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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 28, 1922)
4 FORD INACCESSIBLE LTD FIR SEEKERS Veritable Chinese Wall v Built by Secretary. Is GREAT MAN DEMOCRATIC 'Manufacturer Is Generous and Affable Onec Fortunate k- Ones Guia Access. : V ' BY S. S. MARQUIS, D. D. '(Copvritcht United States and llrcat Erit- 4 ain. North American Newspaper f . alliance. Also protected by copyright in other countries of t,ha world. AH rights reserved.) I ' CHAPTER VIII. Once von bet to -Mr. Ford you will find him. of all men, most af fable and democratic. He is apt to "leave upon you toe impression that lie stands ready to do anything for you, give you anything, even to the 'liall of his kingdom. He makes promises which he sometimes keeps, .sometimes forgets and sometimes fulfills in his own peculiar way. !He hates to say "No." He has a way of leaving you with the idea that he is in entire sympathy with your proposition, and of delegating tho unpleasant task of turning you down to someone else. t To turn down a request made of us is embarrassing. To grant a favor is a pleasure. Henry Ford is n man of generous impulses. I think he would prefer on all occasions jto do what he is asked to do. "This, of course, is impossible. And bo, when it is necessary to turn a man down, he seeks to relieve him self of the embarrassment of doing 'so by referring the man to some one jelse, a: the same time indicating "oust how he would have the man and his request handled. He has sometimes given a man a note to jiu executive, which was in reality a cod letter understood by the of ficial receiving it. That note was always the,same with slight varia tions in the spelling of one word. ( Note Sent in Code. "' The fate of the individual, Joy fully and unsuspectingly bearing that note, hung on the spelling of that word. If the note read, "Please -e-e this man," it meant he was to (be favorably handled. If it read Tlease s-e-a this man," it meant that be was to be let down as easy is possible dropped overboard into ji sea of uncertainty, fo far as ob taining what he wanted was con cerned, there to wait and flounder Rboiit until utterly discouraged, he Wave up hope of attaining his end. It always seemed to me that a filunt "So" would have been a much micro considerate way of dealing with cases of this kind. ' denial, generous and democratic Avill be found the manner of Henry .Ford, once you get to him, but the problem is to get to him. The ap .proach to him is, I believe, the most guarded and most difficult of that :of any man alive. He would have "it so. People who do not understand 'blame his secretary for making this Jinan of the people so inaccessible. :But his secretary is to be praised for the thoroughness with which he '&s the work assigned him. A Chesterfield might suggest that which here and there would add "jjraee and charm to the manner in !which the Job is handled, but he certainly could do nothing to raise $he present standard of efficiency. '"', Secretary Only Approach. . Hardly a week passes that some one does not come to me from a distance with the request that I be Itirid enough to assist him in obtain ing an interview with Mr. Ford. The aiiKwor is, "There is but one ap proach to Mr. Ford and that is through his secretary." And then the question, "How lo I get to his secretary?" And the answer is, v"Make an appointment with him and take your knitting along. You may have to wait." J' Socially, Henry Ford has preferred -to remain in the class in which he "was born. He goes occasionally into Ahc drawing rooms of those who Jiave attained social distinction, but lie is not at ease there, and remains ,jio longer than is necessary. Detroit has three aristocracies of he kind that bears upon its shield file rampant dollar sign. A landed aristocracy, descended from the Varly French settler whose farm fronted on the river and extended in a narrow strip inland two or hree miles; the aristocracy based ion the wealth drawn from Michi gan s forests and minerals; and in .."these latter days, an automobile aristocracy ithe product of the au- ,omobile industry. Henry Ford has stormed the doors of none of them. : People in all walks of life and 11 ranks come from near and far to see him. But the vast majority fail to attain the object of their xisit, due to the Chinese wall about turn, erected and guarded by his secretary. Those who do see him jjiave as a rule paid for the privilege in hours and sometimes in days of .Waiting. If all the hours men have rpent in waiting to see Henry Ford were added together it would be in teresting to know just how many i thousands of years the grand total ould represent. No king was ever '. hedged about, none but the grand 'llama of Thibet was ever so inac cessible. Henry Ford 'would be a greater LOOSE LEAF SYSTEMS Everything from Price Books to Posting Machine Equipment. Over 400 forms in stock, covering nearly every requirement for