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The Truth About
Henry Ford
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Henry Ford.
The Truth About
Henry Ford
BY
SARAH T. BUSHNELL
Chicago
The Reilly & Lee Co.
Tifi ■: I
PUBLIC l; '.
44286A
A9TOR. J
WLUN F
Copyright, 1922
By
The Reilly & Lee Co
All Bights Reserved
Made in U . 8 . A.
The Truth About Henry Ford
i
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I His Childhood and
School Days . 11
-II The City Beckons 25
III His Courtship and Mar-
riage 31
IV The First Car and the
First Race 40
V The Story of Magical
Success 58
VI The Peace Ship 76
VII The Ford - Newberry
Senatorial Campaign. 97
VIII The Chicago Tribune
Libel Suit 132
IX Henry Ford's Interest-
ing Personality 147
X His Wife and His
Home 169
XI The Ford Factory,
Foundry and Trade
\ School 189
XII His " Honest-to- Good-
ness Americanism ". . .200
^
1
WHY IT IS "THE TRUTH"
In publishing this biographical
sketch, I wish to acknowledge my
gratitude for the co-operation of Mrs.
Henry Ford and of prominent Detroit-
ers who were associated with Mr. Ford
in his early days — among them being
James Couzens, A. Y. Malcomson,
Horace Rackham, E. G. Pipp, C. A.
Brownell and others.
From Mrs. Henry Ford, I secured
most of the data. She personally
helped me to secure accurate and au-
thentic information. For months she
gave me liberally of her time in order
that I might compile this volume and
verify my facts. This assistance en-
tailed a sacrifice, for she shuns pub-
licity, heartily dislikes any attempt to
Why It Is the Truth
draw her into the limelight and objects
to having her name appear in print'.
Mr. Malcomson's financial support
made Mr. Ford's success possible.
Had there been no Alexander Mal-
comson and no James Couzens, the
inventive genius of Henry Ford prob-
ably never would have reached the1
heights it has. From Mr. Couzens, I
secured the figures of the stock sub-
scribed bv the first Ford stockholders.
Mr. Pipp, widely known as the former
editor of the Detroit News, was most
kind and generous in assisting me on
certain difficult and important points.
I am indebted to Mr. Brownell for
his friendly help and interest. He was
for many years an executive officer of
the Ford Company.
In this little book I have tried to
include only points which are fre-
quently discussed and to use carefully
only the information which I secured
directlv from those who have been
Why It Is the Truth
closest to Mr. Ford for the past twenty
years. To all who assisted me, I am
sincerely grateful and I take this
method of acknowledging my appre-
ciation.
The Author.
The Truth About
Henry Ford
CHAPTER I.
His Childhood and School Days
Henry Ford belongs to that
stern, strong, creative generation of
Americans that has served our
country so well in the critical days
of its national development. He
has the simple faith, the sturdy
life, the unflagging industry, the
love of family that typify the best
Americans. This brief chronicle of
some of the vital periods of his
life will give his fellow country-
men a clearer understanding of the
character and purposes of the man.
vpr Tpr "^ vf?
Two years after Michigan be-
ll
The Truth About Henry Ford
came a state the first link in the
railroad connecting Detroit and
Chicago was built to Dearborn-
ville, then a small village ten miles
from Detroit. In those early days
the settlers drove to " town " in
ox carts over corduroy roads that
they themselves had built with logs
from the surrounding forests. The
coming of the first train was, there-
fore, a great day in Dearbornville.
The pioneers gathered in the shade
of the stockade walls of the arsenal
and debated the new invention.
There were many pessimists among
them who were sure that the crude
locomotive of that time would
never be of practical value. Wil-
liam Cremer had wagered that his
white faced sorrel mare could out-
run the iron horse in a race from
Ten Eyck's tavern to the village;
and it did, William reining in his
12
His Childhood and School Days
horse at the arsenal before the train
came in.
In the group that witnessed this
triumph of the horse and the sub-
sequent arrival of the train was
a young lad, William Ford, who
lived between Dearbornville and
Fort Wayne — a post where U. S.
Grant was stationed a few years
later as a lieutenant. William
Ford had recently come over from
Ireland. The twinkle in his blue
eyes, the glow in his cheek and
his ready wit told that, but his
speech and his manners spoke of
his English ancestry. He had
cleared and put under cultivation
the land where he lived, and some
years later married Mary Litogot,
the daughter of his nearest neigh-
bor. In the five years that fol-
lowed five children came to bless
their home.
13
The Truth About Henry Ford
On July 30 in the third year
of the Civil War, Henry Ford was
born and was named after his uncle
who owned an adjoining farm.
The war and the still wonderful
iron horse were general topics of
conversation in the days of Henry
Ford's childhood. He heard the
grim tragedies of the conflict
retold; he knew many of the sol-
diers at the arsenal and he often
saw bluecoated army officers splash-
ing along the road to Detroit. As
he grew older he accompanied his
parents when they drove to the
small Episcopal church in Dear-
born where William Ford was a
vestryman and where the services
were conducted by the army chap-
lain from Fort Wayne. Thus war
had its part in his boyhood as in
the later days of his life.
The five Ford children attended
14
His Childhood and School Days
the old Scotch settlement school
when very small, and when Dear-
born and Springwells townships
were laid out they went to the
Springwells school. Every day
that weather permitted, the five
children walked the two and a
half miles to the Springwells school
where they were taught reading,
writing, spelling, geography and
arithmetic. No attention was paid
to history even though it was then
in the making. The schoolmaster
was Mr. Brush whose son Alonzo
Brush, a playmate of the Ford
children, was years later the inven-
tor of the Brush automobile.
Henry Ford's deskmate was Edsel
Ruddiman, who for twenty-five
years has been Dean of Chemistry
at Vanderbilt University and after
whom Henry Ford's only son is
named. James Ruddiman, Edsel's
15
The Truth About Henry Ford
brother, later married Mr. Ford's
sister.
One of the earliest childhood
recollections of Henry Ford is his
longing to see the iron horse that
he could hear a mile away beyond
the woods. A frail child, he had
been forbidden to venture away
from his home alone, so he would
climb to a fence top when he heard
the distant whistle and try to make
out the strange machine as it toiled
over the grades. His childish imag-
ination could not believe that the
ugly, silent monster of iron that he
saw when occasionally he went to
the village with his parents could
be the fiery thing that whooped
through the woods like an Indian
— and in those days it was said
that Chief Pontiac still roamed the
forests of the region.
Henry Ford showed early in life
16
His Childhood and School Days
that interest in machinery that
shaped his later career. The story
runs — and although it is fiction it
may be repeated here — that when
six years old Henry eluded his
father and mother one Sunday
morning as they were entering
church, and was found later trying
to put together a playmate's watch
which he had taken apart. At 14 the
lad was confirmed in the village
church by the bishop and to this day
he frequently attends service there.
There are many authentic stories
of his boyhood interest in mechan-
ics. About the time he was ten or
twelve years old he developed a
great interest in the steaming tea-
kettle that sang and jiggled on the
kitchen stove. While the other chil-
dren romped outdoors Henry kept
close to the hot wood stove, watch-
ing with the round eyes of child-
17
The Truth About Henry Ford
hood as the steam lifted the kettle
top and rattled the lids of the
vegetable saucepans. In the dining
room of the Ford home was an
old fashioned fire place. One day
Henry secured a thick earthenware
teapot which he filled with water;
then he stuffed the spout with
paper and tied down the lid.
" Now let's see if you can lift
that lid, old Mr. Steam," he said
as he thrust the teapot close to the
fire. Then he sat down to see what
Mr. Steam could do. An explosion,
followed by a child's cry of pain,
soon brought Mrs. Ford running
from the kitchen. Scattered about
the room were the fragments of the
teapot. One piece had shattered a
window pane, another had broken
a mirror, while a third had cut a
gash in Henry Ford's head. His
face, too, was badly scalded. To
18
His Childhood and School Days
this day a faint scar remains to
show what Mr. Steam did.
Mary Ford possessed that quick
understanding sympathy of the
true mother. " My dear child," she
said after the wound had been at-
tended to, " I am afraid you are
going to hurt yourself many times
if you try to imprison steam or
make other experiments."
After the children had been put
to bed that night she told her hus-
band of the incident. " Henry is
eaten up with curiosity/' she de-
clared. " He asks questions I could
not answer in a thousand years.
I am afraid he is different from the
other boys; they are satisfied with
explanations, but Henry has to in-
vestigate everything for himself.
I wish you would watch him closely
when he gets near machinery. I am
worried about him whenever he
19
The Truth About Henry Ford
goes to the barn, for he doesn't
know the meaning of fear."
Some time later his parents no-
ticed that Henry was not returning
from school until twilight. Inquiry
brought out the following explana-
tion: Near the school was a creek
bordered by twisted weeping wil-
lows, whose cool shade afforded a
delightful place for boys to lounge
and plan the great things of boy-
hood. While the other pupils spent
their noon hour in games, Henry
Ford and his group of chums busied
themselves in building a dam across
the creek with stones and other ma-
terials gathered from the nearby
fields. When the dam was done
they fashioned a rude water wheel
that revolved with gratifying rap-
idity. But the dam caused the
waters of the creek to back up and
this brought protests from the
20
His Childhood and School Days
farmers. Schoolmaster Brush or-
dered the youthful engineers to
tear out the dam. " When this is
done/' he concluded, " Henry, who
is your ring-leader, can remain with
me after school each day until I tire
of his company." And that was
why Henry returned home each
evening at twilight.
Today Mr. Ford counts among
his most treasured possessions a pic-
ture of the old creek showing the
dam and the water wheel and a
group of his long ago companions
sitting in the shade of the willows.
Mr. Ford's keen interest in water
power still persists. He has trav-
eled through Michigan and other
states buying water rights and sites
for dams, and is formulating plans
for locating small industries in
country districts where water
power can be developed.
21
The Truth About Henry Ford
At one time John Haggerty was
Henry Ford's desk mate at the
Springwells school. One afternoon
the two boys, hidden behind their
open geographies, were busy dis-
secting a watch. At the most inter-
esting point in their investigation
the sheltering geographies fell with
a bang and their occupation was
revealed. Mr. Brush surveyed them
sadly. " Now, John," he said at
length, " I will trouble you and
Henry to bring me that watch.
You are sent here to get book
learning. The idea of big boys like
you, almost 16 years old, playing
like children. You can stay after
school and try to put the insides
of that watch back like they were
before you began to meddle with it.
You might as well learn right now
that it is wrong to start anything
and leave it unfinished."
22
His Childhood and School Days
When Henry was 14 his mother
died and the little family was over-
whelmed with grief. With the fine
courage of the early settlers Marga-
ret Ford, the oldest daughter, took
up the labors and responsibilities
of the household, and the father
did all he could to fill the mother's
place, but the family life was sadly
changed. Mary Ford was a re-
markable woman; she taught all
her children that to be useful to
their country and community was
the best of all ambitions, and she
imbued them with noble princi-
ples and ideals. At 18 or 19, when
she married William Ford, she was
a rosy-cheeked, dark-haired, beauti-
ful girl, calm, well poised and
courageous. In those years a moth-
er's tasks were many and heavy,
especially in the country districts.
Mrs. Ford met each day's problems
23
The Truth About Henry Ford
with a cheerfulness that made her
seem wonderful in the eyes of her
son, Henry. She taught him that
he must not drink, smoke or gam-
ble, and to these teachings he has
remained steadfast all his life. She
impressed upon him that he must
be true to conscience and duty, and
she taught him that courage which
bore fruit in after years.
At 17 Henry Ford finished the
eighth grade at the Springwells
school and a year later he set out
for the city, Detroit.
24
CHAPTER II.
The City Beckons
Like most active country boys
Henry Ford had made for himself
a tool shop, where he spent many
busy, happy hours on the farm. So
adept did he become that as he
grew older he became the general
handy man for the neighboring
farmers. He fixed many broken
farm implements and before he was
18 he was in charge of his father's
saw mill. But the city called him
and he went.
Alone and unknown, he secured
a job with the Flower Manufactur-
ing company, engaged in the mak-
ing of steam engines and em-
ploying more than a hundred men.
The company was at that time one
25
The Truth About Henry Ford ~
of Detroit's largest manufactur-
ing concerns. His apprenticeship
there was practically a course in
mechanical engineering, and he was
paid $2.50 a week. This was less
than William Ford paid his hands
on the farm and did not cover the
cost of Henry's room and board in
the city. But the place had this
compensation: It brought him op-
portunities that were out of reach
on the farm. He could spend his
idle hours in the city library among
the companions he valued most of
all — the books and journals on
mechanical engineering. To sup-
plement his " salary " he made ar-
rangements with a jeweler whereby
he could repair watches. That was
one of the red-letter days of his
youth, rivaling that other when he
was allowed to mend a neighbor's
sewing machine.
26
The City Beckons
He worked hard and long, his
two occupations keeping him busy
from seven in the morning until six
at night and from seven until bed-
time. For nine months he was
thus employed, steam engines and
watches filling his waking hours
and quickening the many ideas that
filled his mind, awake and asleep.
Someone has said that " inven-
tion travels in thought waves. It is
possible for two or more inventors,
hundreds of miles apart, to be
working on the same problem with-
out any knowledge that someone
else is engaged on the same proj-
ect." It was about this time that
the restless desire began to formu-
late itself in Henry Ford's brain to
build a vehicle that would compete
with the iron horse of childhood
memory.
After seven months in the em-
27
The Truth About Henry Ford
ploy of the Flower Manufacturing
company young Ford went to work
for the Drydocks Engine company,
whose specialty was marine ma-
chinery. He was doing well, and
opportunity for advancement was
just ahead when one day came
word from his father urging him to
return to the farm. William Ford
said that his health was poor, that
he was growing old, the farm hands
were becoming careless and indif-
ferent and beyond his ability to
manage. He needed his boy, he
said$ to care for the home place. It
was a blow to the young man in
Detroit, but his mother's teachings
made his decision certain. Putting
aside ambition, he answered the
call of filial duty and gave up his
place in the city to return to the
farm where he was needed. This
summons, as will be seen later on,
28
The City Beckons
was the turning point in his life.
Brief mention will not be out of
place here of the other sons of Wil-
liam Ford. When Henry went to
Detroit, John Ford remained on
the farm. Some time later he be-
came a member of the Springwells
school board, a position he retains
to this day. William Ford, another
brother, became in later years
Mayor of Dearborn and member of
the Dearborn school board.
Today two miles from the old
Ford homestead can be seen the tall
smokestacks of the great River
Rouge foundry. This gigantic
plant, owned by Henry Ford, was
used during the world war as a
naval station, and also in the mak-
ing of the Eagle boats and subma-
rine chasers. These boats were
launched directly into the River
Rouge and made the long voyage
29
The Truth About Henry Ford
through the Detroit river, Lake
Erie and Lake Ontario, through the
Welland canal and down the St.
Lawrence river to the sea — and
service. But that is getting ahead
of the story.
30
CHAPTER III.
His Courtship and Marriage
Up to this time Henry Ford had
rough-hewn his life; now Destiny
stepped in and began to shape his
career. He spent the spring, sum-
mer and autumn following his re-
turn in plowing, planting and har-
vesting on his father's farm. But
Fate was preparing a reward for
his self-sacrifice and entrusting the
details to Romance. Henry soon
again became a favorite in the
countryside, his city-learned ways
adding to his popularity. When
winter came he showed that he was
still the best skater in the neighbor-
hood. " In those days,5: as an old-
timer has said, " no one went to
Florida or California in winter.
31
The Truth About Henry Ford
Instead they staved at home and
enjoyed the best sports of the
year."
Henry bought a bright red cut-
ter. As it sped over the smooth
roads with many bells a- jingle, it
was generally admitted that he was
the best " catch " of the neighbor-
hood. But that opinion was not
unanimous; five miles away, in
Greenfield township, lived Clara
Bryant, local belle and beauty,
with beaux a-plenty. She cared not
a snap of her pretty fingers for
Henry Ford, his city ways and his
new cutter — and she made no se-
cret of her opinion.
Naturally such indifference chal-
lenged young Ford's attention and
quickened his interest. He forgot
Detroit and mechanics and set
about accomplishing a bigger un-
dertaking. His red cutter was an
32
His Courtship and Marriage
asset of which he made effective
use; good-naturedly he carried
many a laughing crowd to and
from the skating parties. At the
Greenfield club one evening he
quietly produced a curious watch,
the like of which the countryside
had never seen. It had two sets of
hands and recorded both standard
and sun time. As he displayed this
wonder he dropped vague hints of
other and greater inventions.
" Mother," said Clara Bryant the
morning after the Greenfield club
party, " Henry Ford is different
form the rest of our crowd. He
can invent the most interesting
things. He is the best skater and
he dances as well as he skates. We
sat out two dances last night be-
cause I wanted to see a watch he
had made. It is the queerest watch
you ever saw. He says he is going
33
The Truth About Henry Ford
to make something else and let me
see it."
Mrs. Bryant, wise mother that
she was, said nothing. She was
acquainted with her daughter's sud-
den enthusiasms.
During that winter Henry Ford
invented his first tractor, although
it did not bear that modern name.
It was a machine to use in plowing
and harvest time, and it was fash-
ioned out of an old wagon body,
some wagon tires, harrow teeth and
other pieces of discarded farm ma-
chinery. As he toiled over his new
machine the young inventor did
not dream that in later years his
name would be known 'round the
world wherever ground is broken
and harvests gathered. About this
time he took a course in Gold-
smith's college in Detroit, but study
and invention did not crowd one
34
His Courtship and Marriage
other plan out of his active mind.
