MANY MOTORS

Henry Ford, among his other projects, plans to sell a total of 20,000,000 cars on the installment plan. To supply the demand which he himself will create, he will establish assembling plants in rural towns so that farmers may throw together a Ford in their spare time during the winter. As a presidential candidate, he would profit immensely by a mailing list of twenty million--even if all of them were debtors; but two things appear to block this ambitious scheme: the saturation point, and Citizen Citroen.

An eminent statistician some time ago announced that the United States could not run more than twenty million motor cars. For more than that number there would be no money, no gas, no room, and no need. The increasing number of fume-emitting motors, according to public health officials, has made the Americans a race of blood-poisoned nervous wrecks. The nation is already half saturated with cars, and last month more were made than in any previous month. What dauntless courage is fostered in Detroit to assert that every man, woman, child, and college student will throw away their old cars for a new Ford!

But super-saturation is not impossible, scientists say. The greatest danger to this national car looms from France. M. Citroen makes inexpensive automobiles in France, and gives them an artistic touch. He borrowed American methods of manufacture during a recent trip here, but refused to accept our body styles. He discovered here, however, a yearning for art on the highway, so he will manufacture his own car in quantities somewhere in New York. Citizen Citroen at least flatters us; we may buy his car to keep near the house for decoration. The retort courteous, since our streets are full, would be to send the efficient Ford to France.