The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-05-09
THINK PLO|TAT|ON OF
 MUSCLE SHOALS IS
 NEARER THAN EVER
House Adopts Hay Amend ment Providing for Am plificatiOn of NitrateP Plant
 Section of Army Bill. Stick to Own Contentious
By HUGH W. ROBERTS

Washington, May Special 0-The House this afternoon defeated the Senate amendment to the army bill which would nave created standing army of 250, 900 and reiterated allegiance to its own idea that the army should consist of only 14o,ooo men; defeated the Senate amend ment which would have created a volun- teer force and expressed favoritism for the liberalization of the National Guard. and reeeded from the Senate nitrate amendment. but by the adoption of the Ha- amendment, amplified and indorsed the idea that the government should con- struct a plant for the manufacture of ex- plosiyes and fertilizer.
 The big fight of the day concerned the nitrate section. The Lenroot and Mon dell amendments which sought to post pone indefinitely the consideration of what is termed the Muscle Shoals project were defeated after bitter struggles. and the latter by the narrow margin of four votes.
 HAY AMENDMENT ADOPTED
 The Hay amnndment, which not only indorsed, but amplified the Senate ni- trate amendment, was adopted without a roll call This amendment differs in im- portant respects from the Senate amend ment. It leaves the selection of site to the President rather than the secretary of war, and for the construction of the plant appropriates s20, 100000 rather than $15,000,00O. While it is expressly pro- vided that the government shall operate the plant independently of any private corporation the Alabama delegation is encouraged to believe that the deveiop- ment of Muscle Shoals is more of a prob ability tonight than ever before
 The principal speech in behalf of the Hay amendment or the Muscle Shoals project was delivered by Representative Dent of Alabama. As matter of fact, he repeated Senator Underwood S address in the Senate. He spoke of the absurd ity of preparing by many ships, many guns and many men of war without pro- viding an inhaustible supply of powder. He spoke, too, of the necessity or rur- nishng the farmers of the south with a perpetual and cheap supply of fertilizer.
 LAUGHS AT REPUBLICANS
 MT. Dent laughed to scorn the conten- tion of the republicans that the nitrate project should be defeated because a lobby was interested in it's behalf He admitted that there were people on the scene interested in the development of Muscle Shoals. And when he charged that there were representatives on the scene laboring in behalf of the manufac- turers of explosives, lobbyists anxious that the Muscle Shoals project be beaten. And he capped the climax by declaring that there were representatives of the farmers union on the scene praying that the government do something in the in terest of the tiller of the soil He was given rapt attention and at the conclu- sion, boisterous applause.
 Al, Alabamians present supported the nitrate amendment of Chairman Hay and stood by the contention Of the House against the 25O,000 army and the volunteer provision. Representative Huddleston having gone to Alabama to vote for him. self in the primaries tomorrow, was ab-