Hint at Alliance Between Hearst and “ford for President” Forces

Observations made here by prominent men from the state of Michigan, coupled with other accumulating evidence, would tend to give weight to the report of a forthcoming political combination between Henry Ford and William Randolph Hearst. Mr. Ford’s presidential aspirations are becoming clearer every day, and at the same time there are constant indications of a more friendly attitude toward him by different writers on the Hearst newspapers, Arthur Brisbane himself repeatedly calling attention to Mr. Ford’s possible strength as a candidate.

While castigating him for his anti-Semitism, Mr. Brisbane constantly praises Mr. Ford as a leader of industry and as a liberal in politics. On January 9 Mr. Brisbane had this to say on the subject:

“Mr. Ford’s editor suspects that Ford’s candidacy for the White House is discussed in order “to kill off Ford” before the convention. There is nothing in that. A man that has never done anything can easily be killed off. The other kind of man grows under discussion.

“And Ford knows in the regular course of business, how to attract the attention of those upon whose taste he relies.”

“The International Magazine” which published Norman Hapgood’s expose of “Henry Ford’s Anti-Jew Mania” is now running as serial a eulogistic biography of Mr. Ford, written by Allen Benson, former Socialist candidate for president. “The International Magazine” in an evident attempt to atone for its former severe attitude towards Mr. Ford advertised this sympathetic story as “the other side” of the expose of anti-Semitism.

Leading Jews here have expressed amazement at the indications of an alliance between the anti-Semitic automobile manufacturer and Mr. Hearst, who has ever championed fairness to Jews.