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Celler Declines to Back Ford for Peace Prize; Wants Salmon Levinson

December 8, 1929
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In response to a request from Edward A. Filene of Boston that he sanction the submission of the name of Henry Ford as a candidate for the 1930 Nobel Peace Prize, Congressman Emanuel Celler of New York, in an open letter to Mr. Filene, not only declines, but suggests Salmon O. Levinson of Chicago as a meritorious candidate.

After pointing out why Mr. Ford is not a suitable candidate, Congressman Celler says that “ordinarily I would not pay any attention to a suggestion of Henry Ford’s name for this high honor, but when a man of your reputation and unusually rare penetration makes this suggestion, it compels interest.”

Pointing out that Mr. Levinson is the actual author of the idea to renounce war by treaty, an idea which is the basis of the Kellogg-Briand Peace Pacts, Congressman Celler said that there is talk of the prize going to ex-Secretary of State Kellogg. “That would be wrong,” writes Mr. Celler. “Senator Borah, who actually wrote the treaties, deserves the prize more than ex-Secretary Kellogg, and Mr. Levinson deserves it more than Senator Borah.”

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