The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-12
By ALBERT SIDNEY GREGG

DETROIT, Mich., August 11.-"The trouble with some folks" said Henry Ford tc the writer during d recent interview, 'is that they do not guard themselves against attack. Take the
 woodcock for instance. I picked a young one off the road while l was horseDack riding this morning. Thls bird has a long bill with which he pruDes into the ground for worms. lils eyes are set near the top on each side oi his head, so he can look eith6r Way. Just as soon as he starts lo dis, he rolls his eyes backward and watches for hawks while he
 works. It would be very unwise for him to operate in any other way, for haNk ks would be sure to get him If he was not on the alert. Foresight is a mighty good thing, but l have d pretty high regard for hind sight also. While we are busy with mat ters immediately Tn front, we must not forget to be on our guard against q surprise from the rear.'
 This very Illuminating anecdote developed while 1 was engaged in making q new appraisal of MT. Ford as possible presidential timber, Sev- eraI questions were running through my mlnd:
 Will he become an avowed candi- date for the presidency"
 IL oO5 " III l4C OS NiNNlSN-
 "ls he a safe man to entrust with 1 so mucn power and responslbility? "ls he really sincere in his si- lence and indifference, or is he play l ing politics under coVer?"
 | These are the questions that are 1 troubling the political and financial 1 leaders of the nation, plus the voters who are eager To "Honk for Henry 1 as soon as they get the signal. fNplN hiR' fhH has tried to induce MT. Ford to de- clare himself on the presidency, and he has declined to talk. Eminent men of both parties have gone to him with tears ill their eyes, and urged hlm to tell the people what he is going to do about it. Some have ad- viseu him to openly declare that his hat IS in the ring while others have pleaded with him not to let any thing interfere with the development | of hls industrial plans. But Tn all | these instances the advisers did ali l the talking. Henry merely listened I and replied not q word. And the men who came with tears in their eyes I went away weeping, for the wizard | of Dearborn did not give them | single crumU of encouragement. Those who have tried to get a seat | on the Ford band wagon have lalIed Political vamps who nave sought to
  ] tanglements of some sort have all stuuDed their toes.
 | O o O
 FOrd's Eyes ''Turned Backward." | Ford is an exceedingly shrewd man. He knows how to read people | without guide book. Ills power oI intuition is akin to clairvoya ance. 1 lie understands perfectly that there | are numerous smooth, Well-olled gen- l tlemen ill business and politics whose i chief stock in trade is cheap abil- l ity to put something" over on the other fellow or to get something 1 on somebody. Like the Woodcock, | Furus eyes are turned backward, watching these political hawks while | he keeps right on turning out more l automobiles.
 1 Ford's n-committal attitude is an l indication of his shrewdness. If the demand for him is strong enough, 1 and of the right quality, he would l probably make the race, although even this guarded statement has no | authority rom him: but it is ab- 1 solutely certain that he would not l cross the street or spend a cent to | get the nomination. Henry Ford Is not going to let anybody make d monkey out of him over this presi-
 dent business. Therefore, the supreme | question will be answered by deVel- | opments ot the future which no man | or group of men seems to be able | to control
 UndouL tedly Ford would win if ha | accepted the nomination, or was
 drafted as an independent, because 1 !lo would not allow his name to be i useu unless he We're satisfied that ! ne couid be elected. lie does not
 cON st the office Just for the honors , of the Job. His test of every pro- l posed tadertaNlng ls " nat SoSd will IL du2
 1 Financial leaders and their as- | sociates ask the question, "Is ht | sare:" They fear he will rashIy
 upset the present order and try out some program that will impair tho
 value of property As an industrial l leader he does not do anything rash
 and 1t is not like,y he would hastily
 change conditions as President. lie
 makes decisions involving the out l lay of several millions of dollars, but
 he will spend many years perfecting 1 the plans on which the money IS eX- l pended. He bought railroad ap- | parently without much consideration
 and spent l2 years and $4U,0UU.U00 de- | velopins tae farm tractor. As Pres 1 ident he would not use knock down 1 and -drag-out methods. He never l fires men If he can help it; he pre- l fers to keep them at work. A full l explanation of every official act | would be given 10 the people in or 1 der to insure the support of public | opinion. As to the personnel of the ! government departments, the first | thing he woIld do would proba bly, l be to give them work that reully counted for the country. Ford moves | cautiously, and insists on getting all the farfs nhnnt n nrniept hafpra |. ing. He would wreck the pie coun- ter in the interest of efficiency. and every appointee would be required to give the pest he had in the way of service. Log rolling in the inter-