LIBEL ACTION OPENS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 62, 15 March 1927, Page 9

LIBEL ACTION OPENS

FORD AS DEFENDANT

ALLEGATION AGAINST JEW i

(United Press Association.—CopyrightJ (Received 15th March, 10 a,m.)

DETROIT, 14th March. What promises to be one of the most sensational libel trials of recent years opened here to-day with Henry Ford as the defendant. Aaron Sapiro* a noted attorney of Jewish extraction, and organiser of the most important group of agricultural co-operative societies in America, is suing Ford for a million dollars damages on the ground that plaintiff was personally libelled in a series of twenty articles printed in Ford's weekly publication, "The Dearborn Independent," in which it was alleged that Sapiro was part of aa organised international Jewish financial ring dominating co-operative organise tions for personal gain. Senator Reed is Ford's principal counsel, but both sides have a formidable array of legal talent, and a bitter fight is expected. It has taken two years to prepare the case for trial. An effort will be made to air Ford's attack against the Jews, which have continued for many years, and, while Senator Reed states that the Jewish question, will be kept out of the trial, it is believed that the issue will frankly become involved in religions controversy of a far-reach-ing importance.

The plaintiff expects to have Ford appear in the witness stand, and claims to have subpoenaed tho manufacturer. Ford is constantly surrounded by a bodyguard, making the service of papers upon him difficult. He personally appeared in the stand in the "Chicago Tribune" libel trial several yean ago, but thereafter ne has never appeared in any suits involving him.