" Father," he asked when he was
twenty-four years old, " if I should
marry what part of the land would
be mine'? "
" I'll do for you just as I in-
tended to do for John and Wil-
liam," his father replied. " You
can have enough timber to build a
house and can have eighty acres
facing Recknor road. When I'm
gone there will be forty acres more
for each of you children."'
The son went about his courtship
with the determination and en-
thusiasm that marked his undertak-
ings in mechanics. Likewise he set
about the building of a home for
his future bride. Such methods
could not fail and Henry Ford and
Clara Bryant were married one
April day in 1888. Their new
home, a modern structure with
35
The Truth About Henry Ford
broad verandas, was ready for
them. It stood in the midst of roll-
ing farm land, with its red dairy
and barns grouped at the rear. For
three years the young couple dwelt
there in happiness. The husband
was busy with his farm work, but
the hum of machinery still was
music to his ears. In this time he
built three saw mills and often he
was to- be seen sitting in the shade
of a spreading oak figuring with
pencil and paper ; often, too, he was
busy in his tool house with odds
and ends of machinery.
One evening came the revealing
of his great resolve. " Clara," he
said, " it looks as if I could not
stand the farm any longer. I'll
have to go back to Detroit and
begin work on my horseless car-
riage. I can't do much on it here."
His young wife was aghast. Her
36
His Courtship and Marriage
glance took in the many comforts
of their home, the opened piano
with its sheets of music, the cheer-
ful fire on the hearth, the large
carved armchair that her mother
had brought from Warwick, Eng-
land, the old-fashioned English
clock that William Ford had given
them as a wedding present. She
loved that cozy home, and she
never had heard of a horseless car-
riage. Was her husband losing his
mind?
Why, Henry," she exclaimed,
you are the best farmer around
here. Your engine is a wonder —
and whoever heard of a horseless
carriage! "
" Bring me a pencil and a large
piece of paper and I will show you
what it is," her husband replied.
From the piano where she had
been playing she took a piece of
37
ce
The Truth About Henry Ford
music. On the wide, white back of
the sheet Henry Ford drew with
quick, sure strokes, until to his wife
leaning over his shoulder the
strange vehicle took form and sem-
blance. He explained each part as
he drew it, his eyes sparkling, his
hand trembling with his enthusi-
asm. As he pictured the vehicle to
her it did not seem improbable. He
spoke of the motive power of steam
cars, steamboats and fire engines;
he talked confidently of resilience
and gasoline. It was midnight be-
fore he finished and then his wife
had caught his enthusiasm.
"If you want to go back to De-
troit we'll manage it somehow," she
promised him.
Soon they were house hunting in
town and* found on Bagley street,
then in a residential district but
now a business thoroughfare, the
38
His Courtship and Marriage
home they wanted. It was a small
building with a large red, brick barn
which would serve as a workshop.
They soon moved to the city and
Mr. Ford, then twenty-eight years
old, went to work for the Edison
company. He had, in addition, an
income from his farm and three
saw mills and was not a poor man.
However, he had to make the most
of time, money, material and effort.
Mrs. Ford was sympathetic and op-
timistic and she was a great help
to him in those da}^s when his home
surroundings were such a factor in
keeping his hopes high and his
determination unshaken. It was by
good management and hard work
that he rubbed Aladdin's Lamp and
became one of the world's richest
and most famous men.
39
CHAPTER IV.
The First Car and the First Race
For two years that horseless car-
riage " ate its head off.'1 Always it
consumed money, money, more
money. Bicycle wheels were bought
for it, but all other parts had to
be made to order and by hand. And
often these parts would not fit and
had to be made over. But Henry
Ford never grew discouraged, never
lost confidence in the ultimate suc-
cess of his invention. And then —
at 2 o'clock on a rainy morning
in April, 1893, the task was done
and the vehicle ready for a test.
Despite the darkness and down-
pour Mr. Ford would not delay.
With no idea of what that strange
machine might do, Mrs. Ford
40
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The First Car and the First Race
caught up an umbrella and fol-
lowed her husband to the street.
As he clanked away all sorts of
fears assailed her. If the machine
did not kill him he probably would
die of pneumonia. The noise of the
vehicle would awaken the neigh-
bors. She wished for the moment
that she had not encouraged him in
his work. As her mind recalled the
days and months of study and
labor, a loud noise heralded her
husband's safe return. The horse-
less carriage would go! Flushed
with pride and excitement, the in-
ventor pushed the strange little
machine into the barn, locked the
doors and went into the house. He
drank a glass of hot milk, spread
his dripping clothes before the fire
and went calmly to bed to enjoy
the best rest he had known since
their return to the city.
41
The Truth About Henry Ford
In the days and weeks that fol-
lowed friends and neighbors flocked
to see the new vehicle. Mr. and
Mrs. Ford created a sensation every
time they rode through the streets;
in the country horses dashed into
ditches or fences when the horseless
carriage approached. Country peo-
ple regarded them much as they did
a circus. Every time the vehicle
was dragged from the barn Mrs.
Ford made some excuse for accom-
panying her husband on his ride.
She was optimistic by nature, but
she felt that sooner or later some
accident would occur — and she
wanted to be with him then. He
was anxious to test the machine's
hill-climbing powers. The neigh-
borhood was largely flat and the
one hill in Wayne street was too
near the river to make a test pru-
dent. So Mr. and Mrs. Ford drove
42
The First Car and the First Race
ten miles around the boulevard to
the graded approach to the viaduct.
Mrs. Ford said nothing of her fears
but waited. The little car did not
tip over or roll backward down the
grade, but slowly, inch by inch, it
gained the top.
Those were the days when every-
one rode a bicycle and Woodward
avenue was thronged with men and
women on their wheels. One day
as Mr. and Mrs. Ford were making
their slow progress along the boule-
vard a bicyclist — a " scorcher " —
approached their car. So aston-
ished was he at sight of the strange
contrivance that he fell under the
Ford car. The two occupants were
terrified. Mr. Ford urged the fallen
cyclist to lie still; then he and his
wife hastily got out. A wondering
crowd gathered. There was but one
thing to do and that must be done
43
The Truth About Henry Ford
quickly. Carefully Mr. Ford lifted
the car off the fallen rider, who
scrambled to his feet unhurt, while
the crowd roared with laughter. As
Mr. Ford wiped the perspiration
from his forehead he remarked,
" That was a close call for us."
Later came another unpleasant
adventure. The proudest posses-
sion of a wealthy resident of Bos-
ton boulevard was a pair of fine
driving horses. The first time those
horses saw the new car they snorted,
reared and bolted. Their owner's
wrath was almost beyond words as
he threatened to have Mr. Ford
arrested for causing the runaway.
Years after this same Detroiter told
of the incident with much amuse-
ment. He had called Mr. Ford " a
public nuisance " for driving an
automobile in the street.
Long afterward Mr. Ford saw in
44
The First Car and the First Race
a French magazine a picture of a
car which a Frenchman had in-
vented and which was called an
" automobile." This was the first
time he ever heard the word that
everyone knows today.
* * * *
Before long others than Mr.
Ford were convinced that the horse-
less vehicle was a practical com-
mercial proposition, and a company
was organized in Detroit with Mr.
Ford as the chief engineer. But at
the end of the year little progress
had been made in perfecting the
machine and it was decided to let
Mr. Ford go and employ another
draftsman. This company later
became the Cadillac Motor Com-
pany. Mr. Ford's car was returned
to him and the inventor organized
a company of his own. This sec-
45
The Truth About Henry Ford
ond venture likewise proved a fail-
ure, but reverses served to strength-
en Mr. Ford's confidence in the
future of his invention.
He decided to perfect a racing
car, sold his original machine and
devoted all his energies to devising
a car that would establish a speed
record. Rumors of his new plans
spread and many Detroiters visited
the Ford shop to inspect the new
marvel-— that was to be. Tom
Cooper, the champion bicycle rider,
visited Detroit and offered his co-
operation and financial assistance.
Cooper later was killed in an auto-
mobile accident in Central Park,
New York. An interesting story
of this period has to do with one
" Coffee Jim " and his financing of
the first Ford racer. The story, sad
to relate, is unfounded ; a man who
operated a night lunch car in De-
46
The First Car aiid the First Race
troit took a great interest in Mr.
Ford's work, but advanced him no
money. The financing of the racer,
which was called 999, came from
the farms in Springweils and Dear-
born township.
Mrs. Ford has vivid recollections
of that period. " Expenses were so
great that I thought we never
again would have any money for
ourselves," she said.
Work on the car went steadily
on, for a race had been arranged
and Mr. Ford was eager to win it.
To test the carburetors a steep
grade was necessary and the steep-
est the inventor could find was in
the cemetery. Here the final tests
were made and the car was finished
on the day set for the race, which
was held on the Grosse Pointe race
track, ten miles away. For days
Alexander Winton had been on the
47
The Truth About Henry Ford
ground with his car tuning it up
for the great event. No other cars
were entered, but a hilarious crowd
was present to see the strange con-
test. The Winton car was finely
finished and the low-slung, strange
looking 999 seemed outclassed. But
the race is not always to the beau-
tiful, and 999 won.
In 1902 Mr. Ford began experi-
menting with a two-cylinder car.
The work was carried on in a small
wooden shop on Park avenue and
Grand River, back of the Parker
and Webb building. The messenger
and handy man about the place was
John Wandersee; Gus Degner was
the mechanic, and C. H. Wills
was draftsman and " boss 3 of the
" force." The wages paid averaged
twenty-two cents an hour. Mr.
Ford gave up his position as coal
buyer for the Edison company and
48
The First Car and the First Race
devoted all his time to the new
car. One of his friends was Alex-
ander G. Malcomson, a prominent
Detroit coal man. Mr. Malcomson
was greatly interested in Mr.
Ford's project and often visited the
shop. Sometimes he was accom-
panied by his bookkeeper, James
Couzens, in whose judgment he
had great confidence.
One day Mr. Malcomson re-
marked to Mr. Ford, " Henry, my
boy, you are working mighty hard,
but you are not getting ahead fast
enough. What you need is a bar-
rel of money."
Henry Ford's gray eyes twinkled.
" I reckon I'll have to make haste
slowly," he replied. " I've tried
two companies already and it looks
like I am too adventuresome. I'd
better stick to the slow pace I am
following now. If we could build
49
The Truth About Henry Ford
a lot of machines and make them
cheap enough all of us working in
this little shop would be rich/'
You've got grit and it takes
grit to put over a new idea," de-
clared Malcomson. " I've had my
eyes open and before you know it
Haynes, Duryea and Winton will
be so far ahead that you'll never
catch up. It looks like we'll be
obliged to organize a company — a
big company. We ought to get to-
gether a hundred thousand dollars ;
that would be enough to start the
wheels going. I would be willing
to put up about twenty thousand
in cash. You can put in old 999,"
and he pointed to a corner where
the machine stood. " You've used
up a deal of money in your experi-
ments— I expect you have spent
all of seven thousand, and vour
time has been worth a lot. Suppose
50
The First Car and the First Race
we start in as equal partners; I'll
furnish the money and you the hard
work — and genius."
Henry Ford, a joker himself,
feared his friend was jesting. "And
then what?: was his guarded
question.
" Why then, we'll move this big
working force of yours over to a
building in Mack avenue. I'm
nearly proof positive I can organize
a company. Jimmy Couzens has
saved up about two thousand dol-
lars. He is young and level-headed
and can afford to take a chance.
Besides, Jimmy knows a lot about
business. I'll add him to the force
and I'll peddle the stock. We can
try it anyway. If we fail — '
"We won't fail," Henry Ford
interrupted; " we can't fail. We'll
either succeed or I'll die in the at-
tempt." He shut his lips grimly;
51
The Truth About Henry Ford
then a cheerful smile appeared and
he added, "we can have a lot of fun
doing the thing right."
Even at that time it was Mr.
Ford's idea to make good cars in
large numbers and for a low price.
In a few months the plant was
moved to the Mack building and
Mr. Ford was enabled to devote all
his time to perfecting his machine.
The astounding success of the Ford
company dates from that day.
It is interesting to note the rise
of the men who worked with Ford
at that time. As the business grew
Mr. Ford sent John Wandersee all
over the country to investigate and
study chemistry, and today Mr.
Wandersee is head chemist at the
Highland Park plant of the Ford
company. Gus Degner is superin-
tendent of inspection at the same
plant. Harold Wills was sent
52
The First Car and the First Race
about the country to study steel. It
is he who invented molybdenum,
the toughest and lightest of steels.
At the time of the Chicago Tribune
libel trial it was testified that Mr.
Wills had received a salary of
$80,000 a year for some years. Mr.
Wills is now a motor car man-
ufacturer himself. Enough has
been said here to show that these
men, although they did not buy
stock in the Ford company have
been rewarded with salaries and
bonuses that have made them rich.
They have shared in Henry Ford's
prosperity just as if they had
shared in the original financial risk.
Mr. Couzens invested twentv-
five hundred dollars in the com-
pany and organized and directed
five departments — bookkeeper,
time clerk, purchasing agent, sales
manager and business manager, but
)0
The Truth About Henry Ford
he had no assistants; he did all the
work. Mr. Malcomson found it
more difficult than he had expected
to sell the company's stock, but
finally secured the following pur-
chasers :
John S. Gray, a rich candy mak-
er, who put in ten thousand, five
hundred dollars in cash.
John Anderson of the law firm
of Anderson & Rackham, attorneys
for the company, who invested five
thousand dollars.
Horace Rackham, his partner,
who likewise invested five thousand
dollars.
Albert Shelow, who invested five
thousand dollars and later sold his
holdings to Mr. Couzens for twen-
ty-five thousand.
V. C. Fry and C. H, Bennett,
who bought five thousand dollars'
worth of stock each and later sold
54
The First Car and the First Race
out to Mr Ford and Mr. Couzens
for twenty-five thousand each.
Alexander G. Malcomson, who
put in twenty-five thousand, five
hundred dollars in cash.
Mr. Ford was given an equal
amount of stock for his assets.
At the end of two years the larg-
est stockholders in the company
were Alexander Malcomson, Henry
Ford, James Couzens and John S.
Gray. The Dodge brothers offered
their foundry for the making of the
car parts and each invested five
thousand dollars in the company
and became a director.
Back of the selling of one block
of stock is an interesting story.
Both Mr. Anderson and Mr. Rack-
ham wrere young attorneys and Mr.
Malcomson was their client. He
talked to them of the company he
was organizing, and Mr. Anderson,
55
The Truth About Henry Ford
a bachelor, at once put his money
into it, " taking a chance,5' as he
said. Mr. Rackham's case was dif-
ferent. He lived only two doors
from the Ford home and had a nod-
ding acquaintance with the in-
ventor, but his health was poor and
he could not afford to speculate
with his savings. So he went to a
leading banker for advice.
The banker took him to a win-
dow. : Look,'1 he said pointing to
the street. You see all those peo-
ple on their bicycles riding along
the boulevard? There is not as
many as there was a year ago. The
novelty is wearing off ; they are los-
ing interest. That's just the way
it will be with automobiles. Peo-
ple will get the fever; and later
they will throw them awa}^. My
advice is not to buy the stock. You
might make money for a year or
56
The First Car and the First Race
two, but in the end you would lose
everything you put in. The horse
is here to stay, but the automobile
is only a novelty — a fad."
Mr. Rackham was convinced.
But a few days later he met Mr.
Malcomson who showed him facts
and figures and talked eloquently.
Rackham was convinced again —
but the other way. He sold some
real estate and took the money to
Malcomson. " Here, take this
money and buy the stock before I
have time to change my mind
again," he said. Anderson and
Rackham drew the incorporation
papers for the company and each
man held his stock, selling it finally
for twelve and one-half million
dollars.
57
CHAPTER V.
The Story of Magical Success
**'
On October 1, 1902, Mr. Couz-
ens took a trial balance — in pen-
cil — which showed that the Ford
company after three months of
operation was making rapid pro-
gress. By January, 1903, the first
commercial car was sold, and soon
orders began to come in faster than
they could be filled. One hundred
and sixty-five cars were sold that
year. A larger factory, located on
Piquette street, was secured and the
work went forward rapidly. In
1905 the company began to pay 6
percent dividends.
In this Piquette street plant a
young bookkeeper named Klingen-
smith was employed at a salary of
58
The Story of Magical Success
sixty-five dollars a month. Mr.
Ford advanced him rapidly and in
time Mr. Klingensmith became
Vice President and Treasurer of
the H'^hland Park plant. He tes-
tified in the Tribune suit that for
several years his salary had been
$75,000 a year. The drafting room
at the Piquette street plant was in
charge of Carl Emde, a German, who
took out his first naturalization pa-
pers in 1902, and his second papers
in 191 1. When the company moved
to the Highland Park plant Emde
was put in charge of the tool room.
This employee suddenly found
himself in the spotlight of pub-
licity in the last days of the Ford-
Newberry senate campaign, as will
be told later.
Another employee at the Pi-
quette street plant was a pattern
maker named Sorenson, a Dane,
59
The Truth About Henry Ford
who for years has been manager of
the River Rouge foundry and trac-
tor plant.
These are some examples of the
way in which Mr. Ford has re-
warded the men who have worked
faithfully for him during long
years. It always has been a source
of pleasure to him to share his pros-
perity with his employees.
* * * *
Following the famous race at
Grosse Pointe, when the Ford 999
defeated the Winton car, there
were other races in various parts of
the country, but in these Mr. Ford
had no part. Finally, however, he
decided to rebuild 999 and make it
the " fastest thing on wheels." Soon
afterward it was decided to hold a
race against time on the frozen sur-
face of Lake Sainte Claire in the
60
The Story of Magical Success
hope of breaking the record then
held by Vanderbilt. The race track
was built of cinders laid on the ice
and racing officials had come from
many cities to serve as judges and
time keepers. Mr. and Mrs. Ford
and their small son, Edsel, had
gone to the lake the evening before
and Mr. Couzens had followed
them on the morning of the race.
