The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-17
F | R ] , CHANGING MIND 0N WAR, SAYS
 WHIP 'EM ALI"
Benson Biography Shows Detroit Man Now FavoTs
 Big Navy

NEW YORK, August 16.-The as- sertion that there would be another World war and @the United States should get into it at the beginning and clean them all up," was made by Henry Ford in September, 1922, it is declared in a biography of the manu- facturer written by Allen L. Benson, once a socialist candidate for presi- dent, publica tion of which was an- nounced today.
 MT. Benson says the statement was made at a time when the diplomatic situation between Great Britain and Turkey was at It's most acute stage and rumors of war were heard on all sides.
 "Believing that if war should come" says MT. Benson in his book, propaganda would at once be un- loosed to drag the United States into it, l stopped at Fort Dearborn to interview Ford. I thought he would sound a warning against American participation in European affairs. To my surprise he did precisely the op- posite."
 MT. Benson says he did not publish the interview at that time because T did not wish his Wall Street friends to have another club to hammer him with. He was not then a political factor and 1t seemed best not to pro- vide his industrial enemies with dIOIAGI WGdpOLl+ koIIlCb LnGH FOTu mas become political factor and the peo- pie are entitled to know everything he thinks about public affairs"
 O o O
 Now Wants Strong Navy.
 "Ford's views on war and peace have changed radically since the be- ginning of the World war" writes Mir. Benson. He told me in 1916 that he would not be In favor of 1 force. He took the extreme pacificlst position. After America entered the war be perhaps contributed more to It's prosecution than any other civil ian. He now believes that we shall be most likely to have peace If we have the strongest navy in the world"
 Mir. Benson points out that Theo- dore Roosevelt once predicted that Ford would be a candidate for Presi- dent in 1924. It was not until 1923. however. he continues, when Ford for President" clubs began to spring up, that the public paid any serious attention to the possibility.
 As an indication of how Ford felt toward the idea of being President, Mir Benson described an incident, which he says occurred in January, 1922, after a luncheon attended by the full staff of executives of the Ford Motor company
 Ford and I walked behind the others as we returned to his offices says MT. Benson. Apropos of nothing in particular Ford suddenly pointed to one of his men and said: There is the kind of man I would appoint Secretary of the Navy
 After that it did not seem to be necessary to pay much attention to Fords remarks about his lack of in- terest in the greatest office in the world. Men who are not thinking of the presidency do not consider what men they would appoint to the cabinet. Moreover, men in high posi- ton in Ford's service have long urged him as a presidential candidate. Ford could have stopped them. He let them talk"
 Does Not Hate Jews.
 MT. Benson's biography also touches upon Ford's campaign against the Jews and it's sudden cessation. These articles, which charged a worldwide conspiracy to overthrow Christian civilization, were published in the Dearborn Independent, however, Mir Benson relates that Ford repeatedly denied that he felt antipathy toward the individual Jew and pointed out that many were in his employ.
 After the campaigns had been un- der way for some time, MT. Benson says Ford suddenly told him he would