modern ac counting. Special forms devised, ruled and printed to order. Binders to suit every requirement. GET IN TOUCH WITH OIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT. and -wiser man if ha were' a better mixer ana listener, ah mnuiai mind in an isolated body misses much in this world that is really worth knowing. Bu: I can not say that I alto gether blame him for his aloofness from the world. Every man with a crank's turn of mind; promoters of every description; social and political dreamers of all kinds; in ventors of hairpins, market baskets and perpetual motion; of accessor ies for the Ford car enough of them to require a trailer to carry them; big men seeking millions.and little men wanting enough money to pay the rent; representatives of the church, the college and the uni versity; builders of homes for stray cats and hospitals for doga; writers seeking an annuity so that they may givo their time without anxiety to literary pursuits; experts in sociol oey who would like to be put on an allowance so as to be able to give him the benefit of their wisdom in the solution of his industrial prob lems, and work out ways for the expenditure of his millions; ex perts who propose to eolve all prob lems by making the paper pulp sup ply of the world take the place of gold as a monetary basis -these and others too numerous to mention, have made a beaten path to his door, not because Emerson's magical mousetrap is there, but because the philosopher's stone, that turns so much vanadium steel into gold, is there, and ia to them'an irresistible loadstone. They have heard of Henry Ford as the friend of man and they feel sure he will finance anything they have to offer. Society Is Avoided. Wherever he goes the crowds press upon him as if he were a king out for an airing and thrust their petitions not into his hands but into his ears. I once took him to a reception at which a large num ber of high dignitaries of the church were present. They formed in line, like purchasers of tickets at a cir cus, and in turn made their wants known for schools, colleges, mis sions and struggling parishes. He left that reception with a pocket full of cards on which were noted the amounts of money and the num ber of Ford cars each ecclesiastic cc-ild use in his business. I have seen him besieged in a -similar man ner by business men at club recep tions. I can understand Henry Ford's aversion to polite society. I do not altogether blame him for preferring to live behind a Chinese wall. And let no one think he has got- ! ten to him when, by hook or crook, he has gotten over or under or through the wall. Back of the wall and beyond the moat stands the castle of his mind. It is a mind that prefers to think its own thoughts and choose its own themes for conversation. You want to see Henry Ford? He will see you, but not to talk about the thing you wish to talk about, but to tell you some thing he has to say to you. You fence and jockey in a vain attempt to turn the conversation in the di rection of the matter for which you have sought the interview. I recall, by way of illustration, an interview which two men had with him at his own home. It was by appointment and was in regard to a contribution to a church building fund. "What success did you have?" I asked one of them the next day. "We had a delightful visit." he re plied. "Mr. Ford entertained us and so led the conversation that we never got a chance to mention tha church." During the war three men came all tho way from New York to see him on camp recreational work. They had insisted on an interview, and he had finally told them that if they came to Detroit he would eee them. Then he came to me and said, "You 'take these fellows and talk to them. I told them that if they came I would see them. I have seen them. I met them and 'good morning' when they came in. That is all they will see of me. When you are through with them turn them over to my secretary." He speaks at times with the air of great finality, as a man who has received a revelation, or has secret sources of information on the great subjects of the day. He talks in short, - broken, disconnected sen tences. And he has a way of discoursing- on one of his favorite themes Wall street, the Jew, in ternational bankers sitting in secret conclave somewhere and planning another war, world peace through farm tractors and water power, the synthetic cow in a way that pro duces among his listeners a pro found and embarrassing silence, broken occasionally by a remark from one of his two or three famil iars, whose words of approval do not always leave the impression that they are speaking out of the depths 01 Knowledge or profound convic tion. . Criticism Is Ignored. Men of great wealth and limited education often fail to appreciate the fact that they are in danger of overestimating the worth of their judgment on matters outside the industrial world in which they live, Few men have the courage to argue with