Senator Reed’s Presence on Ford Defense Seen As Move in Presidential Campaign

Interesting sidelights on the forthcoming Ford-Sapiro trial which will begin in Detroit on Monday, March 15, were shed by a prominent western visitor in New York City.

The information concerned the role of Senator James A. Reed of Missouri, who will act as Henry Ford’s chief counsel in the $1,000,000 libel suit of Aaron Sapiro.

It develops that in addition to the $100,000 retainer given by Mr. Ford to Senator Reed for his services during the trial, the Senator is to receive $2,500 per day. The well-informed visitor stated that the acceptance by Senator Reed of the Ford retainer in the Sapiro libel trial has something to do with the political combinations of the forthcoming presidential campaign in 1928. It is pointed out that Senator Reed’s consent to serve as Ford’s counsel is a move to win the sympathy of the Klan and the dry elements for him in the Presidential campaign. Both these elements find in Henry Ford a spokesman and a protagonist.

This move, Senator Reed hopes, will win the dries, who are supporting McAdoo, as well as reconciliate the Klan which he has in the past attacked. On the other hand, by espousing the cause of the liberals, he will be in a position to find the support of the liberal elements, including Jews. In this way Senator Reed would be in a strategic position in the pre-convention months as the foremost opponent of Governor Smith, it was stated.

The state conference of the Jewish National Fund in Texas was held on Sunday. Delegates representing twelve communities were present.

A resolution was adopted to issue a call to the Texas communities to organize local J.N.F. councils. A state quota of $5,000 for inscriptions in the Golden Book was adopted.

It was decided to hold the convention of the Texas Zionist Organization in Waco on May 1.

The movement to prevent the public schools from dismissing pupils one hour earlier provided they spend the time in religious instruction is not aimed to ban religious education for children, declared Joseph Lewis, President of the Free Thinkers Society.

“The meeting of the Catholic teachers’ organization at the Waldorf on Sunday.” said Mr. Lewis, “created the false impression that we are trying to prevent children from getting religious instruction. We maintain that parents have a perfect right to give their children religious instruction after school hours. All we are trying to do is to have the public schools obey the State law regarding the separation of Church and State and to keep religion out of the schools.”

Mr. Lewis said that the appeal in the case now being tested as to whether schools have a right to dismiss children for religious instruction would be tried in the April term of the Court of Appeals.