"No other man ever achieved so much publicity and talked so little for publication." This is a broad, unverifiable statement—but who will doubt it?
"No other living man in private life can lay claim to so widely known a name." This is another broad statement—but what artist in any art, what business man in any business, what scientist in any science can rival him?
"No other American except the President of the U. S. can command such instant attention for any public statement." This is a third generalization—but what politician does not envy him that?
And all because his name has been printed in "tin" on the running-boards of 12,200,000 flivvers.
Last week he opened his mouth. Occasionally reports of his remarks have appeared in Collier's Weekly, but rarely has he given interviews to newspapermen. Four years ago he gave an interview to correspondent Wilbur Forrest. Nowadays Mr. Forrest lives in Paris—as correspondent of The New York Herald-Tribune. But he has been home on vacation. So he traveled to Dearborn, Mich., and elaborated two days' interviews into four articles that appeared last week.
His interviews with Mr. Ford were not confined to any particular subject; they were general interviews embracing all matters on which Henry Ford had opinions and about which he could be induced to talk, and there were a good many. For example, when the correspondent was there a corner of Mr. Ford's laboratory had been canvased off, he had imported a dancing master, Benjamin B. Lovett, from Massachusetts, and was having him teach classes old fashioned reels, the Portland Fancy, Money Musk, the Fisher's Hornpipe, Pop Goes the Weasel, waltzes, polkas, the ripple, quadrilles, barn dances. Mr. Ford does not like modern dances, thinks the old ones will come back, is preparing a book to show why. He has also written a pamphlet against cigaret smoking and a discourse on why English should be a universal language. He collects American antiques. He has built a golf course for his employes and plays on it. He has opinions on politics; opinions and a hand in business. Age (62) cannot wither his infinite variety. He is always riding in many vehicles.
Some of Mr. Ford's deliverances:
Aeronautics. "I experimented twelve years with my motor car before I was convinced that it represented a lasting and stable product for the public. I have now only started to experiment with the airplane. And let me tell you that the commercial airplane is as yet a considerable distance of being a success. . . .
"The airplane motor is still unreliable—a delicate, quivering mechanism. Its vibration is so intense that there is little guaranty under such strain that it will remain intact over considerable distances. The airplane game depends greatly at present upon the flying ability of the man in the pilot's seat. Our daily trips to Chicago and Cleveland are about 90% skill of the men at the throttle. Stunt flying, as I see it, is about 98% of the same element. . . .