a millionaire especially if they chance to be in the dependent position of employes. This silence, or at least veiled expression of opinion on the part of those thrown in daily contact with them is likely to leave upon a man of wealth the impression that he is an oracle on anything he chooses to talk about. The isolation of Henry Ford's mind is about as near perfect as it is possible to make it. For this reason the confidence born in him of success along one line- never for sakes his when he enters other spheres of thought and action. Ad verse criticism reaches him, of course, but it does not penetrate. And when ona is working on tha theory that it is better to be tha subject of adverse criticism than none at all what hope is thera that any dart ever will reach him? (To Be Continued. ) si aggal-.::-fi AMERICANS RESENT ADVICE OF EUROPE Reception of Tiger's Talks Example of Attitude. PUBLIC JIRED OF ADVICE Persistent Attempts to Entice Nation Into Overseas Broils Irritate People. BY ARTHUR SEARS HENNING. (ByChicfcfcO Tribune Leased Wire.) WASHINGTON, D. C, Nov. 27. The resentment of M. Clemenceau's animadversions upon tha foreign policy of the United States expressed by some senators and other public men is indicative, of a "state of mind" that is becoming more and more pronounced as more and more prominent Europeans appear among us, deputed to tell us our shortcomings- from the European view point. What causes the resentment, when you get down to bedrock, appears to be the hurling of insult and criti cism in our faces by distinguished foreigners, for those who were aroused by M. Clemenceau's accusa tion that "America left France in the lurch" by refusing to ratify the tripartite alliance are forced to admit that all this and much more comprehensive condemnation of the American policy since 1919 have been uttered by ex-President Wilson and his followers. Outsider as Critic Unwelcome. The point seems to be that when Mr. Wilson and the American League of Nations advocates tell us we have stultified ourselves by rejecting the programme he brought back from Paris, it's of no great moment, being all in the family, but when an out sider accuses us of moral obliquity we get hot under the collar. Those who are exercised over M. Clemenceau's remarks are moved to inquire why the Tiger singled out America for a lashing and spared Great Britain. True, England rati fied the tripartite agreement to protect France from aggression, but that agreement was not to be effec tive unless the United States rati fied also. There ws, however,, an other agreement negotiated by Lloyd George and Briand at Cannes nearly a year ago to protect France from aggression. It would have furnished France complete protection from Germany, but Great Britain refused to ratify it. Does M. Clemenceau ac cuse Great Britain of leaving France "in the lurch"? No. On that sub ject the- Tiger is a lamb. Lady Astor's Stand Recalled. . One of the earliest European emissaries to tell us what we ought to do and ought not to do was our ex-compatriot. Lady Astor. She was inclined to be very much ashamed of her native land for not joining the League of Nations, according to press reports of her speeches. Her shame was no less than that of the Wilsonites, freely and frequently expressed, and such folk took no offense. Others, full of resentment. rose to inquire with how much tol erance the British would listen to a British-born American citizen who should go home to upbraid them concerning foreign policies. Only within the last few weeks an ex-member of the British cabinet has been making speeches in Amer ica, telling us that we ought not to raise our tariff rates to the level of the Fordney-McCumber law, that we ought not to subsidize our mer chant marine and that we ought not to limit immigration so radically. Yet England has established iron clad protection of her "key indus tries" and has a tariff which, the French complain, is prohibitive. The gratuitous advice regarding immir gration restriction was more puz zling, inasmuch as the immigrants from Great Britain number only a fraction of the British quota estab lished under a law designed to favor a large immigration from north western Europe. Many Reproaches Borne. For three years there has been a persistent effort to entice or shame America into participation in Euro pean affairs. We have been told with all the impressiveness the Europeans could muster that Ameri can isolation was a selfish, unholy policy. Yet only a few weeks ago Bonar Law, then moving to unhorse Lloyd George, asserted that if France refused to co-operate it would be wise for England to with draw wholly from continental af fairs and adopt -the American iso lation policy. The man who pro pounded a picy that British have been wont' to bemoan when pursued by others is now prime minister. The Balfour note to France on war debts was another attempt to shame America for insisting upon payment of obligations pertaining