Sapiro States Reasons for Instituting Libel Suit Against Ford

An explanation of his reasons for his $1,000,000 libel suuit against Henry Ford was given by Aaron Sapiro who came to New York on Saturday.

“First, I am in this case because of my interest as an individual,” Mr. Sapiro said. “I have four children who are growing up, and I did not want them to grow up in the belief that their father had not been faithful to a professional trust. To others it may seem like a small motive for instituting a suit, but to me, the opinion my children will have of me in the future guides many of my actions.

“The regard which my friends have for me–and my friends, I believe, number thousands–was another thing which moved me to action. My standing among friends was a motive for some big move. One values one’s friends and their opinions, if one really believes in friendship.

“I knew that the suit would cost me all of my resources but I have no respect for money as such, nor have I any fear of its power–that is why I was unafraid to fight Mr. Ford.

“My second cause for action was that as one of the advocates of cooperative marketing I felt that a fight was necessary. The development was being badly paralyzed and the movement smothered, partly by the ‘Dearborn Independent.’ I believe cooperative marketing to be the biggest movement in world agriculture, undertaken for the betterment of the farmer. And I felt that I would be playing the part of a coward if I let ten years of effort, energy and hopes be wasted because of something which I could fight.

“My interest as a Jew was a strong motive. It is, I believe, unfair to develope prejudice against any one because of race or religion. As Jews, we have no remedy. I am essentially a Jew and an American. I am race-conscious.

“I feel the stream of Jewish life of which I am a part. Then, my mother was directly responsible for my feeling the urge of the Jewish traditions toward a social viewpoint.”