Mr. Ford was to drive 999, for the
event was all important to him.
Early in the morning the engine
was tested as a precaution, and to
the consternation of the officials in
the factory did not run well. They
toiled over it like mad and finally,
twro hours before the time set for
the race, the trouble was corrected,
and the start made for Lake Sainte
Claire, then considered a long way
out in the country, although only
ten miles from Detroit. Distances
61
The Truth About Henry Ford
have shrunk since that day. The
weather was cold and raw, with a
high wind that added to the dis-
comfort of the spectators. Mr. Ford
huddled in a short thick coat of
black curly astrakan and wished
999 would arrive.
Finally the car appeared down
the road and preparations for the
start were completed at once. Mr.
Ford took his seat, and at the crack
of the pistol threw on the power.
For a moment 999 stood on its hind
wheels, as if imitating a bucking
bronco, then the tires gripped the
surface of the track and the ma-
chine was away like a shot. The
hundred or more spectators held
their breath as the little car tore
along the track, then cheered wTildly
as it crossed the finish line. In a
few minutes the timekeepers an-
nounced that Mr. Ford had broken
62
The Story of Magical Success
all records by making the mile in
39 4/5 seconds. This feat made
the car and its designer known the
world over.
That race and the previous one
in which he defeated Alexander
Winton were the only speed con-
tests in which Henry Ford drove
his own car. Shortly afterward
Barney Oldfield drove 999 at New
.York, Chicago, Los Angeles and
other cities and won many suc-
cesses, but the company's racing
was destined to end soon in a near
tragedy. Frank Kulick was driv-
ing a six-cylinder car in a race at
the Michigan State Fair when a
rear tire exploded, flew off and
struck him on the head. The blow
stunned Kulick and the speeding
car crashed through a fence. Ku-
lick was extracted from the tangled
wreckage and hurried to a hospital.
63
The Truth About Henry Ford
As the unconscious driver was car-
ried away Mr. Ford declared:
" Never again will I risk the life of
one of my men in this way."
Never, since that day, has the
Ford Company entered a race.
Kulick recovered and is still in
the employ of the Ford company.
Likewise all the men who prepared
the car for the race now hold im-
portant positions with the com-
pany. A picture was taken of them
when the racer was completed.
They were Peter E. Martin, now
general manager of the Highland
Park plant; Charles Hartner, now
assistant plant superintendent;
Gus Degner, now superintendent
of inspection at the Highland Park
plant; Fred Rockelman, now man-
ager of the Indianapolis branch;
Fred Haas, now in charge of all
the branches, and Ray Dalinger,
64
The Story of Magical Success
who will be mentioned again in the
account of the peace ship. This
racer was the first of its type ever
built.
Even though it made no more
racing cars the Ford company en-
joyed prosperity without limit;
likewise the automobile fever grew
to white heat in Detroit. Fortunes
were made quickly and lost as
quickly, but through all the excite-
ment Henry Ford clung to his pol-
icy of making a good car at the low-
est possible price. In 1906 Mr. Mal-
comson sold his interest in the com-
pany to Mr. Ford and turned his
time and attention to his coal busi-
ness. Had he held his stock until
1919 and sold it then at the same
price paid Mr. Couzens he would
have received $62,500,000. Mr.
Malcomson is a man of wealth,
however, although he did not make
65
The Truth About Henry Ford
a dollar out of the company he
founded and which has made other
men multi-millionaires. Writers
frequently come to him for his
story. " If you will let me send
that around the world I will make
you famous," one journalist told
him. " Think of what you are
missing! This is your big oppor-
tunity."
Mr. Malcomson laughed. " You
don't understand," he explained.
" I do not want fame or newspaper
notoriety either. Why, the most
fun I get is listening to what peo-
ple say in hotels and on trains. I've
heard more versions of how the
Ford company was started than you
could think up in a year. Some-
times the story is so pathetic that
it almost brings the tears to my
eyes; sometimes it is so funny that
I almost laugh in the speaker's face.
66
The Story of Magical Success
I wouldn't miss all this for any-
thing."
Mr. Couzens left the Ford com-
pany on November 1, 1915, a
month before the Peace Ship sailed,
but continued as a director of the
company until September. 1, 1919,
when he sold his interest in the
company to Mr. Ford for thirty
million dollars. As mayor of De-
troit Mr. Couzens has made a name
for himself, particularly by the
fight he waged and won for munici-
pal ownership of the street car
lines. He is sponsoring a munici-
pal hospital that in plan and pur-
pose will be wonderful, and he has
at every opportunity championed
the cause of the people of his city.
After twelve years' connection
with the Ford company the Dodge
brothers notified Mr. Ford in Feb-
ruary, 1915, that they did not care
67
The Truth About Henry Ford
to handle the factory work longer,
their contract expiring in June.
They later began the manufacture
of their own cars and sold their in-
terest in the Ford company to
Henry Ford and his son for $25,-
000,000 each. It is reported that
the holdings of the Gray estate
were sold for $27,000,000.
A young university graduate who
expected to be advanced rapidly in
the Ford service, remarked one day,
" If I had Henry Ford's money I'd
never prowl around the Rouge fac-
tory the way he does. All I'd know
about the Ford industries would be
what I read in the newspapers."
His " prowling around " undoubt-
edly has been one of the important
factors in Mr. Ford's success. From
the beginning no one in his employ
68
The Story of Magical Success
worked harder than he, and no one
works harder today. Mr. Ford be-
lieves that wealth is a trust and he
strives to use it accordingly, for the
betterment of the workers in the
Ford industries. He prefers to
raise industrial standards rather
than to make more millions by ex-
ploiting his workers. His influence
extends far beyond his own plants
and has proved a boon to the work-
ing classes generally.
He holds the affection of the
mass of his workmen as no other
large employer can hope to. How
he will stand by a man was demon-
strated in the case of Emde in the
Ford - Newberry senatorial race.
This incident which contributed to
Mr. Ford's defeat will be told in a
subsequent chapter. The Ford em-
ployes are generally " well fixed."
They have bank accounts, they own
69
The Truth About Henry Ford
securities and many of them own
their homes. The real test of a
man's popularity is in his home
neighborhood, where he is best
known. Mr. Ford is remarkably
popular in Detroit; the mention of
his name brings enthusiastic ap-
plause and his appearance at a
large gathering has, on more than
one occasion brought the throng to
its feet cheering. Mere money
could not do this. His popularity
is founded on the fact that he is
recognized as the friend of the com-
mon people — and that give's him
a tremendous personal following
throughout the country. This pop-
ularity has made him the target of
criticism, but the best answer to
the critics of Mr. Ford's methods
is found in the fact that there never
has been a strike in any of the Ford
industries during the nearly twenty
70
The Story of Magical Success
years of their life — not even in
the coal fields he owns.
Mr. Ford's activities in behalf of
his employees are enthusiastically
supported by John Henkel, his em-
ployment manager at the Highland
Park plant. Henkel is honest and
capable, but the heart and brain of
the Ford system is Henry Ford
himself. As is inevitable in such
a large organization inequalities
sometimes creep into the system.
Those placed in authority have not
always been loyal to their trust.
But Mr. Ford is always on the
alert and wrongs are quickly
righted once they are detected.
When the five-dollar wage was
put in effect at the Ford plants
thousands of workmen were at-
tracted to Detroit, many more than
could be given employment. Much
distress resulted. Mr. Ford called
71
The Truth About Henry Ford
in a trusted friend and gave him
$50,000 with the request that the
friend investigate conditions quiet-
ly and use the money to relieve the
wants of the unemployed. None
of those aided knew from whom
the money came. Mr. Ford in-
stinctively dreads notoriety and has
an iron-clad rule that his name
must not be connected with what
he gives.
The wonderful achievements of
the Ford factories are known wher-
ever manufacturing is known. In-
dustrial experts from far and near
have come to Detroit to study the
Ford methods. Many of these men
have labored in the Ford plants to
better acquaint themselves with the
practical workings of the system.
Such a man was K. Mimaura, em-
ployment manager of the Sumi-
tomo copper works at Osaka, Ja-
72
The Story of Magical Success
pan. Although he worked for the
Ford company for some time his
identity was not learned until he
resigned to return to Japan where
he is now in charge of a large foun-
dry and smelter. He left behind
him in Detroit many friends and a
trail of Japanese fans which he had
ordered made in Osaka.
Early in the war a German baron
went to Detroit and wanted to or-
der five hundred Ford cars for im-
mediate delivery.
" Mr. Ford is not willing to ac-
cept war orders," he was told.
" I understand all that," the
baron replied impatiently, " but
how long will it take you to make
the five hundred cars'? "
Quite patiently the company of-
ficial explained again Mr. Ford's
determination. This was bevond
the baron's comprehension. " Don't
73
The Truth About Henry Ford
jest with me," he declared. " I
want to place this order today. I
am willing to pay your price. When
can the cars be delivered? "
" It is now noon," the official
told him. "It would take until 4
o'clock to make the five hundred
cars. But Mr. Ford has issued or-
ders that nothing will be manufac-
tured for war purposes. That is
his order. The only condition that
would make' him change it would
be America's entry into the con-
flict.'" When America did enter the
war the German baron probably re-
called what he had been told in
Detroit.
A French commissioner who came
with a war order had a similar ex-
perience. He was shown through
the plant. " Time them," said his
guide as they stood watching the
finished cars rolled away by the me-
74
The Story of Magical Success
chanical starter. "A finished car
every twenty-nine seconds. Take
your watch and time them.': The
Frenchman did, but he got no cars.
Throughout the country many
plants worked day and night dur-
ing the war turning out munitions
and other military supplies. The
Ford plant was unique in that no
work was done there on Sunday.
" My men must have their day of
rest,5: Mr. Ford ruled. " We can
do our full part without breaking
the fourth commandment." And
they did. Today one out of every
ten of his employees is a returned
soldier and half of these veterans
are physically disabled. Henry
Ford still is doing his part.
7&
/
CHAPTER VI.
The Peace Ship
The facts about the Peace Ship
— how the idea was presented to
Henry Ford; the theory of what
could be accomplished and the re-
sults, direct and indirect, of the
undertaking, make a story far dif-
ferent from that believed by, per-
haps, the majority of people. The
true account set forth in the follow-
ing pages was given the writer by
persons in a position to know the
facts, and every statement has been
verified. Instead of criticism and
ridicule Henry Ford deserves com-
mendation for his endeavor.
The name of the person who per-
suaded Mr. Ford to undertake the
strange mission of peace is omitted
7^
The Peace Ship
here for good reasons. This leader
withdrew from the party before the
ship sailed and left Mr. Ford to
endure the criticism and censure
alone. Much as one may deplore
the spectacular manner that marked
the undertaking, the three hundred
thousand dollars that it cost was
not money wasted. As will be
shown later the country profited by
Mr. Ford's expenditure.
Rebecca Shelley and Angelica
Morgan, two American women
writers, one a delegate to The
Hague Peace Conference in 191?,
and the other also an ardent peace
advocate, brought back to this
country the report that Europe was
weary of the war, and that the bat-
tling nations were all eager for
peace. These women believed that
if a delegation representing neutral
countries were sent to Europe the
77
The Truth About Henry Ford
way could be paved for peace nego-
tiations. They wanted President
Wilson to appoint Miss Jane Ad-
dams of Chicago as America's rep-
resentative.
Both women tried to see the pres-
ident and also endeavored to have
him receive Miss McMillan, a
prominent English woman, then in
America and Madame Schwimmer,
an Austrian, who claimed to possess
documents of vital importance in
any effort to end the war. Failing
to reach the president, Miss Shelley
and Miss Morgan went to Detroit
to see Henry Ford, who, they knew,
was close to President Wilson.
They failed again, but they did
meet and talk with a number of
prominent Detroiters; also they se-
cured the co-operation of a number
of active club women.
As a last resort Miss Shelley and
78
The Peace Ship
Miss Morgan went to the office of
the Detroit News to enlist the sup-
port of that paper. To the then
editor-in-chief, E. G. Pipp, they
stated their case thus : " Jane Ad-
dams is willing to go to President
Wilson and lay before him all the
information she secured at The
Hague concerning the sincere de-
sire of the European nations to end
the war. President Wilson has re-
fused to see her. Miss McMillan
has proof that the Allies want
peace. Madame Schwimmer has
documents which show that the En-
tente will enter into peace negotia-
tions. These women must return
home unless the president sees them
soon. At the rate the war is pro-
gressing America will soon become
involved/'
Mr. Pipp went into his private
office and soon was talking to Mr.
79
The Truth About Henry Ford
Tumulty, the president's secretary,
on the long distance telephone.
Your information must be incor-
rect," Mr. Tumulty told him, when
Mr. Pipp repeated the story just
told him. " President Wilson has
not refused Miss Addams an inter-
view. Perhaps if she makes an-
other effort to see him it can be ar-
ranged. The president can receive
only delegations including repre-
sentatives of both sides in the con-
flict. They must bring with them
authentic information."
Mr. Pipp then got into communi-
cation with Miss Morgan and Miss
Shelley. Madame Schwimmer came
to Detroit, but Miss McMillan had
returned to England. It was sug-
gested that Mrs. Philip Snowdon,
wife of a member of Parliament,
and at that time lecturing in this
country, be placed on the peace
80
The Peace Ship
committee in place of Miss Mc-
Millan. Miss Shelley and Miss
Morgan favored the idea of having
many telegrams sent the president
urging him to undertake the pre-
liminaries of peace. They also
wished to arrange a big peace pa-
rade in Detroit to attract the atten-
tion of the country. Mr. Pipp
urged them to abandon all such
plans.
" There is nothing to be gained
by spectacular efforts," he said.
" You wished an audience with the
president. It can be arranged.
Publicity is altogether inadvisable
and cannot help your cause. J:
When Madame Schwimmer
reached Detroit she learned that
Miss Morgan and Miss Shelley had
exhausted their funds. She im-
mediately sold her jewelry to meet
the obligations incurred and took
81
The Truth About Henry Ford
a small room on the top floor of
the Tuller Hotel. The writer was
told by a woman who knew her that
Madame Schwimmer was not the
charming, dazzling creature that
report has made her. She is de-
scribed as a woman of culture and
education, sincerely eager to end
the war. She was fairly good look-
ing, pale, with dark hair and
snappy black eyes. She seemed
just a plain motherly person, with
no great amount of personal mag-
netism.
Like every newcomer in Detroit
Madame Schwimmer was anxious
to meet Henry Ford. She was an
admirer of the Ford industrial sys-
tem and desired moreover to show
the motor king letters and docu-
ments from Earl Grey, the King
of Sweden, von Bethman-Hollweg
and others. These documents she
82
The Peace Ship
carried with her always, enclosing
them in a flat green leather bag se-
cured to her wrist. It has been said
that these papers were forged, but
the charge never has been proved.
She appealed to Mr. Pipp to secure
for her an interview with Mr. Ford.
" I think I can arrange for you to
meet him," Mr. Pipp told her, " but
I shall make the appointment on
one condition: You must promise
not to ask him for financial aid or
try, directly or indirectly, to secure
money from him."
Madame Schwimmer's snappy
black eyes looked straight into Mr.
Pipp's steady blue eyes as she an-
swered : " I give you my word of
honor that I shall not ask Mr. Ford
for money for any project what-
ever. I want to secure his aid in
presenting my documents to Presi-
dent Wilson." Mr. Pipp then ar-
83
The Truth About Henry Ford
ranged the meeting. At his sug-
gestion Alfred Lucking, Mr. Ford's
senior counsel and a former mem-
ber of Congress, was present when
Madame Schwimmer met the motor
king in his great office at the High-
land Park plant. She presented
her credentials and other docu-
ments and was questioned search-
ingly by Mr. Lucking. No witness
in court ever underwent a more
gruelling cross - examination than
did this Austrian woman that
morning.
In this connection it must be
remembered that there was no
stronger advocate of peace in the
country than Henry Ford. He had
been born in the years of the Civil
War and had spent his childhood
in the shadow of the old arsenal at
84
The Peace Ship
Dearborn. His boyhood had been
filled with stories of the horrors of
war, and one day, years afterward,
when driving away from his plant
with a friend, he remarked: " There
is the factory into which I have put
my life. I have given it the best
that is in me, but I would rather
tear it down brick by brick with
my own hands that have it used for
making munitions of war."
The writer can state on the best
authority that Mr. Ford did not
agree to go to Washington with the
peace committee. He was in
Washington shortly after his meet-
ing wTith Madame Schwimmer, and
it was there that he was persuaded
to go abroad with the peace dele-
gates. It was at this time that the
Peace Ship was suggested to him.
Shortly afterward he telephoned
Mrs. Ford at their home :
85
The Truth About Henry Ford
" We are going to Europe,51 he
told her.
"Going where % Who is going
to Europe?1 asked his astonished
wife.
" You and I — We're going to
Europe. And we are going to take
some people with us."
" Indeed we are not," was Mrs.
Ford's emphatic reply. " Don't let
anyone talk you into any such no-
tion.
It may be suspected that the
motor king was unwilling to risk
further discussion with his wife, for
next day he called up Mr. Pipp
from New York. " There is a
rumor here that I am dead," he told
the newspaper man. " I don't want
Mrs. Ford to worry. Will you
telephone her that I am all right.
You can get her quicker from your
office than I can from here. Tell
86
The Peace Ship
her my cold is better and that I'll
be home soon."
