The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-05-25
Has Opportunity to Win Nitrate Plant or an
 ArmOr Plate Plant
NAVAL BASE ALSOIS
 TO BE ESTABLISHED
Will Be Below Cape Hatteras-Wash- ingtOn Looking for Alabamians to Get Busy" in the Very
 Near Future
By HUGH w. ROBERTS

Washington, May 25.-tSpecial )-There is no "pork'' in Preparedness"
 But when government goes into a market with millions and millions of money, some individual, some manufac- turing company, and some state of the union must of necessity, reap a magnifi- cent harvest
 Of special interest to Alabama. the vari- ous preparedness measures, among other things, provide:
 L A nitrate plant to cost s2O,OoO, ,Ooo
 9 An armor plate plant to cost
 $11 100000
 3. A naval base or shipbuilding yard
 to be located below Cape Hatteras
 f. A submarine base to be located
 preferably on the southern coast
 3. The Liberalization of the Ma
 tional Guard on a salary basis
 NOTHING IS CERTAIN
 It is not written that Alabama will ac- quire either of the government establish ments provided for and indicated above It will share, of course, in the federaliza- ton of the National Guard. But the nitrate plant, the armor plant and the naval and submarine stations may be given to some other commonwealth the political complexion of which is more un- certain.
 At the same time, Alabama mas an op-. portunity to win one or more or the valu- able plants which at a great sum of money will be established. Mobile is pre- pared to present very strong argument why it's harbor should be deepened, and a shipbuilding plant located there From the standpoint of facilities for operation, to raw material deposits, trans portation by rail water and safety in the event of foreign complications no section of the country is better prepared than north Alabama to make a strong and convincing bid for the armor plant.
 The Tennessee valley, in it's possession of the most prodigious source of water power wholly within the United States, Muscle Shoals, is in excellent position to win the proposed nitrate plant.
 GREAT ACTIVITY EXPECTED
 Washington expects Alabamians in the very near future to "get busy.' There is no question but that the day of claim ing superior merit has passed. The peo- pie of Birmingham and other cities in the northern half of the state have for many years contended that an armor plate plant could not in wisdom be established by the government in any other section of the country. The people of the Ten nessee valley have always boasted that if the government ever authorized the of nitrate plant-or the development for any purpose. of Muscle Shoals-they could easily present telling and incontrovertible argument why the investment would be profitable to the government.
 From what can be gathered in the To- cation of the armor plant, and the naval stations, the respective boards will be lm- partial and moved solely through eX- pediency. In the case of the nitrate plant, the President, in whose hands the selec- ton of site is left, will be, it is be- ieved, influenced solely by argument with proof It appears, therefore, that if Ala bama has the goods and is active in it's case, the 'preparedness' wave will wash to it's shore a veritable golden fleece.
 THE NATIONAL GUARD
 The Liberalization of the National Guard will effect Alabama along with all other
 Continued on Page Two)