SENSATIONAL LIBEL ACTION.

Wairarapa Age, 16 March 1927, Page 5

SENSATIONAL LIBEL ACTION.

MILLION DOLLAR CLAIM. AARON SAPIRO v. HENRY FORD. DETROIT, March 14. 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 an organised international Jewish financial ring dominating co-operative organisations 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, 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 religious controversy of a far-reach-ing importance. The plaintiff expects to have Ford appear in the witness stand, and claims to have subpoenaed the 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 years ago, but he has never appeared in any suits involving him.—(A. and N.Z.)