Alfred and Henry

When I dipt into the future far as hu-
man eye could see,
Saw the vision of the world and all the
wonder that would be. . . .
Till the war-drum throbb'd no longer,
and the battle-flags were furl'd
In the Parliament of man, the Federa-
tion of the World. . . .

Reading these lines from Alfred Lord Tennyson, Henry Ford, brisk, smiling and 78, gave newspapermen his views on the post-war world. If it was not surprising to find Henry Ford quoting Tennyson, it was surprising to find him urging the U.S. not to wait until war's end, but to act for federation now.

Said Henry Ford: the U.S. is a practical example of federation. "Here we are, 48 States, some of them larger than whole countries of Europe. But there are not 48 sets of international boundary lines, nor 48 different currencies, nor 48 armies, nor 48 sets of customs barriers. . . . What we have done the people of Europe can do."

His proposal: that the U.S. put its influence behind such an organization of the world now, that all be shown the advantages of joining, that customs barriers be eliminated, a universal currency established, and the good-neighbor policy be set up throughout the world.

Newspapermen who thought they saw the influence of Clarence Streit's Union Now on Henry Ford asked him if he had got his idea from the book. No, said Henry Ford. It was an old idea but a good one. He'd been mulling it over for the last 20 years.

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