The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-03
IDEA IS MEETING WITH THE
 OPPOSITION OF THE
 GUNPOWDER LOBBY
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acted into law, would commit the Con- gress to nothing definite. It simply provides that committee of en- gineers shall be instructed to investi- gate under the Secretary of War, the several processes for the filching of atmospheric nitrogen, and the sev- eral available water power sites, and with an estimate of the cost to be en- tailed, to report back to Congress at the earliest practicable moment
 In view of the importance of the amendment-for it would provide a government plant capable of supplying the army and navy of the United States with explosives in the event of war, and the farmers of the United States with high grade fertilizer at half the present price in the event of con tinued peace-its friends can see no reason why any unbiased member of Congress should oppose it-especially since it would commit Congress to no certain or unchangeable programme.
 Because of the reasonableness of the foregoing, Senator Underwood believes that he may be successful in the Sen ate, where the friends of the proposi- ton failed in the House.
 THE DUPONT ACTIVITY
 As stated legislation respecting the air nitrate proposition is in three forms The first is the Smith bill. which provides for the government izer, but denies the government the right in times of peace of leasing sur plus water-power. The second is the Underwood amendment The third is a bill providing for certain changes in the existing laws governing water power development so that the Du- Fonts may select the site of greatest appeal to them, and through the con struction of the accessory plant, con- trol the government supply of explo- sives.
 It is interesting in this connection to recite the fact that the DuPont bill, after the DuPont agents had contrib uted to the defeat of the alr-nitrate section of the House military bill, was | introduced on the morning that Senator Underwood was scheduled to deliver l the speech in support of his amend ment And on the afternoon preced- | ing, Hugh L. Cooper and Hudson Max | i'm, consulting engineers of the Du- Pont company, issued interviews to the effect that the proposed government project was irrational, and the con gressmen who supported it, pork bar rel' congressman.
 l In view of these facts, it was a sub-
 ject of general knowledge that Senator
  | Just prior to his speech Senator DuPont | informed Senator Underwood that while
 he was related to the owners of the Du- Pont company, he was not actively IT
 charge of the DuPont legislat tion, or deep- | ly concerned with the alleged lobbying
 of that corporation.
 THE COMPANY GRIDDLED 1 But it was not. Senator Underwood $ 1 purpose to charge misconduct against the
 company. He declared that the corpora l ton was in a natural role. He stated | that it was to be expected that a great | powder making company would desire 1 first of all, to defeat any legislation which
 was calculated to cut into it's business
 and secondly, to acquire for itself the | function of supplying the government oi the United States with it's expensive eX- plosives.
 | He even went to the extent of declar- : ing that he would rather see the Con-
 gress enact the corporations legislation