" What about the interview with
President Wilson?" Mr. Pipp
asked.
" There is nothing that he can
do," came the answer in weary
tones. " I'll tell you all about it
when I return. By the way, do you
mind if I bring Miller back with
me? I do not like to make the trip
alone." Miller was the Washing-
ton correspondent of the News, and
Mr. Ford was particularly fond of
him.
The next thing Mr. Pipp and
Mrs. Ford heard was the newspaper
announcement that Mr. Ford had
agreed to finance a peace expedition
to Europe; that a considerable
party of peace enthusiasts would
accompany him, and that he had
chartered a ship for the voyage.
87
The Truth About Henry Ford
Mr. Ford returned to Detroit
fired with the zeal of a crusader.
To every advisor who urged him to
abandon the project he replied:
" In Washington they have experts
studying every hill, valley, river
and road in Europe. They have
men studying every phase of war,
but no one studying the possi-
bilities of peace. If America is
dragged into the war there will be
a terrible loss of life among our
young men. Thousands will be
slaughtered like cattle and other
thousands will die from exposure
and disease. The reconstruction
period through which we shall have
to pass will be terrible. If I can
be of any service whatever in help-
ing end this war and keeping Amer-
ica out of it I shall do it if it costs
me every dollar and every friend I
have."
88
The Peace Ship
The Peace Ship sailed on De-
cember 4, 1915. It was necessary
to take in gold the money needed
to defray all expenses. Mr. Ford's
farm manager, Ray Dalinger, who
had served him since the days of the
Piquette street plant, had charge of
guarding and handling the great
bags of coin that were carried in
the ship's hold. Hardly was the
Statue of Liberty out of sight be-
fore the peace delegates began to
be less peaceful among themselves.
In a short time the disagreements
and friction became more marked.
Madame Schwimmer herself be-
came unpopular. She was temper-
amental and wrapped herself in a
mantle of reserve. It has since been
said that perhaps Madame Schwim-
mer was " a conspirator seeking to
focus the attention of the world on
peace at a time when her country
89
The Truth About Henry Ford
and its allies held the whip hand."
If this be true, she was sadly lack-
ing funds for the undertaking. Her
interviews were in full glare of the
searching light that beats upon pub-
licity. If she was an arch-spy, what
could she accomplish by announc-
ing her presence in a neutral coun-
try where the secret service is swift,
active and effective ? What could
she gain by approaching a man
whose father was an Englishman;
whose wife was the daughter of an
English mother, both of whom keep
in close touch with England? If
she were an adventuress, she was
bound to know that it is utterly im-
possible to reach a man of Henry
Ford's prominence without being
carefully scrutinized and investi-
gated. If she were sincere in her
motives, she has been terribly ma-
ligned and her disappointment in
»
90
The Peace Ship
the failure of the expedition must
have been overwhelming.
Henry Ford was ill when the
party reached Christiania. A cold
had become worse and he was in no
condition to go farther with his al-
ready hopeless task. He remained
abroad long enough, however, to
gather first-hand information of the
European situation, especially as-
tounding information regarding
Russia. He learned, too, that Ger-
many had no intention of ending
the war without a victory that
would subjugate the entire English-
speaking world. He found that
what the Allies needed most was
a submarine detector.
Mr. Ford returned home on New
Year's Day, 1916. The experience
had aged him. It had opened his
eyes to many things he would
rather not have known and which
91
The Truth About Henry Ford
he probably never would have be-
lieved had he not made the voyage
in the Peace Ship. That the war
would continue he was convinced.
The struggle would be a terrific one
and the day was rapidly approach-
ing when America would be drawn
into it. Germany knew this coun-
try was unprepared and believed
that we could not whip an army
into shape in time to count in the
conflict.
Forthwith Mr. Ford began to do
some planning of his own. He or-
dered his yacht overhauled and
made ready for instant service if
the government should need it. His
River Rouge plant, as has been
said, is located at the point where
the stream from which it takes its
name flows into the Detroit river.
The plant was rapidly equipped
for the making of Eagle boats and
92
The Peace Ship
submarine chasers. The situation
is an ideal one for a naval station,
and it was used for this purpose
throughout the war after the entry
of the United States. Finally, Mr.
Ford issued orders that work be
rushed on his three million dollar
hospital.
With all these preparations he
never discussed with any one what
he had learned abroad or the work
he now had to do. If he read the
bitter criticisms he gave them no
heed. People close to him realized,
however, that the current of his life
had changed. He was busy day
and night now; the twinkle came to
his eyes but seldom, and the iron
gray of his hair whitened.
A year later America entered the
war and Henry Ford was sum-
moned to Washington.
" How quickly can you supply
93
The Truth About Henry Ford
us with cars and munitions?" he
was asked by a congressional com-
mittee.
" I must have a little time," he
parried.
" Exactly how long will it be be-
fore you can make your first deliv-
ery of cars, trucks, caissons and the
like? " came the insistent question.
Henry Ford looked at his watch;
it was 1 1 :30. " By 3 o'clock to-
morrow afternoon my first delivery
will be complete," he replied. " I
can telegraph to the plant and start
wrork immediately. They should
receive the order in five minutes."
The Congressmen laughed. They
did not know that he had spent
many sleepless nights planning
every detail of the work that he
knew he would be called upon to
do. They did not know that he had
been awaiting the day when he
94
The Peace Ship
must place all the resources of his
great industry at the service of the
government. The great factory —
the largest motor plant in the world
and the only one that hitherto had
refused war orders — was equipped
to the last detail so that at the sig-
nal from its owner every depart-
ment could take up the work of
war.
That is why the Ford plant
played the wonderful part it did in
supplying the necessities of war.
That is why it was able to turn out
finished materials for the armies
faster than the ships could carry
them across the Atlantic. What
Henry Ford had learned on his un-
successful peace voyage had caused
him to prepare for the day that now
had arrived. He knew that every
day the struggle was prolonged
more brave young soldiers would
95
The Truth About Henry Ford
fall and he employed all his vast
resources to hasten the coming of
peace by a speedy victory.
Henry Ford gave all his war
profits — twenty-nine millions —
to the government, with no ham-
pering conditions. This vast
amount was turned back to the
Treasury to be used as the govern-
ment saw fit. This was the act of
a pacifist. If all the war advocates
had done the same the country's
war debts would not be so stagger-
ing to-day and there would have
been less talk of war profiteers.
96
CHAPTER VII.
The Ford-Newberry Senatorial
Campaign
If the Peace Ship injured the
prestige of Henry Ford the effect
was not apparent in his native state
in 1916, for in that year the delega-
tion sent to the Republican Na-
tional Convention at Chicago was
instructed to give him its compli-
menary " favorite son i vote. Mr.
Ford has none of the characteristics
of a statesman, or even politician,
and does not yearn for public office,
but he has more men working for
him than there are people living in
Nevada and Wyoming; he has
been marvelously successful in his
conduct of immense * business un-
dertakings, and it would seem that
97
The Truth About Henry Ford
he must be capable of filling a
place in the Senate of the United
States — not as a statesman or
politician, not as an orator or social
leader, but as a hard-working, suc-
cessful man who always has had
the interests of many people at
heart.
In Michigan, where he is best
known and most esteemed, many
citizens were eager for him to be
their senator, as William Alden
Smith had announced that he
would not be a candidate to suc-
ceed himself. Mr. Ford was urged
to make the race on the Republican
ticket and although the nomination
would have been equivalent to elec-
tion he refused, partly because he
did not want the office and partly
because he did not want to take the
time away from his business. Then
the Democrats appealed to him
98
/ The Ford-Newberry Campaign
to become their standard bearer.
" Michigan," they told him, " is
overwhelmingly Republican. You
are the only man who can make the
race as a Democrat with any hope
of success. At this critical period
the President needs the support in
Washington of every friend he
has."
About this time the President
sent for Mr. Ford to come to Wash-
ington for a conference. They dis-
cussed the submarine detector on
which Mr. Ford himself had been
working. From that the conversation
turned to the coming senatorial cam-
paign.^ Partisanship did not enter
into the conversation, but the Presi-
dent said that he needed Mr. Ford
in the Senate and gave as his reason
that he " was fair-minded and had
no party prejudices,5 \ and he added;
" No one knows as I do the work
99
:&--
The Truth About Henry Ford
that you and your son are doing to
help win the war. No one knows
better than I know the heartache
and the sacrifice that you are put-
ting into it. But I hope you will
put aside your personal feelings,
make this additional sacrifice and
be a candidate."
Mr. Ford was touched by the
appeal, but his reply was charac-
teristic of the man. " I cannot leave
Detroit," he told the President.
" I cannot take my eyes off the
plant. No matter how many offi-
cials I may have, I must be there
myself. I am around my factory all
day and every day; I am there
very often at night. I've gotten
out of bed many a time to drop in
on the night shift and see how
things were moving. I've worked
right along with the men on the
submarine detector and we have
100
The Ford-Newberry Campaign
just completed it. I cannot take
time to make the race. Moreover,
I have so much to do at Detroit
that I could not spend enough time
in Washington if I were Senator.
Besides, I can't make speeches and
I have not the patience to sit
around and listen to folks who like
to talk."
Mr. Wilson put his hand on Mr.
Ford's shoulder. " The country
needs you," he said. c We are being
swamped by waste; we are being
hampered by various combinations.
I need your aid in this time of
stress. I know your obligations and
I realize that I am asking more
than you feel you can give; but I
need you — need you more than
you know."
And when Henry Ford returned
to Detroit the same argument was
advanced from every side: "The
101
The Truth About Henry Ford
President needs you. You are the
only man in Michigan that can be
elected on the Democratic ticket."
Meanwhile the Republicans,
alarmed by the general talk of Mr.
Ford as the Democratic candidate,
cast about for the strongest man
they could find to oppose him.
They selected Commander Truman
H. Newberry, prevailed upon him
to enter the primaries and he was
selected as the Republican nomi-
nee. Mr. Newberry was a man
of great wealth — several times
a millionaire — and was con-
nected with the most influential
families of the state. His home was
in the fashionable suburb of Grosse
Pointe, ten miles from Detroit. In
1905 he had been appointed Assist-
ant Secretary of the Navy and
when American entered the world
war President Wilson made him
102
The Ford-Newberry Campaign
a Lieutenant Commander in the
navy, the highest rank ever con-
ferred upon a civilian. Later he
became aide to Rear Admiral N. E.
Usher, commandant of the third
naval district, which includes New
York and Brooklyn. At that time
no one had any idea of the bitter-
ness and legal prosecutions that
would follow the campaign; no one
had any idea that Commander
Newberry, one of Michigan's lead-
ing citizens, would be convicted
and sentenced by a Republican
jury and judge for violation of the
federal election law, and that many
other party leaders would be in-
volved with him. If either Mr.
Ford or Commander Newberrv had
known what was in store it is more
than likely that neither would have
taken part in the campaign, even if
they had foreseen that after the
103
The Truth About Henry Ford
long and bitter fight Mr. Newberry
would be cleared in the United
States Supreme Court and the law
under which he was prosecuted de-
clared unconstitutional.
Finally Mr. Ford agreed to run.
Soon the battle was on. His ad-
mirers took off their coats, rolled
up their sleeves and went to work.
Party lines were swept aside and
Detroit never has known such a
campaign as that which followed.
Soon the excitement swept over
the entire state — both men were
known in every township and vil-
lage and both were regarded as the
strongest their respective parties
could have selected. As time passed
the campaign grew hotter and hot-
ter. Straw votes were taken every-
where and it was confidently pre-
dicted that Henry Ford would be
elected by an overwhelming ma-
104
The Ford-Newberry Campaign
jority, although he had almost no
newspaper support — Michigan
having few Democratic papers.
But the race was not over. Two
developments were to upset the
hopes of Mr. Ford's followers. One
was the letter written bv President
Wilson asking for a Democratic
congress. This did his candidacy
much harm. The other was the
statement attributed to Charles
Evans Hughes, which appeared in
the newspapers on November 3,
1918, just two days before the elec-
tion. The statement itself hurt Mr.
Ford's chances, and Mr. Ford's sub-
sequent action did his cause still
more harm. It should be kept in
mind that the Ford Motor company
had done and still was doing a
vast amount of war work. Armis-
tice rumors were already being
heard, but the necessity of guard-
105
The Truth About Henry Ford
ing the country's war secrets was as
great as ever.
In its issue of Sunday morning,
November 3, the Detroit Free Press
carried a full-page advertisement,
which also appeared in other news-
papers, parts of which are given be-
low. The ' ad 3 was published by
the Republican State Central Com-
mittee, over the signature of John
D. Mangum, chairman. At the top
in heavy type, at least two inches
high, were the words:
"HENRY FORD AND HIS
HUNS."
Below this was the following
statement :
c Carl Emde, a German
alien and a German sympa-
thizer, is boss of the drafting
work on the Liberty motor at
the Ford plant. Henry Ford
106
The Ford-Newberry Campaign
knows he is a German alien
and a German sympathizer,
but he refuses to take him off
this work.
" This is not hearsay. It is
absolute fact, vouched for by
Charles Evans Hughes, whom
President Wilson appointed to
find out why the production of
American aeroplanes has been
so much delayed, when the
American soldiers in France
need them so much. President
Wilson's confidence in Mr.
Hughes is emphasized by the
fact that Mr. Hughes is a for-
mer justice of the Supreme
Court of the United States.
His reputation and respect for
the truth and for fairness in
judgment have never been
questioned, even by his bitter-
est adversaries. Concerning
107
The Truth About Henry Ford
Emde's job, Mr. Hughes says
in his report to the President:
" ' IT IS POSSIBLE FOR
ONE IN THAT DEPART-
MENT TO BRING ABOUT
DELAYS THE CAUSES
FOR WHICH, IN VIEW
OF THE MULTIPLIC-
ITY OF DRAWINGS, IT
WOULD BE HARD TO
TRACE/ "
There are three more paragraphs
attacking Mr. Ford on this score,
which I shall omit — not wishing
to weary the reader. The advertise-
ment continued:
"Sacrifice? What about the
sacrifice of American soldiers
if this German pet of Henry
Ford's sees fit to delay the
108 '
The Ford-Newberry Campaign
make plans and photographs
of the Ford plant or the Lib-
erty motor for use by the ene-
mies of the United States,
Henry Ford is willing to give
him a chance to do it, just as
he fell for Madame Schwim-
mer's pro-German peace plans.
" Henry Ford loves Huns
too much to be trusted with a
seat in the Senate of the
United States and help make
peace with them. Commander
Newberry knows them for
what they are and is helping
to fight them at every stage of
the game.
" There can be but one
choice for wide-awake Ameri-
cans in this election."
The Ford campaign managers
were taken completely by surprise,
111
The Truth About Henry Ford
The Liberty motor work, the par-
ticular department attacked, was
the best piece of work that Henry
Ford had accomplished, and the
Republican letter was a staggering
blow. The only hope of offsetting
the damage done lay in an imme-
diate reply through the Monday
papers so that as many as possible
of the voters, especially in the rural
districts, could be reached before
they went to the polls Tuesday
morning. Mr. Pipp, who had re-
signed as editor-in-chief of the
Detroit News and who had been
government inspector in seven De-
troit factories engaged in war work,
was in charge of all the Ford cam-
paign statements given to the press.
He began work at once on an
answer to the Hughes statement.
It was a difficult undertaking; for,
while he knew just what the Ford
112
The Ford-Newberry Campaign
plant had accomplished in the
making of war materials, it was
hard to decide how much could be
revealed at that time. Mr. Pipp
knew what Emde had done; he
knew that the Liberty motors could
not have been completed in such
numbers without his aid. A few
words about these famous motors
will make this clear. Up to that
time the approved method was to
machine the cylinders out of solid
forgings, a method that consumed
a vast amount of time and required
a tremendous amount of equipment
and labor. To eliminate delay the
Ford company decided to use steel
tubing cut to length and upset.
The plan was to have one end of
the tube heated and formed to a
cone shape, leaving a small open-
ing at the end of the cone. A sec-
ond operation flattened the cone so
113
The Truth About Henry Ford
as to weld the hole shut, making a
seamless joint. Unfortunately this
method was found impractical; the
hole was closed, but seams and
cracks appeared where the edges
came together.
It was essential to produce a
seamless wall in the cylinder and
four men, Emde, Findlater, Hart-
ner and Martin, set to work to find
a method of doing it. This they did
by placing the point of the cone to
one side, so that the defect was
located on the spot where a two-
inch hole had to be drilled for the
valve seat. Production was started
under this method, but another de-
lay was experienced because of the
slow method of cutting the tubes.
Emde set to work again and de-
signed and built a shear to be used
instead of a steel saw. The re-
sult was that 4,000 cylinders a day
114
The Ford-Newberry Campaign
were produced. In other plants the
valve housings, intake and exhaust
were acetylene welded to the top
of the cylinder. Emde with a com-
panion, Riemenschneider, worked
out a method of butt welding which
made a superior weld and saved
much time. This method was sub-
sequently adopted by other makers
of the Liberty motor. In all 5 1 1 ,854
cylinders were made by the Ford
company. Approximately 125,000
were used at the Ford plant and
the remainder delivered to the gov-
ernment for other Liberty engine
makers.
The company also turned out
700,000 bearings for the Liberty
motor, and these were so superior
that the government had placed or-
ders with the company for all the
Liberty motor bearings made in
this country. Up to the day of the
115
The Truth About Henry Ford
publication of the Hughes state-
ment 400,000 of these bearings had
been delivered.
Another important war-time
achievement of the Ford company
was in the making of caisson axles.
The problem was to get away from
the solid axle forgings, as these re-
quired the drilling of a three and
one-half inch hole for seventv-six
inches through solid metal. The
Ford company made the axles from
steel tubing at one-sixth the cost.
