The person who said, "I don't know Hitler personally but at least Germany keeps its people at work" was Henry Ford. At the time, Ford was convinced that reports of impending war in Europe were nothing more than false rumors. To close acquaintances, Ford put down reports of German aggression and persecution as pure propaganda.

Ford had no one to blame but himself for the abuse that would be heaped on him. Three days before the invasion of Poland, Ford praised Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain for his policy of appeasement, calling him "one of the greatest men who ever lived". Ford's willingness to publicly speak about his society and political issues gave gratuitous confirmation to many allegations directed against him.

When reporters in late August 1939 asked Ford for his opinion of Adolf Hitler, he replied, "I don't know Hitler personally, but at least Germany keeps its people at work. ... Apparently England's reason for going to war is that she doesn't make enough use of her land." When asked about the possibilities of a war in Europe, Ford claimed that it was all a bluff. "They don't dare have a war and they know it." In June 1940, Ford then told the press that "international Jewish bankers" are responsible for war. It is not Adolf Hitler ("The Chronicle of the Neglected Truth").

More Info: history.hanover.edu