to so righteous a cause as the war to save civilization. In this case so much resentment of the gesture was stirred at home that the Balfour W SPECIAL I - I I Tfi JS222f TJSSfid -yOUcaa search the I Pxjylbf piUpgfc mSl 11 combination-clear Ha- I MLtrj cut binder and im- i ! ' ported Sumatra wrap- I I Two for Twenty-five Cents I I Brown Cigar Co., Inc. I H Distributors ' : . r H i 124 N. Broadway, Portland, Oregon. Broadway 3776 i II Q MANUFACTURERSflF NEW LOCATION 385 Washington St., Pittock Block Good Salesmen i - know that establishing confidence is an essential step in getting business, and experience has taught them that the man who enhances his personality with the proper clothes possesses a decided advantage. - 1 These men appreciate fine quality, ex clusive patterns and authentic styles, and that is why such a large number of them continue to buy Jen-ems' tailoring they feel assured of the good appearance these clothes give and know they are not paying more than they should. Suit and Extra grousers Unusual Values $50, $55, $65 and up Have yoa seen the newest Oxfords for TUXEDOS? note became one of the indictments of tne Lloyd George ministry and a contributing cause of its fall. FIRE OFFICIALS ACCUSED Violation of State Game Code Charged; Denial Issued. Edward Grenfell, fire marshal of Portland, and E. L. Pullen and W. P. Cooper, inspectors in the fire mar shal's office, were arrested yester day on telegraphic warrants issued in Roseburg on charges of violation of the state game code. The three men are Ghargod with having shot and killed a doe while hunting in Cow Creek canyon last August. While the men were arrested, it was in the form of a technical ar rest, as they were given liberty and simply told to arrange to appear be fore the Roseburg court as soon as it was convenient. Fire Alarshal Grenfell in a state ment last night made an emphatic denial of the charge,, saying that if he had been guilty he would have appeared in court voluntarily and paid hia fine. ' Highway to Be Beantifnl. PENDLETON, Or., Nov. 27. (Spe cial.) Nearly 100 maple trees will be planted along the Columbia river highway at its entrance to Pendleton in the next lew aays as tne result of a decision by the city planning commission. Dr. w. u. Mcivary or the eastern Oregon state hospital will also plant the same kind of trees in front of his property, mak ing a beautiful entrance to the west gate of the city. The city water commission has agreed to furnish water for the irrigation of the sap lings. Lewis County Teachers Meet. CHEHALIS, Wash., Nov. 27. (Special.) The annual institute of Lewis county teachers opened in the Chehalis high school this morn ing, with nearly 400 teachers in at tendance. Miss Z. May Meighen, Lewis county superintendent, was in charge. At the noon luncheon of the Chehalis Citizens' club a num ber of the teachers were in attend ance, and in the evening the club gave a reception to the teachers and the public. The institute will close Wednesday" afternoon. Stabbing Charge Is Filed. CENTRALIA, Wash., Nov. 27. (Special.) Information charging first-degree assault was filed Sat urday in the superior court against Bert Foglesong of Lincoln Creek. At a dance recently in that section the defendant, floor manager, was alleged to have stabbed Edward Greeley. Foglesong will be tried during the December jury term of court. Phona your want ads to The Ore Ronian. All its readers are inter ested In the classified coin m n s. CflCOM TheTaib? Oscar M. Smith, Manager 385 Washington St, Pittock Block II ENLARGEMENT OF TJ. S. PRO GRAMME IS NECESSARY. Increase of Enlisted Personnel of Navy to 108,000 Men Advocated by League. - . i x (By Chiea;ro Tribune Leased Wire.) WASHINGTON, D. C, Nov. 27.- While numerous American capital ships are to be scrapped under the Washington conference naval agree ment, it will be necessary for the United States to enlarge its cruiser and Submarine building programme and increase its naval personnel in order to maintain the 5-6-3 ratio, according to the navy league. In making public its resolution "that the United States navy, us a whole, be actually and at all times as effective as that of Great Britain and five-thirds as strong as that of Japan," the league reviews the ex isting and projected strength of England and Japan in auxiliary craft, not limited by the Washington agreement and adds: If the united States navy Is to bo maintained in every essential respect on the basis of equality with that of Great Britain and five-thirds the strength ot that of Japan as called for in the above resolution then the poet-conference naval estimates being maintained and the new building programmes being under taken By Great Britain and by Japan calls for the United States to have: 1. An enlisted personnel of about 108,000 an increase of 22,000. 2. New cruisers aggregating about 296,000 tons an Increase to the 10 now building of more than the equivalent of L'i lu,(MKl-ton cruisers. 