Ford's War Cabinet

Out of the radical palace shifts following the crisis in empire, there emerged last week five new faces on the board of directors of Ford Motor Co. For the first time, some of the men who had toiled anonymously in the palace sculleries stepped into the throne room. Now they would act as President Henry Ford's war cabinet, would help him rule his fabulous domain.

Tough, bantam-sized Harry Bennett, who long served without formal title, finally received one: director. Boosted with him were:

P:Plumpish, diplomatic Ray R. Rausch, 49, most affable, best-liked of all top Ford men, now boss of the sprawling Rouge plant. Rausch came to Ford from Timken-Detroit Axle Co. in 1921, to run engineering, tool design and construction, later headed the important salvage department, was elevated to Rouge boss in 1933. A quick and practical improviser, Rausch often steps out of Rouge to solve problems in other parts of the empire. As a production man, he is second only to tall, handsome Charles E. Sorensen. When a shortage of fabricated steel threatened to halt Willow Run construction, Rausch began fabricating girders in the Rouge foundry, thus kept Willow Run stretching over the ground.

P:Bluff, outspoken Mead L. Bricker, 58, general manager of Willow Run, has an armor-plated exterior, a soft, sentimental interior. He came to Ford in 1917, held various production jobs in the Rouge and Highland Park plants, was sent into Willow Run a year ago when the plant was hamstrung by production kinks. Bricker now has the plant on schedule.

P:Bespectacled, bankerish Burt J. Craig, 57, named last week as treasurer and vice president, joined Ford as a bookkeeper in 1907, was made secretary and assistant treasurer in 1918, has carried most of the treasurer's load since. Quiet-spoken, unspectacular Craig administers Ford deposits in some 100 U.S. banks, never dabbles in production. Because of Henry Ford's complete non-interest in figures, even his own millions, Craig has devised a system which distills the empire resources in a few figures that can be scrawled on a paper, read at a glance.

Also new to the board is Mrs. Edsel Ford. Although the bulk of her husband's estate in non-voting Ford stock (estimated at upwards of $200,000,000) is held by the tax-free Ford Educational and Charity Foundation (TIME, June 7), she and her four children still hold his voting Ford stock, giving them a 41% voice in empire affairs. No one expects her to exercise this voice with more than routine "yeas" and "nays" until her three sons, now in service, find their own voices.

Like all palace shifts, this one had backstairs significance. Greatly increased was the already great influence of Bennett. Lessened was the influence of Sorensen, long nourished by the late Edsel Ford. Sorensen is still a director, still vice president in charge of production. Sorensen has had the only production seat on the board. Now he must share that chair with Rausch, close friend of Bennett. After the first board meeting came the first short but significant straw. Razzle-dazzler Steve Hannagan, whose hiring as press agent a year ago was approved by Sorensen, but never by Bennett, was fired forthwith.

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