And every axle passed the govern-
ment test.
But Mr. Pipp knew much more
about the achievements of the Ford
company. It had delivered 2,000,-
000 steel helmets, 8,000 caissons,
more than 8,000 trucks and 25,000
Ford cars and 6,000 ambulances,
several hundred of which were
given free. Nor was that all. Much
116
The Ford-Newberry Campaign
experimental work had been done
on three-ton tanks and a smaller
two-man tank. More than a million
dollars' worth of work had been
done in producing special devices
for the British navy, and the Ford
chemical department had co-oper-
ated in the making of gas masks.
Motion picture reels for the Lib-
erty Loan, the Red Cross and other
patriotic uses were made by the
company and supplied to the gov-
ernment in sufficient quantities to
be used all over the countrv. Other
motion pictures were sent to the
American forces on every fighting
front.
How much of this information
he would be warranted in publish-
ing as an answer to the Hughes
criticisms was the problem that
confronted Mr. Pipp. However,
time pressed and he set to work,
117
The Truth About Henry Ford
and a statement was completed on
Monday morning. Just as he fin-
ished his labors Mr. Ford, who was
in the room, started to the tele-
phone. " I want to get Emde," he
explained. " I want to tell him not
to worry." Emde, it is true, was
born in Germany, but he had been
a naturalized citizen of the United
States for many years.
" Let me read this statement to
you first," urged Mr. Pipp. " Then
I can give it to the papers. Any
delay in getting it published may
mean your defeat."
" If a candidate has to go
through this sort of thing to get
into the Senate I don't want to go
there," said Mr. Ford. " Wait until
I talk to Emde." After consider-
able delay he got Emde on the
wire. " Don't worry, Emde," said
Henry Ford. " I have seen the
118
The Ford-Newberry Campaign
papers. I know you ; I have watched
you work and I know you are
honest and faithful. If they try to
hang you they will have to hang
me first. I am going to see that you
get a square deal."
When Mr. Ford had finished his
conversation with Emde, Mr. Pipp
induced him to read the statement.
Mr. Ford approved it and Mr. Pipp
sent it to the newspapers. It was
too late; the Monday noon papers
had gone to press and it was these
editions that the Ford managers
had relied upon to undo the harm
wrought by the Hughes statement,
for they circulated throughout the
state. The statement did get into
the night editions, but these have
little country circulation, and the
papers that reached the rural dis-
tricts on election morning carried
the Ford statement tucked away
119
The Truth About Henry Ford
where comparatively few saw it.
It is probable that many who read
the Hughes statement never saw
the Ford answer.
This was as follows :
" Our policy is to make men,
not to break them. In times of
panic great injury and injus-
tice are often done to innocent
persons, and we try to keep our
heads.
" We would not allow in-
justice to be done to an old,
trusted and valued employee,
even though he was born in
Germany. The results speak
for themselves. Mr. Emde, re-
ferred to as the special exam-
ple in the Hughes report, has
been with us a little over
twelve years, and he is a most
able and excellent engineer
120
The Ford-Newberry Campaign
and has always given perfect
satisfaction. Not one word
could be found by Mr. Hughes
or anyone else with regard to
Mr. Emde's actual work. We
in the plant know that he gave
valuable assistance and many
suggestions with regard to the
development of the Liberty
motor cylinders, which are be-
ing furnished to all the manu-
facturers, with a saving of
three hundred and forty-five
thousand dollars a month to
the government over former
orders.
"From the beginning of the
war we have taken the greatest
precaution. * * * We have
had no interference with our
work that could be in any way
traced to enemy aliens. * ■ • '•
The United States Marshal
121
The Truth About Henry Ford
can speak for himself as to our
organization and work with
regard to that. Mr. Ford was
a witness before Mr. Hughes,
but he was not asked a single
question with reference to
enemy aliens, Mr. Emde or
anyone else."
Under the Ford reply was
printed a statement from the
United States Marshal:
" We have had less trouble
with enemy aliens in the Ford
plant than in any other large
plant. If there is any blame
with regard to the Ford plant,
it should be on the marshal's
office and not on the Ford
people. The ford company
did not employ a single Ger-
man alien without a permit of
the marshal's office."
122
The Ford-Newberry Campaign
Friends who dropped in to see
Mr. Ford that day still expressed
confidence that he would be elected,
but as he and Mr. Pipp left the
campaign headquarters together
Mr. Ford said to his compaion,
" I noticed that you did not join
with the others when they were
insisting that I would win to-
morrow."
"No," replied Mr. Pipp. "I
couldn't agree with them. I don't
think you have plain sailing. I
think you have a fair fighting
chance, but only a fair one.'
" But that wasn't what you said
Saturday."
"No; if the election had been
held Saturday you would have won.
But to-day is Monday and it's a
different story."
" Do you mean that you think
the Wilson letter — "
123
The Truth About Henry Ford
" In my estimation," interrupted
Mr. Pipp, " the Wilson letter cost
you ten thousand votes. You could
spare that many. There were peo-
ple in Michigan who had forgotten
all about party lines; they only re-
membered that you were a candi-
date and they wanted to pay you
the highest honor they could. The
Wilson letter jerked them up. It
reminded them that they were Re-
publicans and that you are running
as a Democrat. I would wrager that
letter cost you their votes. You
could spare ten thousand votes, but
you can't spare many more."
" Then you think the Hughes
statement — "
" The Hughes statement will
work more havoc than anything
else could have done. People will
not have time to learn the truth.
If I could have got a reply out in
124
The Ford-Newberry Campaign
time for it to reach every voting
precinct it would have helped some.
Up-state and in the rural districts
they won't see to-morrow's papers,
but you can be perfectly sure that
they'll get word of the Hughes
report. If they don't see it them-
selves some one will pass it along.
The gossip that you're keeping a
German working in your cylinder
department will reach them. Com-
ing from a man of Mr. Hughes'
prominence, it will carry weight.
I think I know politics and I think
I know that last-minute rumors
often turn the tide. In my opinion
you have a fair fighting chance.
You may pull through by a narrow
margin. You probably will lose by
between five and ten thousand
votes."
The first election reports gave
the state to Commander Newberry
125
The Truth About Henry Ford
by 7,567 votes. The official re-
count, some eighteen months later,
changed the figures somewhat, but
not the result. Mr. Pipp had been
right.
The results of that contest were
far reaching. If Henry Ford had
won there would have been an
equal number of Republicans and
Democrats in the Senate and the
Vice-President, a Democrat, would
have cast the deciding vote where
there was a tie. Moreover, the Re-
publicans would not have had the
chairmanships of all the commit-
tees. Finally, but for the Repub-
lican majority of two in the Senate
the League of Nations might have
been endorsed.
The many good Americans who
are opposed to the League feel that
it was fortunate for the country
that Commander Newberry was
126
The Ford-Newberry Campaign
elected. Many others, firm be-
lievers in the League, regard the
outcome of the Michigan campaign
as a defeat, not alone for Henry
Ford but for the hope of permanent
peace. Certainly the whole nation,
perhaps the whole civilized world,
was involved in that contest. It
was not until a short time ago, on
May 2, 1921, that the case was
finally disposed of by the decision
of the United States Supreme Court
at Washington, which set aside the
conviction of Commander New-
berry in the Michigan District Fed-
eral Court and declared unconsti-
tutional the Corrupt Practices act
under which he had been indicted.
There are those who say that Mr.
Hughes never made the statement
attributed to him, and that he
would not have stooped to such
campaign methods had he been
127
The Truth About Henry Ford
aware of the Republican commit-
tee's plan. " The statement was
held back until the last minute so
that Mr. Hughes would not have
an opportunity to deny it," they
argue.
His defeat brought to Henry
Ford, no doubt, a feeling of relief.
He had made the best fight any
candidate could make. He was sur-
prised and hurt by the eleventh-
hour methods of the Republican
organization. For himself his con-
science was clear; he had fought a
clean fight and had not stooped to
underhand methods. Long before
the votes were recounted and the
official election figures filed he had
received several citations from the
United States War Department,
which meant much more to him
than a seat in the United States
Senate. The citation which gave
128
The Ford-Newberry Campaign
him the most pleasure is printed
herewith :
" To Ford Motor Company,
Detroit, Michigan:
" In accordance with the
recommendation of the Direc-
tor of Air Service a certificate
of merit has been sent to vou
under separate cover.
" The citation by the Direc-
tor of Air Service is as follows :
" THIS COMPANY PRO-
DUCED 3,950 COMPLETE
LIBERTY- 12 MOTORS OF
UNUSUALLY GOOD
QUALITY. THEY ALSO
PRODUCED ALL CYLIN-
DER FORGINGS USED
BY ALL PLANTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF LIB-
ERTY MOTORS, AND
THEY INVENTED AND
129
The Truth About Henry Ford
DEVELOPED SPECIAL
MACHINERY AND PRO-
CESSES FOR THIS PUR-
POSE. THIS PLANT WAS
100 PER CENT ON WAR
WORK.
"The Chief of Ordnance
also made similar recommen-
dation and citation:
" IT IS VERY GRATIFY-
ING TO ME TO BE EN-
ABLED TO TRANSMIT
THIS VISIBLE RECOG-
NITION OF PATRIOTIC
WAR SERVICE.
GEO. W. BURR,
Major General,
Assistant Chief-of-Staff."
This proved that Henry Ford, in
his own field, had done all that any-
living man could do for his coun-
try. Without doubt he had been
130
The Ford-Newberry Campaign
the medium of saving the lives of
many soldiers.
The strangest thing about this
Senate race was that Mr. Ford was
not a Democrat. He was and is a
Republican. He made the race for
Senator because he believed in the
principles for which President Wil-
son was standing. With the ex-
ception of that one campaign, and
the time when he voted for the re-
election of Woodrow Wilson, he
has always voted the Republican
ticket. Yet he was the storm cen-
ter of one of the bitterest political
battles that ever has been waged.
131
CHAPTER VIII.
The Chicago Tribune Libel Suit
Shortly after the time of the
Ford-Newberry campaign an east-
ern writer came to Detroit to se-
cure material for a book dealing
with Henry Ford and his achieve-
ments. He failed to secure the
" copy ' he wanted and for that or
some other reason gave out a story
dealing with Mr. Ford and the
American flag that had no founda-
tion in fact. The story was widely
circulated among newspapers
throughout the country and was,
also, the subject of much editorial
comment. It should be said that
many newspapers printed the orig-
inal telegram from Detroit in good
faith, merely as a matter of news.
132
The Chicago Tribune Libel Suit
and with no thought at the time
that the article was untrue.
The editorial comment that the
" fake53 story provoked was, how-
ever, extremely severe in many in-
stances and especially in some of
the papers which had opposed Mr.
Ford's senatorial candidacy. Those
familiar with Mr. Ford, his work
and his aims, knew, of course,
that he was not an anarchist and
had no sympathy with anarchists,
yet sharp-penned editorial writers
made the charge against him. Mr.
Ford waited patiently, but the at-
tacks continued. Finally, his pa-
. tience exhausted, he placed the
matter in the hands of his attor-
neys, who sent letters to the of-
fending papers, but no retractions
were printed.
At length Mr. Ford and his ad-
visors decided that in defense of
133
The Truth About Henry Ford
his good name he must act. The
leading paper among the group that
had attacked him most bitterly was
selected and suit for libel was
started against it in the Circuit
Court for Wayne County at Detroit.
This paper was the Chicago Trib-
une. It had challenged his pa-
triotism, had termed him an igno-
rant idealist and had linked his
name with the names of noted an-
archist leaders whom Mr. Ford did
not know and with whom he never
had had any connection whatever.
A more absurd charge probably
never was brought against a well
known man than the allegation that
Mr. Ford was an anarchist. At his
great plants in Detroit an Ameri-
canization school had been main-
tained for five years, one of the
primary purposes of which was to
instill respect for American prin-
134
The Chicago Tribune Libel Suit
ciples in the minds of the foreign-
born employees of the Ford com-
pany. This school had prepared
thousands of immigrants for the
duties of citizenship. Mr. Ford,
himself, had done great things for
his country in the critical days of
the war and the beneficial results of
his example and influence were far-
reaching. He was a member of the
Episcopal church, attended services
regularly and was by instinct as
well as by training a champion of
law and order, of patriotism and
truth. He knew little and cared
less about history, although he
played a part in its making, and
concerned himself with what could
be done today for the good of his
fellow men, rather than with what
had transpired in past ages. He
enjoys books on philosophy and
science and is a close reader of Tol-
3d
The Truth About Henry Ford
stoy, Darwin, Maeterlinck and
Emerson. A volume of Emerson
is always to be found beside a
couch in his library where, after
dinner, he frequently spends much
time reading before a huge fire-
place.
In bringing suit against the Chi-
cago Tribune Mr. Ford's position
was simply this: He disliked the
idea of protracted litigation and all
the attendant publicity, but he was
no coward, and once he had de-
cided that he must act, act he did
and vigorously. He reasoned that
in order to secure adequate satis-
faction from the paper that had
libeled him he must demand a sum
that would make a lasting impres-
sion on the press of the country,
hence the million dollars asked in
the bill filed by his attorneys. He
believed that his suit would have a
136
The Chicago Tribune Libel Suit
salutary effect upon the press in
general and serve as a warning that
" free speech ' does not shield the
slanderer. He felt too that he was
championing the cause of other
men similarly wronged, but not so
well equipped financially for a long
and expensive struggle in the
courts. He was not fighting the
newspapers; he was fighting false-
hood.
Elaborate preparations for the
suit were made on both sides. Al-
fred Lucking, former member of
Congress, and senior counsel for
Mr. Ford, was assisted in the pres-
entation of the case by Judge Al-
fred Murphy, who resigned from
the Wayne County bench to enter
the case. The case came to trial
in the summer of 1919 at Mt. Clem-
ens, where it was sent on a change
of venue from Detroit. Among the
137
The Truth About Henry Ford
attorneys for the Tribune was El-
liott G. Stevenson, who had been
counsel for the Dodge brothers in
their suit against Mr. Ford a few
years before. Mr. Stevenson is an
expert in cross examination, adept
in the ridiculing of a witness, catch-
ing him off his guard and discon-
certing him with sudden and unex-
pected questions. Report reached
Mr. Ford and his lawyers that Mr.
Stevenson had boasted that he
would force Mr. Ford to read aloud
in court' long documents and ex-
tracts from books with which the
inventor was unfamiliar. Mr. Ford
was determined to do nothing of
the kind. Upon the day when he
wras on the witness stand he care-
fully neglected to take his glasses
to court, and whenever documents
were presented to him to read he
refused to do so. It was following
138
The Chicago Tribune Libel Suit
one such refusal that Mr. Steven-
son, with profuse apologies, bland-
ly said to the witness :
" Mr. Ford, I dislike to ask you
this question, but I have heard that
you cannot read or write. Is it
true? "
Counsel for Mr. Ford were on
their feet instantly with vigorous
objections to the question and the
argument was sharp and bitter. To
say that a boy who had grown up
on a Michigan farm under home
conditions such as had marked the
childhood of Henry Ford, was illit-
erate was, of course, absurd. Mr.
Ford's friends believed that the
sole purpose of the question was to
supply a basis for a sensational
newspaper story that would be
widely circulated and thus further
wound the inventor.
It was mid-summer. The court
139
The Truth About Henry Ford
room was stifling; an occasional
breath of air wandered in through
the open windows, but was a ques-
tionable relief, for it was laden
with the sulphur fumes of the
nearby Mt. Clemens baths. A small
army of newspaper correspondents
was entrenched at long tables sur-
rounding the lawyers, jury and wit-
nesses. Telegraph boys sauntered
in and hurried out bearing " copy '
for papers far and near. The real-
ization of all this publicity was dis-
tressing to Mr. Ford as he sat in the
witness box. Mr. Stevenson's voice
is throaty and difficult to under-
stand and frequently Mr. Ford
could not catch the question put to
him. This was another strain on
the weary witness.
On the day on which he was to
take the stand Mr. Ford wore
to court an old and comfortable
140
The Chicago Tribune Libel Suit
pair of shoes. Now any witness
should be on the alert during cross
examination; he should watch the
opposing attorney much as one
fencer watches another, prepared
for any sudden thrust. That day,
as the questioning droned on, Mr.
Ford let his attention wander. Ab-
sent-mindedly he drew from his
pocket an old knife, opened it and
began idly to trim a bit of leather
from the edge of the sole of his
shoe. For the moment he was off
his guard.
It was just the moment a clever
lawyer would make the most of.
While I cannot quote from the
transcript of the trial, the question
which Mr. Stevenson suddenly shot
at Mr. Ford was, as I remember it:
" Tell the jury who Benedict
Arnold was."
Mr. Ford paused in the whittling
141
The Truth About Henry Ford
of his shoe sole and looked at the
lawyer, a pained expression on his
face. "Arnold ? — Why, Arnold
was a writer,5' he replied.
At once trained pencils sped over
the paper of the newspaper men
and the tense silence in the court
room was broken by the clatter of
telegraph boys as they sped away
with more " copy.': In no time at
all newspapers all over the country
were proclaiming that " Henry
Ford says Benedict Arnold was a
writer."
" If only you had not said Bene-
dict Arnold was a writer," groaned
a close friend who joined Mr. Ford
as soon as court adjourned. Henry
Ford sighed. " I thought Steven-
son wanted to know about Arnold
who used to write for us," he re-
plied. " Don't you remember him?
He left the office one day saying he
142
The Chicago Tribune Libel Suit
was ill, and that night died of heart
disease. Stevenson surely realized
that I did not catch his question.