3. Submarines of over 1000 tone to the number of 48 that is, 40 more than wa now have built or building. In considering these increases, calcu lating under the 5-5-8 ratio, it should be realized that the Washington conference aimed to establish a balance of naval power of equality between the United States and Great Britain and, for each of their navies, the ratio of five-thirds to the strength of Japan. If the United States Is to maintain this balance in fact, we must meet the post conference naval estimates that Great Britain and Japan maintain and we must meet the building programme that they initiate. Otherwise we will not be maintaining in practice the spirit and purpose of the Washington conference. MERGER DIVIDES STATES Continued From First Page.) sirable from the point of view of Wyoming railroad users. For Idaho, George E. Erb, a mem-' ber of the public service commis sion, argued that reparation of the railroads now unified would be ad vantageous. "We must assume in the light of the supreme court's decision that the Central Pacific has already been jTM J&m of Beauties 1 Mar El Sideto Cigar it made hf Consolidated Cigar Corporation, New York Distributed by ALLEN & LEWIS Portland, Ore. separated from the Southern Pa cific," Commissioner Potter observed during the examination of Mr. Shaughnessy, "and that this pro ceeding is to determine whether a union between the two is desirable. Now, do you think if this independ ent Central Pacific had been set up, with its own traffic arrangement and perhaps with some new' lines to make necessary connections, the interests of your state would require - ---- You have made up your mind about most things Have you made up your mind which is the best typewriter? There is a best, and it's the light running, quiet-running Royal. But do you know why? It might be valuable information to have, and the quickest way to get it is from the machine itself. Ask for a Royal demonstration. Then compare the work ! ROYAL TYPEWRITER COMPANYInc North h St., Cor. Oak. Tel. Broadway .It Kit. Branches and Agrencies the World Over its fusion with the Southern Pa cific?" "I can't quite assume that state of affairs." Mr. Shaughnessy re sponded, "because the present ar rangement is giving our state good service and access to all markets. My view is that the divorce of the Southern Pacific from the Central Pacific would result in a diversion of Southern Pacific traffic to lines outside of our state and a con- i. 1 better known on the Coast, than the El Sidelo box. No box holds such invitation to smokers. No box offers you greater promise of Havana fragrance and Connec ticut shade-wrapper mildness. No box ful fils its promise more acceptably. sequent reduction in our payrolls and business." SKin Ablate with Eczema Constant Itching Almost Unbearable! know there is one thing that tops czema, and that is mora red-bluod-ce.ls! S. S. S. builds them by the million ! You can increase yon? red-blood cells to the point where It U practically Impossible for eczema to exist. We know that as blood-cell" inrreaiie in number, blood lmparitira vanish 1 We also know tbat night fol lows day. Both are facts ! But have you. eczema eufferers, ever actually taken advantage of this wonderful fact? Thousands just like yon have never thought about it! Skin eruptions, eczema with all its fiery, akln-digginr torture and lta aoul-teartng. unreach able itching, pimples, blackheada and bolls, they all pack op and go, when the tide of blood-cells begins to roll In! Blood-cella are the fighting-giants of nature! S. S. S. builds tbein by the million ! It baa been doing it sinre 1826! S. S. S. is one of the greatest blood - cell builders, blood - cleansers and body-builders known to tis mor tals ! When you put these facta to pether, then to continue to have ene ma and skin eruptions looks more like a sin than a disease. Mrs. Arthur N. Smith, Pearl St., Newark, Ohio, writes t "Lly littlt girl had a ry bad cat of taema. Sht began taking S. S. S. and it well now. ti.ank you very much. I UU my friend what m good medicine it it. I cannot talk too much about it, for I lrnow it it O. K." Here is your opportunity. S. S. S. contains only vegetable medicinal In gredients. Because S. S. S. does build red-blood-cells, it routs rheumatism, buildi firm flesh, fills out ho'lnw cheeks, beautifies the complexion, builds yon np when you are run-down 8. S. S. ia sold at all drng stores, in two sizes. The larger size bottle is the more economical. makes von ft el i . Khe yourself again RECOVERS FROM RHEUMATISM "Had rheumatism five months that would go from my left knee to my back. Tried many remedies with out relief. Finally used Foley Kid ney Pills and in fifteen days was entirely cured." writes W. J. Oliver. Vidalia, Georgia. Backache, rheu matic pains, dull headache, dizziness and blurred vision are symptoms of kidney disorder. Foley Kidney Pills quickly relieve kidney and bladder trouble. Sold everywhere. Adv.