FORD LIBELACTION.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 19 March 1927, Page 2

FORD LIBELACTION.

SENSATIONAL EVIDENCE TENDERED.

Bjr Cable—-Press Association —Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.

NEW YORK, March 17.

■ Mr' Ford’s counsel, Senator Reed, made sensational charges against Sapiro in his opening statement for the defence.

Mr Reed began with a reference to the racial question. He said: “This not a case of the Hebrew race against Mr Henry Ford. Sapiro has no right to collect damages for the Hebrew race, and put money in his own pocket. This is the same kind of case as it would be it Sapiro belonged to sonic other race than Jewish.” Mr Reed then declared that the statements printed regarding Sapiro were essentially true. Ho picthred the plaintiff as a man who had dreams ol wealth ;yid power which extended not only to the control of all farming industry in America, but the wheat of the entire world.

Mr Reed alleged that the southern tobacco growers had been exploited for millions of dollars. They paid 2.000.000 dollars more than their worth for the warehouses their associations bought, while their tobacco was sola 30 per cent, lower than the growers outside associations obtained. He declared Sapiro chose association with managers who made vast profits in buying and selling firms wherein the managers themselves were partners. ■ Mr Reed alleged that farmers were bound by'contracts penalising them if they rebelled, saddling them with heavy court costs and making business for Sapiro’s law firm, requiring the farmer to pay high interest on the money the association borrowed, with the former’s own crop security.