Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-18

Henry Ford "recanted grandly," says
the Des Moines Register, expressing a
view reflected in much of the country
wide comment on Mr.. Ford's apology
for the Dearborn Independent cam
paign against the Jews. Nevertheless,
the press generally is amazed or in
creduous, or both, at the statement In
the apology that the owner OF the
Independent had not known what his
magazine was printing.
Imagine a publisher letting seven
years go by before directing his per-
sonal attention to what was being
printed in his paper!' exclaims the
Knoxville News-Sentinel, which estl-
mates ''the artlessness of the apology"
as "rivaled only by the old. old story
of the Babes in the Woods. The
New York Sun finds it "hard to inn
agine Mr.. Ford so wrapped in cotton
wool that the major activity of his
own magazine was unknown to him"
and asks, "If he could imagine such
thing, would it not be distressing
to think that a man of Ford's wealth
and prominence was free to back an
organ with which some other man in
cited hatred?"
The Admission Star considers that
Mr.. Ford's admission that he did not
know the tenor Of the writings that
were appearing in his own paper" will
cause him to "lose prestige as a. pub
licist and as an executive" and the
Flint Daily Journal remarks: 1--WE are
certain that Henry Ford knows ex-
actly what is being issued from his
factories in the shape of automobiles
and other products, staff or no staff.
If he has actually not seen what has
been printed in the Dearborn indie
pendent, then he has made a confess
sion of incredible short-sightedness."
X y X
"Was ever Journalism thus con-
Quoted before?" asks the Louisville
Courier-J Journal, while the Charleston
Daily Mail declares: "That very free
dom of the press Of which we boast
as a people, and which is perhaps the
most precious of all our possessions,
by it's very freedom imposes the great
est Of responsibility upon those who
would exercise it, The Tulsa Daily
World believes that if Henry Ford
did not read his own publication
then he stands self-convicted
Of being unworthy the high privilege
Of owning and publishing a periodical
Of any character"
Says LUc " AIStOll.E1dlcIU L VIII lily
Sentinel: mo man has any right to
sponsor a journal of any kind unless
he knows what it is doing. There is
no place for falsehood, untruth, half
truth. or gross errors in journalism.
Mistakes will sometimes be made; err
rors will sometimes appear. This is
inevitable. But there is no excuse for
a deliberate perversion Of facts, which
Mr.. Ford admits took place in the
Dearborn Independent, the conduct
of which he had turned over to
Others" concludes the Sentinel.
"a publisher cannot, of course, have
knowledge of all that
goes into his publication" says the
Omaha World-Herald, but 1t is only
an exceptional one who can be blind
to something which has been going
on for five years and which every
body else apparently, except himself,
is fully aware Of" and the Richmond
News-Leader calls attention to the
fact that "every other publisher is
held responsible for the general edi-
torial policy Of his paper. though sim
gle articles, written in his absence.
may not reflect his views"
'The Dearborn Independent Ia the
of Henry Ford. to do with
as he sees fit," observes the Memphis
Commercial Appeal. THAT he Is in
a position to dictate its policies is
evident by Ford's own statement that
he has ordered the periodical to dis
continue permanently these hostile
articles The San Bernadino Sun
also thinks the statement "hardly
seems to be an acceptable or an &C Z
curate alibj
Taking tN position that ut Il only
too plainly Ind pitifully evident that