He had been asking me about
Delavigne and the other men
who wrote for me. He had asked
me several times about Brownell,
and I thought he was nagging me
about our publicity and advertising
departments."
Such was the simple explanation
of the Benedict Arnold reply.
" Never mind," his friend con-
soled him. " What does it matter?
It was just a trick to bring out that
you seldom think of history. You
are too busy with present day af-
fairs. An attorney is hard up when
he has to drag a Revolutionary
War traitor into a twentieth cen-
tury case."
The Ford lawyers had kept the
testimonv of Clinton C. DeWitt,
143
The Truth About Henry Ford
head of the Americanization school
at the Ford plant, till the last to
give their case an effective climax.
Mr. DeWitt presented the lessons
which he had been teaching the
foreign-born workers for several
years, lessons which taught them to
become good Americans, taught al-
legiance to the flag, interpreted the
constitution and pictured the an-
archist in his true colors as a peril
to government and people alike.
Mr. DeWitt testified further that he
had arranged the lessons after re-
ceiving direct instructions from Mr.
Ford, who frequently inspected
them in outline and who had, dur-
ing the last five years, kept in close
touch with and frequentlv had at-
tended the classes.
At last the case went to the jury,
which promptly returned a verdict
against the Tribune. The clerk of
144
The Chicago Tribune Libel Suit
the court read the verdict as fol-
lows :
"You do say upon your oath that
the said defendants, the Tribune
company, is guilty in manner and
form as the said plaintiff hath in
his declaration in this cause com-
plained, and you assess the damages
of the said plaintiff on occasion of
the premises over and above costs
and charges by him about his suit in
this behalf expended, at the sum of
6 cents' damages."
The jury acknowledged the ver-
dict as correct and hurried from the
court room.
Mr. Ford's main purpose in bring-
ing the suit was to prove false the
accusation of the Tribune that he
was an anarchist. The newspaper
did not appeal the case.
Few similar suits have been more
widely read or discussed than this.
145
The Truth About Henry Ford
It made " good reading,'1 but as re-
ported in many papers the proceed-
ings gave an utterly false picture
of the complainant. Many of those
who aimed much ridicule at Mr.
Ford could have done no better on
the witness stand. As some one
later observed: "After all, the
worst that one of the most power-
ful papers in the country could say
against Henry Ford injured him
only to the extent of six cents. ':
146
CHAPTER IX.
Henry Ford's Interesting Person-
ality
The Ford company plant attracts
thousands of visitors, foreign gov-
ernment officials and other distin-
guished travelers as well as plain
Americans. Two hundred thousand
persons have been conducted
through the plant in a year, and
in one month there were forty-eight
thousand visitors. Naturally they
all want to see and talk to Mr.
Ford himself; naturally, too, he can
receive only a small percentage of
them if he is to have any time for
his own affairs. One day his call-
ers included a European queen, the
Rockefeller of China, an ex-presi-
dent of the United States, several
147
The Truth About Henry Ford
senators, two university presidents,
a committee of educators and a
California woman, seventy years of
age, who had crossed the country in
her Ford roadster.
A staff of secretaries is kept busy
opening Mr. Ford's mail. Ten
thousand letters were received each
dav for a considerable time. If he
were to comply with half the re-
quests he receives for help he would
be compelled to close his business.
Appointments generally are made
for him by Ernest G. Liebold, who
is Mr. Ford's general secretary, to
whom he has delegated great power.
He often acts for Mr. Ford. Mr.
Liebold's assistant is Frank Camp-
sail, who possesses much ability and
a pleasing personality.
It has been said that Mr. Ford
does not read the newspapers, and
that he does not keep in touch with
148
Henry Ford's Personality
the affairs of the day. Both state-
ments are untrue. Mr. Ford reads
the morning papers more regularly
than he eats his breakfast; he
glances through the noon editions
and the evening papers are always
put by his favorite chair and read-
ing light. He goes through them
carefully. Moreover, he receives
many cartoons and clippings that
refer to him, both favorable and un-
favorable.
The activities of his experts show
that Mr. Ford is in touch with mod-
ern conditions and needs. His
chemical department has perfected
a gasoline substitute by liquifying
gases that form much as coke is
made from coal. The same depart-
ment has made tests with a milk
substitute which is purer than the
average cow's milk and which, it is
hoped, will prove a blessing to
149
The Truth About Henry Ford
many thousands of ailing babies.
Mr. Ford frequently discusses small
communities as industrial centers
and many similar subjects.
It has happened not infrequently
that persons who never knew Mr.
Ford have drawn freely from their
imagination to substantiate the
claim that they are familiar with
all the details of his life. A book
was written bv a writer with 'no
more foundation than a few inter-
views with Mr. Ford as he stepped
from an elevator or walked in the
park with his wife. Nearly all the
stories of the financial difficulties
of the inventor in the early days of
his car-making come from vivid im-
agination and nothing else.
$ * * *
At twenty-eight Mr. Ford's only
son is at the head of the motor
150
Henry Ford's Personality
plant. The heir to vast wealth, it
would not be unusual if he devoted
much of his time to golf and other
amusements and spent months at
winter and summer resorts, or, like
many another son of a rich father,
let Dad do the work. Instead Edsel
Bryant Ford is at his desk every
morning. Those who know him
well say that he has his father's
genius, enthusiasm and common
sense and his mother's poise, and
that he is a young man of ability
and strength of character.
Edsel Ford was a small child in
the days when his father was strug-
gling to get a start in the automo-
bile industry, and he naturally has
both love and respect for the great
business that his father founded
and built up. He had no college
education, for he was schooled in
the factory; starting in an unim-
151
The Truth About Henry Ford
portant position he worked his way
through the various departments
and learned the entire business first
hand. The draft board granted
him one of the ten thousand exemp-
tions that were given industrial
workers in Detroit. The board
felt that he was more needed in
the factory than in active military
service. Not by a word or gesture
did Mr. Ford seek to keep his son
out of war.
Mr. Ford seldom wears a hat and
his hair is snowv white. He is a
frail looking man, with shoulders
slightly stooped, and he usually
wears a gray suit that matches his
gray eyes. His features are deli-
cate, his hands and feet small, and
his height about five feet nine
inches. In manner he is friendly
152
Henry Ford 's Personality
and genial, and although very re-
tiring he is a delightful conversa-
tionalist. He has traveled much,
has inherited a touch of his father's
keen Irish wit and enjoys a hearty
laugh. Around his home he whistles
like a school boy. He is devoted to
outdoor life, but abhors hunting.
He will not allow anything to be
killed on his land, not even the
crickets, nor will he permit the ser-
vants to drive away birds.
Among his friends he is known
for his quaint and apt expressions.
With a quizzical glance at a rainy
sky he will remark, " You can't
change the weather, so change your
attitude toward it." " Pool your
knowledge 5 is a favorite bit of ad-
vice he gives, and a comment fa-
miliar to his intimates is, " It takes
pluck, not luck, to make people suc-
cessful.'' One Sundav while he and
153
The Truth About Henry Ford
Mrs. Ford were attending services
in the Episcopal cathedral in De-
troit Mr. Ford's car was stolen from
in front of the church. Since then
he laughingly declares that he has
lost interest in church services. And
he is fond of saying that he " be-
lieves in religion, but doesn't work
at it much."
His country estate of seven
thousand acres was ten miles from
Detroit, but extends almost to what
is now the city limits. There Mr.
Ford lives the year 'round, enter-
tains his friends and is happy
among his birds and trees. A part
of his grounds extends behind the
Dearborn village school. It is a
natural amphitheatre, and Mr.
Ford has had it cleared for the use
of the school athletic association.
He delights in driving through the
village where his own boyhood was
154
Henry Ford's Personality
spent, filling his limousine with
boys and girls and carrying them
off for a picnic in the woods. For
his personal use he generally drives
a small gray closed car — a Mar-
mon — but he has, of course, many
other cars, including a " flock of
Fords/5
He is a skillful camp fire cook,
and one of his favorite amusements
is a steak broiling contest with some
titled visitor. On such occasions
he personally selects the meat at
the butcher's. His frequent visit-
ors include John Burroughs, who
died recently, Thomas A. Edison
and Harvey S. Firestone. These
four regularly spent two weeks to-
gether camping or touring, their
automobiles followed by a " house
on wheels," a large motor truck
equipped like the prairie wagons in
which the western sheep herders
155
The Truth About Henry Ford
cook, live and sleep. Mr. Ford and
Mr. Firestone, being in the same
business, have many interests in
common. Mr. Ford and Mr. Edi-
son have been the closest of friends
for twenty years. Both are pos-
sessed of many similar character-
istics and have the same tireless,
inventive genius. Both believe
that "success is one-tenth inspira-
tion and nine-tenths perspiration.5'
They have consulted each other in
their problems and correspond by
letter and occasionally by wireless,
for both have wireless stations at
their homes.
Mr. Ford first met John Bur-
roughs some twenty years ago when
the great naturalist was visiting in
Detroit. Their devotion to the out-
of-doors soon made them the clos-
est of friends, and that friendship
was unbroken until death took the
156
Henry Ford's Personality
naturalist a few months ago. The
last time Henry Ford saw his old
friend alive was in December,
1920. At that time Mr. and Mrs.
Ford visited the Burroughs place,
Riverby- on -Hudson. Mr. Ford
stopped at a butcher shop on the
way and bought a number of choice
steaks so that "J. B." could prepare
what he called " brigand steaks/'
Here are the directions: Place a
steak, a slice of bacon and an onion
on a long green stick and hold over
the hot coals, turning often. Mr.
Ford, although he had never men-
tioned it, hired men to clear up Mr.
Burroughs' rocky land and also paid
off the mortgage so that the natur-
alist would not lose his paternal
homestead. This Mr. Burroughs
mentioned in his will.
Mr. Ford still takes a keen de-
light in skating, and the small lake
157
The Truth About Henry Ford
on his estate is kept clear of snow
from the first freeze to the coming
of spring. There Mr. Ford spends
many winter evenings gliding over
the ice. It is to such pastimes as
this, no doubt, that he largely owes
his excellent health. He has lived
all his life practically in the same
spot and even today he seldom
leaves the vicinity of Dearborn for
any length of time with the excep-
tion of a summer cruise on his
yacht, a hasty trip of inspection or
for a brief camping trip with old
friends.
The Ford residence is of gray
native stone and built along Gothic
lines. His study is in the round
tower. Long bookcases shelter his
books, the technical ones among
them showing plainly their con-
stant use, and a large window looks
toward the bungalow which Mr.
158
Henry Ford's Personality
Ford built in the first days of his
prosperity as a resting place where
he would be safe from intrusion.
Its broad veranda and great fire-
place surrounded with easy chairs
make it comfortable in summer or
winter. The study windows over-
look what at first glance seems an
Indian mound, but which is the na-
tural shelter for the electric boat
which Mrs. Ford drives up and
down the river. All the windows
give a view of the River Rouge,
which has been compared to the
James in Virginia.
Within a short distance of the
residence is the gray stone garage
in which are Mr. Ford's laboratory
and experiment rooms, and where
he perfected the tractor on which
he worked harder than on any other
of his inventions. In reality this
garage building is a modern power
159
The Truth About Henry Ford
plant with exceptionally heavy
walls to shut in all noise. Here the
inventor often labors until late in
the night, just as he did in the red
brick barn in Bagley street, Detroit,
where he made his first car.
* * * *
About ten years ago a certain
clergyman in Detroit, who was am-
bitious to build a costly church,
went to Mr. Ford for a contribu-
tion, hoping to get a large sum.
" No," replied the millionaire,
" I don't believe in expensive
churches."
" Then," said the clergyman,
"will you come to my next service
and let me preach a sermon espec-
ially for you? I hope to convince
you that you are wrong.5'
The following Sunday the min-
ister cast a searching eye over his
160
THE ' YOK
PUBLIC LIB
AS
TILL
Henry Ford's Personality
congregation; then he announced
his text. It was from I Chronicles,
17 chapter and first verse: "And
it came to pass, when David dwelt
in his house that David said to
Nathan, the prophet : ' Lo, I dwell
in a house of cedar, but the ark of
the covenant of the Lord dwelleth
under curtains/ " The minister
raised his eyes from his Bible and
explained: "The word curtains
used here means tents. ': He fol-
lowed the text by reading verses
one, two, four, five and nine with
especial emphasis on the fourth,
fifth and ninth. Then he turned
the pages to II Samuel, 7 chapter,
and read:
"And Nathan said to the
King, 'Go, do all that is in
thine heart; for the Lord is
with thee.5
"And it came to pass the
161
The Truth About Henry Ford
same night, that the word of
the Lord came unto Nathan,
saying :
" ' Go and tell my servant
David, " Thus saith the Lord,
Shalt thou build me an house
for me to dwell in.
" e I have been with thee
withersoever thou wentest and
have cut off thine enemies
from before thee and I will
make thee a great name, like
unto the name of the great
ones that are on the earth.'
The clergyman launched into his
sermon. After he was well started
he fixed his eye on Henry Ford and
said : " The church is the dynamo
of the Lord's business. It is right
and proper that churches should be
beautiful and should be as lovely
as it is possible to make them.
162
Henry Ford's Personality
Why should we live in fine houses,
houses of cedar, and worship the
Lord in tents? There is a rich man
in this city, a very rich man, who
considers that his engine is the
dynamo of his factory. It has al-
ways been the custom to place such
engines near the rear, in an ugly
section of a factory, facing an alley.
This rich man had put his engine
in the front part of his factory, it
is in a beautiful room with pure
white tiling. He keeps men con-
stantly polishing and cleaning it;
he has surrounded it with handsome
plate glass windows. The engine
faces the most expensive thorough-
fare in our city. Sightseers stop to
admire its immaculate beauty. The
very rich man loves this engine; he
surrounds it with the best that
money can buy. He considers it
the dynamo of his business. This
163
The Truth About Henry Ford
is true with churches. They are
the dynamo of the Lord's business.
They should have in and around
them everything that is lovely and
beautiful. No expense should be
spared in the construction of a
church nor in its location.'2
The minister went on and on
with his argument. The following
week he went to see his richest
parishioner. No mention was made
of the sermon until he was leaving.
" I haven't changed my mind,"
said Mr. Ford then. " I feel just
as I did. I don't believe in ex-
pensive churches. But I do think
that a minister should be paid a
salary that will enable him to live
in comfort and lay by something,
so that he can buy a home or a farm
or a little place in the country
where he can round out his last
days. I'm going to disappoint you ;
164
Henry Ford's Personality
I'm not going to give you anything
for your new church.72 He handed
the minister an envelope. " Please
give that to your wife when you get
home, just a little token of my re-
gard for you both."
When the rector returned home
he told his wife about the disap-
pointing visit and handed her the
envelope. In it were twenty one-
hundred dollar bills.
The rector later built his big
church. He succeeded in his am-
bitions. He was taken abroad, and
sent to various parts of the country
by the millionaire; eventually he
received a large salary.
Eventually the minister and his
wife drove into the country; they
found and bought a little fruit
place, with a tiny house on it, some-
thing to tie to in case of old age or
misfortune.
165
The Truth About Henry Ford
It is characteristic of Henry
Ford that he took no offense to the
frankness of the sermon, but it did
not change his mind.
"^» rf* +t* ^V
In order to keep his factory run-
ning full blast through December,
1920, Mr. Ford took a loss of fif-
teen millions. Against the advice
of business associates he kept pro-
duction going until after Christmas
Day. When New York reporters
telephoned his office he refused to
give his reasons for the shut down,
his idea being that a statement re-
garding his retrenchments and the
re-organization of his business
might depress the market. Imme-
diately there arose wild rumors that
he was in financial difficulties.
Happily, these were untrue. His
aversion for borrowing has placed
166
Henry Ford's Personality
his gigantic undertakings on a safe
financial footing. Detroit is not
New York; Griswold is not Wall
Street, but a prominent Detroit
banker has said: " If Henry Ford
should need large sums of money,
Detroit will secure it for him.''
However, it was the serious ill-
ness of his only son, who went
through an appendicitis operation,
which caused Mr. Ford grave con-
cern during the winter of 1920-21,
and not financial difficulties.
A joy he is getting from his
money is refurnishing his mother's
old home, which he bought from his
brother, John. As stated before,
the town line when finally surveyed
ran through this house. The county
commissioners ordered the house
moved so that a road called
" Townline " could be built. Ac-
cordingly, the dwelling was thrust
167
The Truth About Henry Ford
back to make way for progress, and
the forest trees in the yard were
hewn down because they interfered
with the grading. Mr. Ford is hav-
ing similar trees placed around the
old home. He has gone into the
attics and barns of his brothers'
houses and has found discarded
furniture which he associates with
his mother's memory and he has
said to the rest of the family:
" Before many years roll by we will
begin to grow old. We will fix the
home place like mother and father
had it. We were so happy when
we were children there together.''
More than his vast wealth, Mr.
Ford's real riches consist of a wife,
whose constant thought is his health
and well being; a loving son and
two small grandsons, who are his
pride and joy.
168
CHAPTER X.
His Wife and His Home
No one could hope to write an
adequate review of the develop-
ment of Henry Ford's life and
character without including some
account of the wife who has meant
so much to him in so many ways
from the day he devised the watch
with four hands, through all his
struggles, disappointments and suc-
cesses, down to the present time.
During all these years the home
life of Mr. and Mrs. Ford has been
ideal.
One must know Mrs. Ford inti-
mately to understand fully her part
in the Ford achievements. She is
thoroughly home-loving, capable
and charming. So considerate is she,
169
The Truth About Henry Ford
so unpretentious and gracious, that
visitors to the Ford home forget
that their hostess is one of the rich-
est women in the world, owning in
her own right a one-third interest
in the corporation that is reported
to pay an annual tax of eighty
millions.
