12 Friday June 5, 1981
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
,
Documentation of Auto Magnate's Anti-Semitism
(Continued from Page 2)
Howe, the Immigration
Commissioner; Dean Mar-
quis; Mr. Brownell, the ad-
vertising agent of the fac-
tory; and Alfred Lucking,
Mr. Ford's private attorney.
" 'It was evident from the
first moment that, except
for Mr. Howe and Mr. Yon-.
kers, they were all hostile
both to Mr. Ford's peace
ideals and-to me personally.
Their efforts to sidetrack
Mr. Ford's interest were
very plain. Discussing
pacifism during lunch, Mr.
Ford showed himself an
absolutely clear and radical
pacifist, in entire agree-
ment with my own uncom-
promising pacifism. Hotly
attacked by Dean Marquis
and the lawyer, I found my
defense always supported
by Mr. Ford. All the more
astonishing it was to me to
hear Mr. Ford, after all his
logical and well-expressed
- statements, suddenly say:
" 'I know who caused the
war, the German-Jewish
bankers.' He slapped his
breast pocket. 'I have evi-
dence here. Facts. The
German-Jewish bankers
caused the war. I can't give
out the facts now, because I
haven't got them all yet.
But I'll have them soon.'
" 'And he looked at the
men against whom he had
been backing me during the
discussion. I could hardly
believe my ears. I was
dumbfounded. This cheap
and vulgar statement was
in direct.contrast to Mr.
Ford's sensible and logical
statements.' "
It is at this point that Mrs.
Gelderman points to the
attitude of Edsel Ford who
disputed his father's anti-
Semitism. Mrs. Gelderman
states in her "Henry Ford:
The Wayward Capitalist":
"At the time, Edsel
realized that it was his
father's misguided judg-
ment that prompted the
`Jewish articles' and not ra-
cism, but he constantly
complained about them
nevertheless.
"His disgust turned to
genuine horror when he dis-
covered that Liebold had set
up a detective agency in
New York City whose pur-
pose it was to dig up dirt
about Jews. Special agents
were instructed to pry into
the private lives of known
and suspected Jews and to
collect anti-Jewish tracts
and books.
"The undercover hirel-
ings and the Independent's
executives alike had secret
code numbers; Liebold's was
121X. The head of the New
York operation was C.C.
Daniels, brother of
Josephus, Secretary of the
Navy. The agency's prize
acquisition was The Pro-
tocols of the Wise Men of
Zion, a document which
supposedly emanated from
a secret conclave of world
Jewish leaders. These Pro-
tocols were said to be min-
utes of a meeting of the
`Learned Elders of Zion,'
representatives of the an-
cient Sanhedrin, detailing
their plans for Jewish
domination of the world.
The Protocols had been
forged by a Czarist agent,
Serge Nilus, and had been
published by the Russian
government in 1905 in
order to divert the revolu-
tionary activities of the
Russian people into anti-
Semitic channels:
"Liebold first saw an edi-
tion of the forgery in New
York in the spring of 1920.
He hired Boris Brasol, a
Russian monarchist and a
professional anti-Semite, to
'translate it into English,
after which William Came-
ron, the editor of the Dear-
born Independent, updated
and paraphrased the Pro-
tocols for the paper, at-
tributing every conceivable
symptom of social degener-
acy from revolution in Rus-
sia to the speakeasies of
America to the 10 Learned
Elders.
"According to the Inde-
pendent the Elders even
played a part in the dis-
covery of AmeriCa — the
first foreigner to step foot on
North American soil was a
Jewish interpreter Who
sailed across the ocean with
Columbus. Catholic Queen
Isabella was a 'Jewish
front,' the money for her ex-
pedition having been raised
by three 'secret Jews.'
Henry Ford II, Edsel For C-5.1 and H enry Ford I are
shown in this early 1930s photograph.
