AUTOS: The Little Giant Goes

Young Henry Ford, barely settled in his new chair as president, gave his billion dollar empire a shaking that rattled its teeth. The first shake tumbled Harry Ben nett out of power.

Bennett, the apple of Old Henry’s eye, has long been second in command of the company. Young Henry removed “the little giant” from his potent position as boss of Ford’s labor & industrial relations. Then, in two days, he demoted or fired nearly a dozen Bennett-men. Mr. Bennett would continue as a director of the com pany, but from now on. said Young Hen ry, in unmistakable tones, everyone would be responsible ”directly to me.”

As usual in the tight-lipped company, no one would say what had caused the earth quake. But this time the silence was doubly significant. When Young Henry moved into the presidency a fortnight ago, automen watched sharply to see how much power Old Henry would let him have. (In all the years Edsel Ford was president, Old Henry kept tight control in his own hands.) Now they knew. In allowing his old favorite’s downfall, Old Henry had made it pikestaff plain that Young Henry is now absolute boss. It looked as if Old Henry Ford, either by choice or necessity, had finally retired.

New Slate. But Young Henry would not go it alone. His mother, who had quietly used her influence in company affairs to end Bennett’s reign, would certainly help. It was no secret that she had long opposed many a Bennett policy, particularly on la bor. Now, with the slate swept clean, a new start would be made. To the new board of strategy, Young Henry named:

¶ John S. Bugas, 37, to replace Bennett. Tall, even-tempered, humorous, Bugas punched cows in Wyoming as a youth, graduated from the University of Wyoming with a law degree, then joined the FBI. Put in charge of the Detroit office shortly before the war, he made a notable record (he broke up two Nazi spy rings, kept sabotage in war plants at 0). He left the FBI to join the Ford Motor Co. two years ago as Bennett’s assistant.

¶ Meade L. Bricker, 60, to the all-important job of Ford production boss, to replace Ray Rausch, Bennett protege (Rausch was shunted down the ladder to handle “new construction”). An oldtime automan, Bricker first went to work for Ford in 1904, left, then came back again for good in 1914. When World War II began, he was given Ford’s toughest pro duction nuts to crack — antiaircraft guns, plane motors — and finally, Willow Run.

Whether Ford’s labor relations will be come smoother is still a question. Young Henry thinks that they will. At least, he feels that Bennett’s antilabor record will no longer be a club for unions to belabor Ford with, nor .target for bad publicity.

Old Protector. The harsh fact was that Harry Bennett had outlived his usefulness to the empire. The things which he had spent his life protecting it against were now dead issues. Fresh out of the U.S. Navy, he was hired by Old Henry in 1917 to guard the Ford plants against saboteurs. Then he took over the job of guarding the Ford family from kidnappers. He was unable to protect Mr. Ford from swallowing whole the Protocols of Zion,* but kept him from making any more such mistakes. Often, when Mr. Ford blurted something to reporters which might get him in hot water, Bennett would step in with a “Now what Mr. Ford meant was—” and tone down the statement.

Bennett fought hardest to protect the empire from unionism, yet when he lost he was the first to advise Old Henry to sign up. In his long role as guardian, squat, flint-hard, bow-tied Mr. Bennett (he never wore a four-in-hand for fear someone would use it to choke him) was shot at, beaten up and stoned (see cut). He took all this as part of his watchdog job, relaxed by painting in oils, never questioned anything which Mr. Ford wanted done. He saw no reason to question. Said he: “I believe in the things that Mr. Ford wants done. Believing in them has made them easier to do.”

* The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, purporting to be plans for a vast “Jewish conspiracy” to establish an empire throughout the world, were first published in Russia in 1905. Although they were conclusively proved to be fraudulent, they have ever been one of the most successful of anti-Semitic weapons.