Mrs. Ford dresses in shades of
brown or blue, and mink and sable
are her favorite furs. She is small
of figure, youthful in appearance,
with chestnut hair and most ex-
pressive eyes. Her voice is low and
musical. We sat one winter after-
noon in the sun parlor of her home
watching the birds about the weath-
er-worn stump on which each win-
ter day she places fresh grain for
her feathered friends. Beyond, the
River Rouge wound in and out
among tall forest trees, snow cov-
ered the ground and the frozen
170 ,
r
His Wife and His Home
water was a sheet of gray ice. Be-
hind us in the drawing room, which
is paneled in French - bleached
American walnut and furnished
with cozy chairs and heavy velvet
draperies of mulberry color, long
hickory logs were crackling cheer-
fully in the carved white marble
fireplace. The conversation drifted
to the part that woman must take
in present day affairs.
" There are so many demands for
help that it would be unfair to
take them lightly or to consider
them in a haphazard, happy-go-
lucky fashion," she said softly. " If
they are handled carefully and sys-
tematically women can uplift, not
pauperize, those they seek to help.
Every village, town, city and state
has its problems to solve. It seems
to me that every home -loving
woman should use her personal in-
171
▲
The Truth About Henry Ford
fluence to cope with all the issues
that directly and indirectly touch
her home. If she does this," she
added with a smile, "she will be
compelled to take an active interest
in politics. She may have to get
out her school books and brush up
on community civics and the sci-
ence of government; for woe be
unto her if she fails to understand
exactly what she is undertaking.
Of course," she added whimsically,
"it would be easier and pleasanter
to sit at home by the fire and knit,
or chat idly over our teacups; but
those pastimes are slipping from
US.
Mrs. Ford seldom has an idle
moment. Large wealth has brought
her pleasures and privileges; it has
also brought heavy responsibilities.
Each day she receives volumes of
mail. Her desk overflows with ap-
172
His Wife and His Home
peals for help ; to answer them per-
sonally would be an endless task.
Her name and assistance are sought
by local, state, national and inter-
national welfare workers. Person-
ally she visits the detention homes ;
she lunches at the House of Cor-
rection ; she consults with the wom-
en's police board officials. Each
case she seeks to help is first investi-
gated by experts through author-
ized channels. Some of us know
of thousands of families she helped
while the factories were closed;
many of those she visited ; to others
she sent her agents. She works con-
stantly for the Girls' Protective
League and other active organiza-
tions. For many years she has been
treasurer of the Priscilla Inn, a
home in Detroit, where girls can
lead carefully chaperoned lives and
enjoy comforts not easily obtained
173
The Truth About Henry Ford
in an overcrowded manufacturing
city like Detroit.
Three miles beyond the Fords'
Dearborn estate, and half-way be-
tween Detroit and the University
of Michigan at Ann Arbor, is a
square, red brick home, " Valley
Farm.': Passers-by, in automobiles
or on speeding interurbans, gaze at
it with frank curiosity. It is under-
stood that Mrs. Ford is deeply in-
terested in social and welfare prob-
lems and that this Valley Farm be-
longs to her. If the inventions and
vast wealth of Henry Ford have
made him a world figure, they have
made the activities of his wife of
interest wherever their name is
known. The general public knows
little of the work accomplished at
Valley Farm; except that it is some
sort of rescue work. The old house
is bravely facing new conditions.
174
His Wife and His Home
It is doing ultra-modern work; de-
veloped scientifically, by profes-
sionally trained workers, for the
benefit of posterity. This is pos-
sibly the strongest link in the chain
of work of the Dunbar Memorial
Woman's Hospital, and the most
far-reaching of all the great
and good achievements of Detroit
women. The farm, thirteen miles
out in the country, has proved a
boon to the hospital in Detroit,
which is located on the busy, noisy
corner of Frederick and St. An-
toine.
Through Mrs. Ford's courage
and thoughtfulness in sponsoring
this work, its results will be felt to
many generations. It has meant
the salvation of thousands, whose
successful reclamation has blazed
the trail for welfare workers.
What has actually been accom-
175
The Truth About Henry Ford
plished is of more importance than
any general theorizing. Mrs. Ford
has been affectionately called "the
erring girl's friend.51 She says,
" Men are willing to help boys and
men; it behooves women to help
womankind. This is not as easy
to do as it sounds. Weakness and
impulsiveness have brought trouble
and distress to many girls and to
their families. It is wonderful
what has been done for them by
those in charge at Valley Farm.
They do it beautifully and sympa-
thetically. They reach the girls
when they are friendless, depressed
and often bitterly antagonistic to
the world. The quiet activities in-
clude two months' training in hy-
giene, household arts and parental
duties. The kindly, far-sighted
board of trustees and the tireless,
unselfish trained nurses assist each
176
Mrs. Ford — From a late photograph presented
ss, to the author.
I THE NEW YOF
PUBLIC 1
A8TOP, :
■
His Wife and His Home
one to secure work and to establish
a clean, wholesome home."
* * * *
Mrs. Ford has opened the door
of opportunity for many ambitious
people, and has put success within
the grasp of others. She is con-
stantly lending a helping hand to
those who need it most. Each day
she is confronted with a round of
duties, for she is the energetic, ca-
pable type of American womanhood
which is playing a tremendous part
in world affairs today. Her creed
is that " Money should be used to
make the world better, not to create
envy and breed selfishness."
Being a musician, Mrs. Ford has
a concert piano in her family living-
room; a pipe organ in the walls of
her drawing-room; in her library,
which is lined from floor to ceiling
177
The Truth About Henry Ford
with much-read books, is a Vic-
trola; in her sun-parlor an Edison.
" Music is refreshing," she says.
She organized the Dearborn Gar-
den Club, of which she has long
been president, and through her in-
fluence the members combine wel-
fare work with nature study. This
club holds two annual flower shows.
Blue Ridge Mountain rhododen-
dron, which in June is laden with
gorgeous pink blossoms, flanks the
Ford doorway and the lovely gray-
stone mansion is very comfortable,
very homelike.
Seven thousand acres are in the
estate. The land stretches back to
the city limits and in the opposite
direction toward the tractor plant
at River Rouge. The first home
built by Mr. Ford still stands in
the grounds. It is an attractive,
white frame farm house, with a
178
His Wife and His Home
wide veranda and green roof, and
is furnished as it was during their
early housekeeping days. Near it
is a rustic bungalow, where guests
are sometimes entertained.
In spring and summer a rush of
lilac and heliotrope fragrance surges
through the open windows of Mrs.
Ford's rooms. These purple flowers
are banked around the gray-stone
walls, border the flagstone walk
and cluster under the big trees.
The heliotrope trees she propagated
are from slips which the mistress of
the house raised with infinite care.
In autumn, they are taken into the
conservatory; the following spring
they are re-set outdoors. This
cycle, followed year by year, has
produced specimens five feet in
height, with trunks four inches in
circumference. Some of her other
flowers are blue larkspur, yellow
179
The Truth About Henry Ford
gaillardias, bronze salpiglossis,
blue seabosa, sweet peas, asters,
shirley poppies, marigold, blue ver-
bena and gourds which she raises to
please her grandchildren. The rose
garden is the only bit of formal
landscape. She said one day while
talking about her flowers: "I can-
not buy everything I crave. Like
my mother I love old-fashioned
pinks. I haunted florists' shops, old
homes and cemeteries in search of
these tiny, red-flecked, spicily
scented plants. It was my dress-
maker's sister who, generously, sent
the basket of roots to form the
nucleus of my large beds/3
Two miles from the estate can
be seen the twinkling lights of the
little village of Dearborn. To it
she has given a library site, and has
built and given to the Episcopal
church a large brick rectory; she is
180
His Wife and His Home
a member of the social service com-
mittee of her church. Greenfield,
where she was born and reared, is
five miles from Dearborn. In the
summer Mrs. Ford takes a family
party for a cruise on their yacht.
She has traveled the world over,
but, with the exception of a small
place at Fort Myers, Florida, which
Thomas Edison persuaded them to
purchase next to his winter cottage,
the Fords have never owned a
home outside of Detroit or Wayne
County. " We have lived here al-
ways," she says, " and here we love
to stay."
Persistent sightseers have made
it necessary to keep the gates of the
estate locked and guarded. All the
servants, both in and outside the
mansion, have held their positions
many years. They have an air of
courteous consideration and soft-
181
The Truth About Henry Ford
ness of voice which they seemed to
have caught from the owners of the
home.
The country and the wide out-
doors hold for Mrs. Ford more at-
tractions than the social life of any
city, yet in her home she has enter-
tained inventors, statesmen, capi-
talists and titled visitors. John
Burroughs was a frequent guest.
He enjoyed the birds, flowers and
native trees which are under the
care of Longfeather, a southern In-
dian. In the library is an auto-
graphed set of Burroughs' books;
in a secluded part of the grounds
is a rough bronze statue of him,
and on the drawing-room table an
exquisite miniature of the great
naturalist. John Burroughs once
sent to Mr. and Mrs. Ford a car-
load of red sandstone from the
Catskill mountains of his beloved
182
His Wife and His Home
native state, New York. These
stones were worked into a sort of
shelter for the bronze figure and
for the bird pool near it. This spot
the Fords called their " Burroughs
Nook.': Many rare birds, includ-
ing Kirkland's Warbler and other
unusual members of the feathered
family, tarry at this quiet retreat,
and here Burroughs, himself, dis-
covered several northern birds, in-
cluding the Bohemian waxwring,
which he had long hoped to see, but
had never been able to find else-
where,
Since his death Mrs. Ford and
Mrs. Edison have been made mem-
bers of the executive board of the
Burroughs Memorial association.
They attended his funeral and
went to New York two weeks later
to formulate plans for preserving
Woodchuck Lodge, Slab Sides
183
The Truth About Henry Ford
(where Burroughs had his study
and where he used to write his
books) and Riverby, which was a
more pretentious home near Pough-
keepsie, just outside of the small
town of West Park, New York.
Mrs. Edison and Mrs. Ford are to
be the only two women on this ex-
ecutive memorial board.
At the beginning of the Euro-
pean war Mrs. Ford leased Ought-
rington Hall, in Chestshire Town-
ship, England, a short distance
from Warwick, where her mother
was born. She equipped it as a
home for Belgian refugees; one
hundred at a time were clothed, fed
and sheltered there. As they found
friends, relatives or work elsewhere
others were secured from the Lon-
don clearing house. Teachers were
employed for the children ; a school
room was furnished ; outdoor tennis
184
His Wife and His Home
courts were covered and heated for
a supervised playground. Tailoring
and other trades were taught the
refugees. Among them was a Cath-
olic priest, and a chapel was
equipped in which he said mass and
held other services. Wonderful re-
sults were accomplished, as is at-
tested by letters and documents
from the Lord Mayor and others.
After the armistice the furniture
and equipment were sold and the
proceeds placed with the Man-
chester Belgian Relief Fund to be
used by that organization. When
Elizabeth, Queen of the Belgians,
visited this country, Mrs. Ford was
one of the few women on whom
she bestowed her medal which is
inscribed: "Pro ftatria Honor e et
Cartate!'
Mrs. Ford's most intimate friends
are those she knew in girlhood or
185
The Truth About Henry Ford
before the advent of automobiles.
Her poise and culture, her innate
goodness, make her immensely pop-
ular. Her judgment and clear in-
tellect have been of untold value
to her gifted husband. Their ideal
home life is a happy demonstration
that love does not dwell only in a
cottage. The following incidents
somewhat indicate her tastes.
Shortly before the holidays in
1920, while she was shopping in
New York, the clerk of a Fifth
Avenue shop asked her to inspect
the Duke of Hamilton's silver ser-
vice. It weighed seventeen hun-
dred pounds, and was heavily
crested. It had been sold to a
young mid-western manufacturer
to match his dining-room set, also
purchased from the Duke's estate.
" Would Mrs. Ford care to place
an order for similar silver4? :
186
His Wife and His Home
She has a vivacious and cordial
smile. " I have no ambition to col-
lect heirlooms of royalty/' she re-
plied. ' My resources are needed
elsewhere."
The undaunted clerk produced a
short string of pearls, each as large
as a hazel nut. " Only a half mil-
lion dollars," he urged suavely, as
he laid them on a black velvet
square to accent their creamy sheen
and luster.
Mrs. Ford shook her head. c At
home I have the finest jewels in the
world/: she remarked, as she con-
cluded her purchases. " Nothing
you have on sale can equal them.':
The Fords have one son; his
home is ten miles east of Detroit,
in Grosse Pointe on Lake Sainte
Claire, near the point where it joins
the Detroit River. The Henry
Ford estate is ten miles west of the
187
The Truth About Henry Ford
city on the Rouge, which also flows
into the Detroit river. A private
telephone wire connects Mr. Ford's
study with his son's; a private wire
connects Mrs. Ford's bedroom with
the sleeping porch of her grand*
children, Henry II and Edsel
junior, chubby, golden-haired, blue-
eyed cherubs. Like the Athenian
mother, Mrs. Ford says : " These
are my jewels."
188
CHAPTER XI.
The Ford Factory, Foundry and
Trade School
When the first Ford factory out-
grew the Piquette street plant, the
larger plant in Highland Park was
built. This is really a great indus-
trial city in itself. It covers one
hundred and twenty acres and em-
ploys fifty-three thousand men.
Each employee receives his wages
twice a month; yet every day is a
pay day in some section of the
plant and a half million dollars is
handed the men.
In the Ford organization are men
doing every conceivable kind of
work. The factory operates its own
power, heating and lighting plant,
fire department, telephone and tele-
189
The Truth About Henry Ford
graph exchange, freight and ex-
press offices, hospital, safety and
hygiene departments, motion pic-
ture studio, park and athletic field,
band and auditorium, educational
and legal departments, grocery,
drug and shoe stores, meat market,
tailor shop, and publishes its own
newspaper — the Ford News.
The Ford fire alarm system is
said to be more efficient and up-to-
date than any other in the country,
even including the cities of New
York and Chicago. Ninety experi-
enced fire fighters are employed in
the plant and two hundred trained
workmen are ready to aid at an in-
stant's notice. When a general
alarm is sounded the automatic call
goes instantly to the Superintend-
ent's office, factory service office,
fire department headquarters and
Chief Engineer's office. The minute,
190
The Factory, Foundry and School
hour, day, month, year and box
from which the call comes are thus
recorded. Three hundred call sta-
tions are placed throughout the
factory, two hundred feet apart.
The medical department is won-
derful and is one of the most mod-
ern institutions of its kind in the
world. This is entirely separate
and distinct from the Henry Ford
Hospital, built at a cost of three
million dollars and rented to the
government during and after the
war for one dollar a year. Mr. Ford
calls this his garage. "It is my
shop," he says, " where I hope
people can get well as rapidly as
possible and have their injured
parts repaired." A pretty bit of
sentiment is connected with the tall
elms that reach to the fifth story
of this building. They were moved
from his Dearborn estate and re-
191
The Truth About Henry Ford
planted so that the new part of the
hospital, which is the same length
as the National Capitol, is sur-
rounded by old trees that once had
their roots in the soil of his boyhood
home. This hospital was not built
to serve the very poor, for whom
free clinics are provided, nor to
serve the very rich, who can afford
to pay large surgical fees ; but is
for those of us who find it difficult
to make ends meet and to whom
heavy hospital bills are a calamity.
The moving picture laboratory,
in the Highland Park plant, is
remarkable. Its educational pic-
tures are shown in seventy per cent
of our country's theaters. It may
not be known that these are sent to
Mexico, Brazil^ Chile, Argentina,
South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Nor-
way, Japan, China, Alaska and
other countries. Mr. Ford desires
192
a.
*-+»
a
■^
^
K
:.iN .
The Factory^ Foundry and School
that they be used in the large and
small schools, wherever they can be
of service or can give pleasure.
Therefore, the rental price to
schools is fifty cents a day per reel.
The movie staff includes many of
the best-known specialists in educa-
tional lines, under whose guidance
are editors, scenario writers and
directors. They strive to produce
films of value to teachers through-
out the land, to be used for in-
structing their pupils.
The Ford educational depart-
ment, its welfare work and Ameri-
canization school have been treated
at length elsewhere. The Ford
trade school is in a large wing of
the plant which serves as a school
building. It is incorporated under
the Michigan laws and extends to
a limited number the opportunity
to continue their academic educa-
193
The Truth About Henry Ford
tion while learning a trade. It is
one of the best plans for salvaging
some of our destitute boys, or boys
who have no one to care if they
succeed or fail. Mr. Ford is not
willing for them to be called desti-
tute; he prefers to think of them
as boys without friends. For sev-
eral years he maintained a home for
homeless boys near his estate. This
required such a large amount of his
time and interest that he planned
the trade school. Each student re-
ceives a scholarship which amounts
to four hundred dollars annually,
divided into semi-monthly por-
tions. This enables him to be self-
supporting while studying. His
scholarship is increased in accord-
ance with his ability and effort
until it reaches nine hundred dol-
lars. To develop thrift one dollar
is added to each pay envelope, pro-
194
The Factory, Foundry and School
vided the boy keeps a savings ac-
count. There are fifteen instructors
employed ; a board of five members
directs the policy of the school, and
a long waiting list is kept of boys
who wish to be admitted. Mr.
Searles, the head of the school, is a
distinguished educator.
Mr. Ford realizes that the future
of our country depends on the boys
and girls of to-day. He gives to
those he befriends his money, his
time and thought, and to each an
opportunity to achieve success.
They will be the men and women
of to-morrow, and it is his hope
that they become good and honor-
able citizens.
