The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-07-23
James Mitchell Says NOth- ing Definite Has De-
 velOped as Yet
RIFLE FACTORY
 RUMOR UNFOUNDED
Number of Birmingham Manufacture CTS Are in New York Now Seeking War Business-Mitchell Goes
 East Today-to Return Soon

We would be foolish when there is so much war business going around not to l try to get some of 1t for the Birming ham district" said President James Mitchell of the Alabama Power company, who has been here since Monday. MT. Mitchell intends to return to New York probably this evening or tomorrow morn- ing, with the intention of coming back to Birmingham within the next few days should developments warrant
 While we are doing everything in our power to develop and aid the prosperity of this district" added MT. Mitchell, I've have not yet reached stage where we have even any reason to hope for sue cess in securing any shrapnel orders. It seems that when there is so much war business going around and so many sec tions of the country are having boom times over it, that we should have some here in Birmingham and we would be foolish not to try for it.
 Nothing Tangible as Yet
 There is not a thing to be said about the matter in detail however, for the very simple reason that nothing tangible has yet developed. It is all at sea so far We are trying to bring matters to focus I have conferred with many of the districts leading business men and industrial oper- ators. If there are any war orders to be gotten for Birmingham. we are going to get them. But further than that we can say nothing now, for as 1 said before we have not yet made sufficient progress to even hope for success.
 "As regards the Alabama Power com pany itself, I do not anticipate having any particular announcements to make at this time. We are going along work ing hard. and trying to develop the dis trict in every way we can. There will hardly be any developments of any public interest, however, to discuss now.
 Yes. I have heard the report of Q contemplated rifle facrory here, but as far as know there is nothing to it. We cant make rifles now in this district. i believe however; we can make shrapnel and that is what we are working for.
 I expect to return to New York to- morrow evening or Saturday morning and take up the matter from that end, and if developments warrant it, I will return to Birmingham in the course of a few days"
 | Although chronicled in the daily press and rumored the streets for the past i two months, the movement to secure some war orders for Birmingham now ap- l pears to be reaching a crisis. either 1t will be marked with success within the near future or else will fail and be aban- doned.
 1 All kinds of wild rumors have been/ in circulation, especially during the past two weeks Very few of them can be traced down and given any shade of authenticity. There have been reports of a proposed | rifle factory, a spear factory, shrapnel orders totaling in all many millions or l collars: big powder orders, and so forth but as far as can be learned most of them are merely rumors and the one or | two that have any basis in fact are as yet so embryonic as to have little sig nificance other than to Tend some hope.'
 What Is Known
 | This much, however, is known: 1 Agents representing the allied military forces have asked for quotations on shra pnel to be manufactured in Birming- ham. The quotation was supplied by sev- l eral local concerns, and so far nothing further has been heard.
 I Negotiations for powder orders have | been under way for some weeks. Local men have been to New York on both the | shrapnel and the powder business, and i one or two are in New York now, but so far nothing definite has developed. Local industrial men, machine shop op- orators, and bankers have held confer ences with the idea in view of forming | sort of syndicate, and if a large war or der for shrapnel can be secured to divide l it up or ..job it out between themselves and thus meet with the requirement which l calls for certain daily production on all :, shrapnel business. President Mitchell or the Alabama Power company has given his support to this plan. and has ac- 1 lively engaged himself in helping secure an order No one company or concern appears to be engaged in the movement alone
 l An industrial operator in Anniston has made a S1.O00,000 bond as a warrant Of his ability to have a war order filled, and so armed has gone to New York to secure the business
 Several Birmingham men are now in l New York engaged in the same pursuit 4 MT Mitchell intends to join them the first of the week. Those remaining here are doing everything they can, which to a II great extent right now seems to be to await developments.
 Such is the situation as sleaned from many different reliable sources in the past day or two and such apparently 1t will remain for at least another two or ' three days at least.