Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-11

DETROIT, Mich, August l0.-Liquor
is largely responsible for the shortage
of leaders in industries and commerce
in the United States, in the opinion Of
| Henry Ford.
Some one mentioned the other day
that certain business man was enjoy
ing himself. as they say. by spending
his money on liquor or for what passes
for liquor these days" Mr.. Ford said
and the remark was made that 1t was
probably good news for that mans COM
petitors.
IT could not help resenting the idea
that 1t was good news for anybody, es-
pccially for any business man, whether
competitor or other.
1T don't mean that altogether as re-
lating to the man personally. Naturally
| 1 sympathize with him and his family
| and with his business. 1t Is not pleas
ant to see things that have been faith
fully and laboriously built up suddenly
slip into ruin.
But while I feel the natural regret
which Is caused by all the personal ele-
ments In the case, feel a greater
| regret for the loss which American
business Sustains whenever q successful
business man begins to fancy that he
| finds pleasure in drink.
You will notice that say success
| full business man. The case is ell the
more tragic when man is well known
! and successful, and will tell you why.
All Twisted on Success.
"You see. the American people are all
| twisted on their ideas Of success. They
! FIX on a certain point and they saw that
! is success That point Is usually far
on the hither side of success. In one
case it may be money. man gets
| together a lot of money and there are
always plenty Of people to cite that as
| proof OF his success.
We'll, If money is the objective in
| life, and If q man gets money, then he
| has aTTived-he is a success. But you
might as well say builder is success
| because he has accumulated lath and
| mortar and brick and stone and lumber
on a vacant lot. Money is like building
Notwithstanding to use II you
know how to use it: otherwise nothing
more than an advertisement Of futility.
! He should look out. The cemetery
/ is at the end of that street. When a
business man gets money he Is only
| gathering materials together ready to
! start his work. If he doesn't see things
| in that light he is not and never has
| been q business man. His monev Is not
! a sign OF his success: 1t IL the tool
which will help him work out his sue
cess if he is ever to have any.
He has not arrived; he has Just
reached the second or third rung OF
the ladder. He is no more a sue
cess than the man with his foot on
the bottom rung. He Is only In
better position. for the time being.
to do something worthy OF being called
success II he keeps on. II he stops
he is first a failure.
| Now that Is just where the we'll
known business man on whom I was
! speaking made his mistake. He mis-
took his money for success. And, OF
course he found plenty who encouraged
him in that false notion. 1t was time
for him to celebrate. and they were
! there to help him celebrate. Prohibi-
| tionists were fatheads anyway, and
neither the laws of God nor the laws
of the country were made for mil
| lionaires. That was the kind of at
mosphere created about him. And so
the report begins TO run here and
there. among banks and competing in