Good intentions not enough
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FORD employees thought the company had lost a good opportunity to gain publicity and help famine relief in Ethiopia by not donating Cargo trucks to the cause. They made their point through Ford News.
Gordon Carr, secretary of the Ford of Britain Contributions Committee, disagreed. Ford's intervention, he thought, might have done more harm than good. Pointing out that vehicles supplied to drought areas must be suitable for the terrain and loads to be carried, he added candidly: "The major relief agencies already have fleets by heavy trucks, such as Mercedes and Fiats, for which an established servicing back-up is available. To insert a few Cargo trucks into such fleets would be a hollow gesture likely in the long run to cause embarrassment to all concerned."
Moral: Never toss a brick to a drowning man.