Some idea of the gigantic size of
the Ford organization may be se-
cured from the fact that besides the
Highland Park plant, the tractor
plant is located at the River Rouge
195
The Truth About Henry Ford
foundry, where twenty-one railroad
tracks enter. Here at one point a
log goes in and at another point
comes out a finished body. There
are thirty-one assembling plants in
this country and others in different
parts of North and South America,
Europe, Australia and the Orient.
During the past year nearly one
hundred thousand freight cars were
needed to handle Ford shipments.
Every other available method of
transportation was used also, such
as express companies, parcel post
and motor truck.
With a total of sixty-six thou-
sand employees in the Highland
Park, River Rouge and Dearborn
plants, it is a conservative estimate
to say that one-fourth of the men,
women and children in Detroit and
its environs are directly dependent
on the Ford industries for support,
196
The Factory, Foundry and School
and that an equal number are in-
directly supported from this source.
It is said that man's efficiency has
been increased 66 per cent by the
automobile; families and friends
have been drawn closer together;
health has improved; lives have
been prolonged. It has given more
service and pleasure than any other
invention in the last several dec-
ades. The inventor who built a
car within the reach of the mass of
the people has been a benefactor to
his fellow man, and has helped
make history.
*
For sentimental reasons the
hand-made bricks that were in the
foundation of Ten Eyck's tavern
are part of the huge fireplace in the
trophy room, on the lower floor of
the Ford mansion. The great iron
197
The Truth About Henry Ford
horse storms through Wayne Coun-
ty at a more rapid rate as it paral-
lels the Michigan highway toward
Chicago. The forests have been
cleared. There are no more Indians
about. For many years the Dear-
born arsenal has not been used as
an army post, but the thick, gray
stockade walls still stand. One of
the square, gray buildings flanked
by twin chimneys is the City Hall,
where William Ford acts as Mayor.
The old site of Ten Eyck's tavern
is interesting to people who flash
by in their motors, because it is the
entrance to Henry Ford's estate.
The gray-stone entrance is kept
locked and guarded; it is adjacent
to the gatekeeper's tiny gray-stone
cottage, tucked quaintly under its
Indian red-tiled roof; around it,
sturdy forests look down on the
spot from which William Cremer
198
The Factory, Foundry and School
won his wager that he could beat
the iron horse into Dearbornville,
just two miles away.
199
CHAPTER XII.
His " Honest-to-Goodness Ameri-
canism :
Five years ago a rainbow of
promise, with a bag of gold at each
end, hung over a great industrial
plant. When the rainbow appeared
some called it a menace, but it grew
brighter and clearer; some of the
colors became obscure; three came
out stronger than all the others,
and behind them stars formed the
two words, " Americans all." At
each end of the rainbow the bags
emptied an endless stream of gold,
and with the gold came freedom
from old industrial conditions, and
with the freedom came the privi-
leges and obligations of American
citizenship.
200
'Honest'to-Goodness' Americanism
Henry Ford made automobiles
to defray the expense of his main
business, which was the making of
men. He took wise men and good
men, successful and unsuccessful.
He took Americans of good old
colonial stock and laborers from
every nook and corner of obscure
foreign lands. He took men with
the stigma of wrong-doing upon
their lives. He took untried men
and men who had tried and failed.
Through one great system he put
them all, to determine the number
who would come out pure gold.
He thrust aside labor organizations
and paid his workers wages at that
time considered fabulous. He had
his own dreams and he followed
them to fulfillment.
Beyond a few brief newspaper
reports, the light of publicity never
disclosed the inner workings of
201
The Truth About Henry Ford
Henry Ford's mind, yet the spirit
of it permeates the country from
Canada to the Gulf and from the
Atlantic to the Pacific where other
plants have used the Ford idea on
a smaller scale. The pioneer who
began the movement has been as-
sailed and held up for ridicule, yet
he was the first advocate of simon-
pure Americanism in industry.
What would his critics have said
had they known that he took the
dean of a great cathedral, made
him head of a vast educational sys-
tem and gave him power no clergy-
man ever before had had in the
history of business — entire author-
ity over the living conditions of the
Ford workmen and real influence
in the case of labor difficulties'?
Labor difficulties, however, refused
to arise. During strikes at nearby
plants the Ford workers remained
202
'Honest-to-Goodness Americanism
at their posts, performing their
labors in contented prosperity.
Henry Ford had evolved a sys-
tem so unique and remarkable that
his plans and dreams blend, making
a practical whole which has actually
benefited over fifty thousand homes.
The foundation is education and
Americanization. That the system
has paid commercially is only a side
issue, but one of tremendous im-
portance — marking the ideal ad-
justment of capital and labor, and
proving beyond doubt that the ex-
periment is overwhelmingly correct.
The assistants in this department
are called advisors, and the welfare
work they are doing is as helpful
as it is novel. What they do and
how they do it will be explained
later.
Mr. Ford states his position
frankly. " If I can make men of
203
The Truth About Henry Ford
my employees, I need have no fear
for my business," he says. ' Every-
thing I do to help them ultimately
benefits me; the more money I
spend on them, the more enthusi-
asm they will have for my interests
and the more money they will make
for themselves and for me."
And he uses all possible labor-
saving devices, for he says : " The
less fatigued a man is when he
leaves his work the more self-
improvement can he gain during
leisure hours. ': This is the message
of Henry Ford to mankind: " Be
your brother's helper.'' In his plant
Bolshevism has not dared to rear
its serpent head.
The Ford plan is not to build
elaborate libraries, gymnasiums or
lunch rooms for the employees, but
serviceable and substantial ones.
The difference in the expense is
204
'Hones t-to-Goodness' Americanism
given the working men for their
homes, their living and their fami-
lies. It is not the possession of
money but the right use of it which
is emphasized. Mr. Ford holds that
the system of education which in-
creases, through the so-called cul-
tural studies, the capacity for hap-
piness- and fails to develop the
financial power for gaining the
same is a cruel, not a kindly sys-
tem. It increases human misery and
failure. The Ford idea, while in-
creasing a man's capacity for happi-
ness, at the same time increases his
efficiency, his earning capacity, his
home conditions, his knowledge of
the laws of the state and the na-
tion, making him a more valuable
citizen, more worth-while to so-
ciety, giving him a broader vision,
all of which develops a man's mind
while training his hands.
205
The Truth About Henry Ford
The factory has two slogans:
" Be a Good American,'1 and
"Help the Other Fellow." You
find these signs in the working sec-
tion of the plant. The workmen are
taught self-application of these
slogans, even beneficially coerced
into adapting them as life stand-
ards.
For five years foreign-born labor-
ers have received diplomas sym-
bolic of nine months' training in
citizen-making. I sought a man to
whom Mr. Ford had said : " The
Bible is the most valuable book in
the world. If it could be written
in the language of to-day, I would
scatter a million copies among the
people who never read it and who
fail to grasp its worth and beauty.'2
I asked this man, Mr. Brownell,
this question : " How has this great
millionaire made the educational
206
'Honest-to-Goodness Americanism
department of this plant the very
dynamo of its success, and why has
he given a clergyman such wide
and sweeping power?"
Mr. Brownell took off his glasses
and laid them carefully on the
desk. " He does it by dispensing
practical Christianity, interpreted
through dollars and cents; in the
sharing of profits with employees;
in opening the doors of employ-
ment to maimed and crippled men,
and to men who have unfortunately
run into debt to society, but who
have paid such debts in full. His
has been the humane recognition
that all men are of common clay
and that all, barring none, are en-
titled to a helping hand.
" You shall meet Dean Marquis,
head of the educational depart-
ment, and Mr. DeWitt, head of the
English school, which should really
207
The Truth About Henry Ford
be called the American school, for
its scholars are from fifty-eight
countries and they speak one hun-
dred different dialects. They have
been taught one language and have
been trained to become citizens of
our own American nation. But first
let me tell you an incident that will
illustrate how men have been re-
claimed in this factory.
" One cold night in December an
official of the company was called
to the front door of his house. Out-
side was the half-wreck of a man,
who plunged into complaint with-
out formality. ' They say Henry
Ford gives the fellow who is down
a chance — that he thinks there is
some good in the worst of us, but
it is a lie — a black, barefaced lie.
I have stood in line at his plant
trying to get work and never have
been given a look-in. I'm at the
208
'Hones t-to-Goodness* Americanism
end of my rope and I've got to go
back to my old ways.5
" The company official inter-
rupted him. ' Mr. Ford wants to
give every man who deserves it a
chance/ he said. The other man
shivered. ' Ever since they turned
me loose, two years ago, I've tried
to go straight, and every time I get
a job a dick passes the word and
I'm fired. If I can't get steady
work I'll have to be a crook again.
To-night they — "
Dont worry about to-night,'
the company official told him;
\ come to the factory to-morrow and
a place will be found for you. We
have more than five hundred men
who have served penitentiary sen-
tences and only two of them have
disappointed us. When you begin
work no one will be against you
so long as you do what is right.
209
J 5?
The Truth About Henry Ford
Somewhere in that great factory
that man made good and he is still
working there.
The probation period, formerly
six months, has been reduced to
thirty days, the minimum salary
raised from five to six dollars a.
day. There have been no strikes
nor is there any labor discontent.
The power of discharge has been
taken out of the hands of superin-
tendents and foremen. They can
discharge from their departments,
but not from the factory. The em-
ployment office investigates and
places the laborer in that other de-
partment to which he is better
adapted.
The Educational Department,
through the advisors, or helpers,
has a record of the living conditions
of each employe. They know his
habits, good or bad. They know
210
'Honest-to-Goodness' Americanism
what money he has saved, if any.
They know what insurance he car-
ries. They consult with him as to
his bank savings. They have taught
him how and why to save. In rare
cases they have moved his family
to Detroit and provided a home in
which to shelter them. There is
nothing of the spy or detective
methods in their visits. They go in
the spirit of helpfulness and in-
terest. They teach the employe
hygienic living and how to buy
food. While teaching him how to
earn money they also teach him —
which is more important — how to
spend it. They have taught him
that debt is the result of poor man-
agement or misfortune.
Take for example the case of an
employee whose wages were gar-
nisheed month after month. He
was industrious and hard-working;
211
The Truth About Henry Ford
the bills were not of his making.
An advisor was sent to his home.
He met the wife, a nice little
woman who believed in a happy-
go-lucky existence, and who made
expenditures out of all keeping
with her husband's salary. That
she was a woman of sense was
proven when she grasped the idea
that this sort of thing could not
continue. A scientific housekeeper
was sent to instruct her in up-to-
date economics. She welcomed the
suggestions made. To-day the bills
are paid, the man and his wife own
their home and have money in the
bank.
There is another rule on which
the cornerstone of right living
must be laid — an employe, if it
be thought justifiable, is required
to produce his marriage license. No
recognition is given socialism or
212
'Honest-to-Goodness Americanism
free love. This is mentioned be-
cause a case of this sort was re-
cently made an issue. An important
ruling of the Ford company in 1913
covers such questions.
The legal department aids the
workers by examining deeds to
property they wish to buy, assess-
ing its value and passing on the
validity of the contracts.
In the Ford English school are
natives of Arabia, Persia, India,
Poland, Armenia, Turkey, Chaldea,
Albania, Serbia, Korea, Macedonia
and other innermost parts of Asia,
Europe and obscure regions of the
world. Each of these foreigners
speaks two or more dialects, but has
no knowledge of our own language.
They are taught reading, writing,
arithmetic and grammar according
to the modernized methods of Fran-
cois Guoin, who lived in 1710. The
213
The Truth About Henry Ford
everyday problems of life are the
keynote of each lesson, and a new
psychology of good fellowship and
interest accents the instruction. Mr.
DeWitt was recently borrowed by
Pennsylvania to demonstrate to the
teachers of that state his original
experiments. Mr. Ford watches
the lessons. The one on birds,
which emphasizes the great Amer-
ican bird, the soaring eagle, the em-
blem of freedom, is his favorite.
There are other lessons which Mr.
Ford personally supervises — for
this department is the child of his
brain and is dear to his heart. The
foreigners are taught cleanliness,
table manners, courtesy in public
places and also, when possible, they
are instructed in gardening. As an
evidence of the eager earnestness
of the pupils the case may be cited
of a Macedonian who learned the
214
'Honest-to-Goodness' Americanism
Constitution of the United States
verbatim in four days.
The nine months' course has been
turning out annually between three
and six thousand graduates. The
diplomas, signed by Henry Ford,
Dean Marquis and Mr. DeWitt,
state that " the holder has been
given ground work in English
which enables him to write it and
to read it within certain limitations.
It gives him a definite comprehen-
sion of the rudiments of govern-
ment, national, state and munici-
pal, and fits him to become a
citizen of the United States and
to understand the obligations
thereof."
The day war was declared Mr.
Ford instructed the chief of his
medical staff to ascertain accurately
the exact number of positions that
might be filled with disabled sol-
215
The Truth About Henry Ford
diers. Every wheel and cog of the
factory was devoted to winning the
war, and openings have been
made for those who served. Dr.
Mead reported that four thousand
maimed and injured could be used.
The factory was then using thirty-
seven deaf men, two hundred and
seven civilians blinded in one
eye, sixteen who were deaf and
dumb, and one totally blind. Be-
fore peace was signed the Ford fac-
tory had employed seven hundred
and eighty-three disabled soldiers.
Positions have been given to five
thousand four hundred and eighty
returned soldiers and sailors, and
more are constantly being added.
Direct instructions have been is-
sued that soldiers are to be given
preference over all other appli-
cants.
A great problem in every factory
216
'Honest-to-Goodness' Americanism
is tuberculosis. It has been demon-
strated in the salvaging section that
tubercular patients are as produc-
tive as any other class of workmen.
Hospital treatment is given free.
The state law of compensation al-
lows ten dollars weekly to a bed-
ridden man; the Ford company
gives eighteen to twenty dollars.
Mr. Ford believes that regular
wages and light work will drive
away worry and expedite a man's
recovery. Hence handiwork is tak-
en each day to patients able to sit
up, and they are enabled to earn
full wages.
Just as he conceived the perfec-
tion of his tractor while on a vaca-
tion by watching the movement of
a horse's legs, so Mr. Ford's mind
reaches out to help humanity. In-
different to the usual hobbies and
amusements of men of the world,
217
The Truth About Henry Ford
he has his own interests and re-
creations. He believes in practic-
ing the gospel, " Give a man the
chance he deserves, not charity.5'
The following incident is so un-
usual as to seem improbable, yet it
is true. As Mr. Ford was driving
one day he passed a much be-drag-
gled tramp to whom he gave a lift.
The tramp claimed to be penniless
and without work, and for that
reason was walking to his sister's
home in Connecticut. The next
day he was given a position in the
Ford plant. The employment of-
fice was instructed to equip him
with the necessary clothes and re-
port his progress to the office. All
moved smoothly for a while, but,
unlike the usual fairy tale, the end
of the month found a restless
worker instead of a diligent one.
He was moved to another depart-
218
'Hones Mo-Goodness' Americanism
ment, but when pay day came his
restlessness had grown to loud pro-
tests, and to Mr. Ford was brought
the news that wanderlust was beck-
oning his protege, who had threat-
ened to quit.
"What's this I hear?" asked
Mr. Ford when the prodigal came
to his office. Into his ear was
poured, forthwith, a story of home-
sick yearning for the far-away sister
that would have done credit to an
expert. Mr. Ford listened patient-
ly. : See here, Bill," he said then,
1 you have no idea of going to Con-
necticut. You don't want work or
a home; you want to quit so that
you can be a plain shiftless tramp. ':
The ex-hobo studied the carpet.
cc Yes, that was it," he admitted.
"A factory is no place for me; I'm
lazy. I've lived the old life so long
that I like it."
219
The Truth About Henry Ford
"All right," said Mr. Ford, "you
can quit. I've told them not to
bother with you any longer. But
remember one thing, I am not going
to let you slip back into your old
ways. I'm going to employ a man
to follow you everywhere you go
and watch everything you do. If
you ever feel sorry for the way you
have treated me you can come back
to your old place, provided you are
willing to work. Until you do I
am going to watch you every min-
ute. Perhaps you will decide to
brace up and be a man."
"Gosh,': said the surprised man.
" If you are going to do that I
might as well give in right now.':
This ex-tramp is now a faithful
worker. Again the theory suc-
ceeded.
* * * *
The next five years will witness
220
'Honest-to-Goodness Americanism
the most important readjustment
period in our national history. It
will be a time when capital and
labor must throw off their shackles
and meet on a middle ground of
consideration, each recognizing the
rights of the other. Organized
labor will have to make great con-
cessions. Capital will have to make
even greater concessions. Neither
group can strangle the other if
the principles for which our boys
fought and died are to survive. Is
it right that the soldiers who fought
to save this country be assailed by
food profiteers, by rent pirateers, by
selfish capitalists and dictated to by
labor organizations'? What is to
be the ideal solution? Will prac-
tical education be incorporated into
the new order of industry? Is real
Americanism to be the foundation
stone of the nation, or will the
221
The Truth About Henry Ford
country wait until the evil condi-
tions of today become a menace?
Are Henry Ford's theories and
their practical workings during the
last five years worth while? Many
industries and department stores
are putting the interests of their
workers above the volume of their
profits. They are doing their ut-
most to benefit their workers, to
pay them fair wages and to main-
tain helpful welfare departments,
somewhat similar to the Ford Edu-
cational department. There are
still some concerns where women
and girls are paid wages that are
disgraceful and utterly destructive
to the morale of the country. Is it
right or even necessary? Or is it
better to give labor a square deal
and to do it on the basis of honest-
to-goodness Americanism?
THE END
222
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