Henry Ford has notified the Ku Klux Klan that he intends to institute legal action unless the Klan immediately ceases the unauthorized distribution of the anti-Semitic pamphlet, “The International Jew,” written by Ford in 1920, it was reported here yesterday. At the same time Ford’s attorney communicated with the Mexican government asking its cooperation in suppressing distribution of similar anti-Semitic literature in Mexico. This action by Ford follows a letter sent by him to the Anti-Defamation League, on January 7, in which he reiterated his repudiation of anti-Semitism.
In his letter to the Klan, Ford’s legal representative asked that the organization “desist from further publication and circulation of “The International Jew” and also “any reprints of other articles related to this subject matter that appeared in the Dearborn Independent.” “The manner in which this reprint has been presented to the public amounts to a deliberate and intentional misrepresentation,” the message said.
“It is a malicious attempt to mislead the public into believing these articles were and still are an expression of Mr. Ford’s opinions and sentiments, whereas, as you well know, Mr. Ford retracted these articles in 1928 and at that time disclaimed them as being an expression of his views and sentiments,” the letter concluded.
The letter to the Mexican government expressed the belief that distribution of the pamphlet in Mexico City and Pueblo “is the pernicious work of the German propaganda department attempting to undermine the esteem which the Mexican public has for the United States government.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