English scholar, showed the dent, sounded like the myth
Protocols to be a forgery. In of Nordic supremacy. In a
America, Herman Berns- later issue the paper drew a
tein, whose libel suit distinction between Jews
against Ford was settled out and white men.
of court, cited a number of
"In 1922 a New York
German novels as the prog- Times correspondent inter-
enitors of Nilus's book. The viewed Hitler at his head-
London Times, picking up quarters in Munich. 'The
on the 'string of clumsy wall beside his desk is deco-
plagiarisms' that Bernstein rated with a large picture of
exposed, identified as the Henry Ford. In the an-
main source of Nilus's book techamber there is a large
a work written by a Pari- table covered with books,
sian lawyer and publicist, nearly all of which are a
Maurice Joly."
translation of a book .. .
Mrs. Gelderman also de- published by Henry Ford.
tails the recorded adula-
" 'If you ask one of Hitler's
tions of Hitler by Ford. This underlings for the reason of
is her expose:
Ford's popularity in these
"The International Jew circles he will smile know-
became a best seller in ingly and say nothing. In
Germany. The Nazis trans- nationalist circles in Berlin,
lated the book into a dozen too, one often hears Ford's
languages and distributed name mentioned by people
it all over the world. Hitler who would seem the very
praised Ford in Mein last in the world with whom
Kampf. The Third Reich an American respecting the
youth leader, Baldur von Republican Constitution
Schirach — a romantically would seek any associa-
minded young man and an
energetic organizer, whose
As late as 1942, with the
mother was American and
mass
murder of Jews hor-
whose great-grandfather
was a Union officer who lost rifying the human mind,
a leg at Bull Run — confes- Ford still believed Jews
sed that he had become an caused World War II. He
anti-Semite at the age of 17 also believed they were re-
sponsible for World War I.
after reading the book.
This
comment by Mrs. Gel-
"The International Jew
antedated the propaganda derman is therefore worth
ministry of Nazi Germany quoting:
"In May, 1945, in the
by several years. 'The Jews
are the conscious enemies of midst of all the excitement,
"Of course there had all that Anglo-Saxons mean the uncut, uncensored films
never been any such organ- by civilization,' an assertion of the Majdanek Death
ization as the Elders of Zion. appearing in an early issue Camp, the first version of
Lucien Wolf, an eminent of the Dearborn Indepen- the Nazi atrocities against
Jews to reach the states,
were shown at the Rouge
auditorium. Henry Ford
watched, horror-struck, and
for the first time he realized
Custom Kitchens by
that there might be a con-
nection between what he
viewed on the screen in
front of him and the anti-
Semitic articles that ap-
i „..
peared in his Dearborn In-
,
dependent. The shock
caused a certain disorienta-
ikev
LICENSED CONTRACTOR
tion from which he never re-
#585-14
covered.
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-
i
"He turned paranoid, ob-
li"-- _ ... -"'"-
25 Years Experience
sessed with the idea that he
would be attacked by a gov-
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ernment agent. For protec-
WE DO THE COMPLETE JOB—,
tion, he outfitted his car
with holster and revolver,
and insisted that his chauf-
feur have a gun on his per-
FINISH BASEMENTS
son. He frequently carried
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on conversations with
ESTIMATES
CUSTOM FORMICA CABINETS
people who had been dead
FOR DO-IT-YOURSELFERS
for years. He repeatedly
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Gala
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terJ
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i ifl
lk I
ffl Ili
I f
JACK
GRAFF
KITCHEN and BATH REMODELING
557-2119
,
called for and wondered He added that he be l
where Liebold was.
lieved the military gov
"As Sorenson would later ernment to be a pawn o:
write, 'The picture was the Jewish business sec
clear; the team was break- tor.
ing up. The captain was a
"Within two weeks, how
sick man, unable to call the ever, Edison wrote to Heri
plays. The lirre coaches were man Bernstein saying thc,-,
gone. Anydne who made a he had been badly mis
brilliant play was called ' quoted. What he actual
out.' "
had said was, 'If one wenj
Albert Lee's
down to the bottom of thing?
`Ford and Jews'
in the great and most sucj
Attracting widest atten- cessful industries, one
tion for several months was would dip up a Jew who fur l
"Henry Ford and the Jews" nished the ability to mal-c.R
(Stein and Day) by Albert them a success.'
