Mr.. Mckenzie
10 virtually chairman in Mr.. Kahn's
place Mr.. Mckenzie is ardently in
favor OF inducing Mr.. Ford to go TO
work at Muscle Shoals on the terms
proposed by House of Representa-
tives bill number 1903.
Numerous other political persons,
who formerly have not agreed with
Mr.. Mckenzie in this matter, are
beginning to agree with him for to-
tally new reasons Of their own as
they contemplate the provisions of
the criminal code of the United
States regarding Government con-
tracts and Government officials.
Mr.. Ford. IL he accepted the duty
and the opportunity Of using a gov
ernmentally constructed power plant
at Muscle Shoals for the production
Of nitrogen for fertilizers, would un-
doubtedly be in the position of hav-
ing a contract with the United
States. Mr.. Ford, In his work at the
Muscle Shoals site on the Tennessee
river in Alabama, would be q Gov
eminent contractor. He would be
which he would have undertaken
certain obligations to the Govern.
ment and regarding which the Gov.
eminent would have undertaken
certain obligations to him.
Out OF these obligations there
would necessarily proceed q long Sc
ries Of Claims Between MIR. Ford
and the Government there would
necessarily be a steady negotiating
and arranging of Settlements"
based on claims"
These facts begin now to appear
to many statesmen in q new light.
The light is furnished by numerous
recent statutes Of Congress, all of
which have headed in the direction
of making it impossible for any
citizen of the United States to be
interested in contracts with tho
Government or in claims against
the Government and at the same
time be an officer of the Govern.
ment.
Would Prevent Candidacy.
These statutes, it is alleged,
would totally prevent Mr.. Ford from
running for the Presidency If once
he was safely set down at Muscle
Shoals with Government water
falls and Government nitrogen
electric generators to play with.
There exists, for instance, stat
ute which stands as section 1928
in recent editions of the Federal
Criminal Code" and which thus.
ders as follows:
Whoever, being the head of a
department or other officer in the
employ of the United States shall
directly or indirectly receive any
compensation whatever for any serV.
ices in relation to any proceedings,
contract, claim, or other matter or
thing in which the United States is
party shall be fined not more
than $4,000 and imprisoned not
more than two years"
If this statute, which seems suf-
nciently menacing, should be re-
garded as insufficient, it is then
readily suggested that Congress
could easily enlarge and sharpen
II while simultaneously engaged in
giving Mr.. Ford the contract which
undoubtedly an overwhelming ma
1ority OF the representatives Of our
iarm organizations wish him to
Would Eliminate Ford.
Congress could pass an act giving
Mr.. Ford that contract in full, and
then in the same session II could
pass an act two days later specifi-
ca!ly debarring the President OF the
United States from being in bust.
ness with the United States, and
then IT could sit down and watch
Ar. Ford choose.
II ~ believed here in certain
circles that Mr.. Ford would not
hesitate long II IL believed in
these circles that Mr.. Ford's only