Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1923-01-26
By Arthur Brisbane
In the New York American

And the same men talk in low
tones, with shivers and horrors, about
Ford as President. They say he would
destroy the dollar, our golden calf.
He might try, but he could not do
it. European complications could do
it in short order.
Look at French, Italian, German,
Austrian and Russian money.
If Ford, as president-don't faint,
it's only "supposing"-tried to destroy
our beautiful dollar we could attend
to Ford. But once Europe's troubles
got us, and started that dollar slip
ping, it would slip like a sled at Saint
Moritz-and nothing we could do
would stop it.
Rich fellow citizens don't worry
about Ford's financial ideas while you
have European troubles to worry
about. Ford, compared with Europe,
would be like German measles COM
pared with genuine smallpox.
Hindenburg urges Germans to con-
centrate upon and keep alive "hate of
our irreconcilable enemies, the
French" That advice is not neces-
sary.
One dead man, plus imagination,
agitation, indignation and concen-
trated hate, will sometimes produce an
effect more than a million dead.
In the regular war, such as nations
recognize as "quite correct" between
France and Germany, many millions of
men fell. That was taken for granted.
Both sides were supposed to have an
even chance.
In the Ruhr on Monday, January
18th, one single German was shot
dead by French troops on German soil
in an unusual way not recognized.
That one death may produce con-
sequences more serious than the death
of millions.
And one of the first consequences,
most dreaded by the Governments or
France, America, England, may be the
spree of Bolshevism in Germany.
The German republic has managed to
go along in the old-fashoined way, its
real rulers being SHINES, richest mar
in Germany, and his associates,
backed by a conservative government,
irving no Utopian experiments.
But invasion of Germany after the
making of peace and the shooting OF
workmen not in uniform may make
every gold mark that the French col
lect in Germany cost France herself
millions in gold francs in the future.
1t is not necessary for Americans
/. to grow sentimental or hysterlcal
about European affairs.
When Germany thought the time
had come she marched toward Paris
through Belgium and did what shoot
ing was necessary to get what her
government, the Kaiser and the war
lords, then wanted.
When France thought the time had
come she sent her troops the other
way, through the Ruhr, in among IN
armed workmen to get what stuff she
wanted.
The nation in power takes all it can,
and when beaten will whine and ask
for sympathy like any other beaten
bully.
Our~work here is to observe, under
stand it, and take warning.
Democratic Presidential straws are
flying. Friends of Colonel Bryan say
ne will not be a candidate, but Will
take woodrow Wilson's mantle, which
means his leadership, and back some
~.Progressive." He won't accept Ford
or McAdoo, it is said.
70 this McAdoo might reply, NO
body asked you"
He told this writer the other day
that he is not a candidate, and would
not consent to be nominated unless
persuaded that it was absolutely ms
duty to take the job.
Henry Ford, according to all re-
ports, has concluded that 1t is apso-
lutely his duty to take the oflce n
he means to take it.
Others declare that Woodrow Will
son is by no means ready 10 let 20
that mantle, but means to wear IL MIN
self both as leader and as candidate.
The Republicans are not saying much.
Here's a statement from Major Van
Leusen, Salvation Army worker in
Coblenz, that will disturb American
prohibitionists. He declares that all
the time he was in Germany with the
American soldiers he never saw a
soldier intoxicated, although they
could get all the light wine and beer
they wanted. He also says that many
of them had bank accounts. That Will
comfort the light wine and beer ad-
vocates. But it won't throw out the
18th amendment.
The City Council of Chicago wants a
law to take for public purposes half
of the income that Lord Curzon OF
England gets from the estate of Mary
Letter, daughter of a Chicago bust
ness man.
The City Council votes that 1t shall
take half of any income and half of
any bequest that may go to foreign
noblemen."