"During the -.-iles o
Lee. As the title of this book
indicates, the anti- anti-Semitic articles ap:
Semitism of Henry Ford I is pearing in the Dearborn In
primary in Lee's analyses. dependent, Edison gave
Of course, he deals with the indications of support fol
auto manufacturer's skills that effort. In Decemt,-.
and he traces his many 1920, for instance, Edisor
habits and prejudices. But corresponded with Lieb(-1
on the anti-Semitic articles
the Jew is the chief topic.
Lee should be viewed as saying that 'they don't like
especially qualified to write publicity.'
a good story about Ford and
"On several occasions h
his hatreds. A former Ford
sent notes that implied ‘,
Motor Co. publications
least tacit support, and in
writer, he had access to val-
note dated Nov. 28, 192-
uable data, and it fills his
Edison sent Liebold a new
interesting book.
clipping entitled 'Jews ar
Theiee volume should be
Ruling Soviet Russia
viewed with special concern
which stated that out of th
because of the emphasis it
48 leaders of the Soviet gov
gives to the fact that Henry
ernment, only five were
Ford II, the grandson of the pure Russian blood. Ed'
man under present discus-
son's attached note say
sion, virtually atoned for his only, `Liebold: This is in
grandfather's bias. Like his
teresting. Edison.
father, Edsel Ford, he bef-
Moreover, Ford sent Ediso
riended Jews and disap- a complete set of volumes o ,
proved of prejudices, the International Jew, in
whether against Jews or special leather presentatioi
blacks. Henry Ford II con- binding. Edison graciousl:
tinues in this capacity of accepted with 'thanks.'
civil libertarian.
"The evidence on Ed:
Lee goes into detail son's anti-Semitism is fa]
about Ford's anger over from conclusive. It if
difficulty to secure Wall known that he employe(
Street loans. Of course, Jews in his laboratori
Jews were responsible. and, except for the feu
He believed Jews drove
notes to Liebold in hi
more Chevrolets, and late seventies, nevei
that was a cause for made an anti-Semiti(
hatred.
comment to anyone. Also
Was Ford influenced by we have the testimony o:
Harry Bennett, Liebold and Harry Bennett, who sal,
Cameron? Lee believes that that more than once i
Ford was never controlled heard Edison rebuke Mr
by anyone, that he "was as Ford for his. prejudice
near to an absolute dictator Mr. Ford always denied;'
in his realm as anyone could to him.'
imagine." He made all deci-
"Was he or wasn't he? The
sions himself. He fired evidence seems to indicatf
those who disagreed with that Edison shared the
him and as Lee states Edsel Populist notion that War
who also disagreed was ig- Street was dominated b .,
nored.
Jews, and it was the Jews ir
The causes for the Ford the financial profession,
anti-Semitism are numer- whom Edison resented
ous and Lee, with all the Edison could have
limitations in his ap- applauded the first article'
proaches to the issues, pro- pointing a finger at Jewist
vides important data to sub- international bankers; but
stantiate the accusations as the articles continued, ii
and in some respects to is doubtful that he coulr
trace the roots and causes have accepted the bizarre
for the venom.
accusations. l
Lee does take into ac-
"There are som
dica
count the charge that tions that Edison
Thomas Edison also was an encouraged Ford to drop the
anti-Semite and he covers anti-Semitic series. For on ,'
that accusation with a par- Ford said that his reason foi
tial exoneration of the in- stopping the attack was t--
ventor, stating:
bring down the golc
"Was Edison also standard. The gold standarc,
anti-Semitic? There are was Edison's obsession dui,
some indications that he ing these years.
was. Edison told a Detroit ' "In his eulogy of Edison ir
Journal reporter in 1914 1931, Ford said: 'Lately t,
that the rise of commerce (Edison) turned his mind tc
in Germany fostered the economic questions becau...-
war, and that Jews were he believed the present sys-
responsible for Ger- tern hindered the best ir
many's business success.
(Continued on Page 72)
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