Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-03-19
FORD HITS BACK
AT LIBELLANT in
$l,OOO,OOO SUIT
Charges Plaintiff Respon-
sible for Failures Total
ing Millions

DETROIT, March IS (P-A dream
of fees, nebulous vision whereby
he was to draw millions of dollars
as legal adviser to farmers organi-
zations throughout the world was
held by Aaron Sapiro, declared Sem
ator James A. Reed of Missouri, at
the trial of the $1,O0OO00 libel suit
against Henry Ford today The
whfte-h haired senator closed his
opening statement for the defense
with the assertion that they would
prove the good faith of the articles
which Sapiro claims are libelous and
would show that Sapiro was re-
sponsible directly or indirectly for
numerous failures and the loss of
millions of dollars.
A peep into the private views of
Henry Ford was had when W. j.
Cameron, editor of NFord's Dearborn
Independent was put the first
witness. Cameron testified that Ford
did not impose dis IDEAS on the
editors of the weekly. Although he
had a leaning toward soviet Russia
as an experiment, he did not ask the
Independent to reflect that attitude
Cameron said.
DO you mean he is pro-soviet?"
William Gallagher, attorney for Sa-
piro, shot at the witness.
Il did not say that" Cameron re-
piled. II said he was more toler-
ant of the soviet experiment than
the Independent.
Questions to bring out the auto
mobile manufacturers attitude as to
international money matters, and
whether he had ever discussed them
with Cameron, were consistently OBJ
jected to by Stewart Hanley, Ford
attorney.
Gallagher finally asked that all
papers and records of the weekly
be brought into court, indicating he
could not proceed without them.
Because of the slowness with which
the trial is proceeding the plaintiff
attorney said it would not be pos
sible to call Ford to the witness
stand Monday.
w. j. Black business manager OF
the Independent, two witnesses who
have not been named, and Saplro,
will take the stand before Ford
Gallagher drew fire from Attor-
ney Hanley in asking for the records
of the company.
What do you mean by all the
records?' asked Hanley.
II mean the records covering the
period since Mr.. Ford bought the
paper and put the stock in the name
CT mis- wife, SON. and himself re-
llied Mr.. Gallagher.
Your honor, / object to that kind
Of statement Hanley said angrily.
The attorneys went into confer
ence with Judge Fred M. Raymond
covered in introduction of evidence
and court was adjourned until Mon,
day.
Senator Reed who left Immediately
for Washington to meet with the
senate campaign funds investigation
committee tomorrow spent most Of
the day telling Of alleged failures
of cooperative organizations formed
by sapiro.
1--WE will show you that Sapiro was
directly OF indirectly responsible for
these failures, and losses. We will
show you numerous acts entirely un
professional.
mote his own business is unpro-
fessional.
ITO solicit business is for law
yer unprofessional. Ana to obtain
legal employment by indirection il
unprofessional. To hold out false
promises is unprofessional and to
fix client fees and then breach the
agreement is unprofessional Also
to connive with a lawyer to get
business partly in his name and
partly in the name of another law
yer, and then to split the fees by
previous agreement IS unprofes-
sional."
Activities of the Chicago attorney
among the hurley and dark tobacco
growers, the potato growers of Idaho,
Colorado and Maine, the fruit growers
of oregon and California and the pea
nut raisers of the Carolinas were out
lined by the senator.
Although Sapiro repeatedly said
money was not the main objective in
his work which was to uplift the
farmer, declared the defense attorney,
he collected nearly $5OOOOO in less than
a dozen states. According to Mr..
Reed. Sapiro received as organization
fees $4,000 from the hurley tobacco
growers; $500 from the fruit growers
of Oregon; $500 from Colorado potato
raisers; 500 from the Maine potato
growers; $52,S5O from the dark tobacco
growers $4,000 from the peanut
growers of the Carolinas; $S7,5O0 from
the California prune and raisin grow
ers; $4,000 from the Tri-State To-
bacco association; $4,000 from the po-
tato men of Idaho, and $500 from po-
tato growers of Minnesota.
HE promised these men wealth sue
cess if they followed his plans" Mr..
Reed declared.
SYSTEMS TO BE LINKED
MEXICO CITY, March 18 (By Trens
Agency)-Connection of the telephone