The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-06-02
BIRMINGHAM READY ID PRESENT CLAIM FOR ARMOR PLANT Bush Says Data Has All Been Compiled to Lay
 Before Committee GOVERNMENT PLANT
 TO COST S11,000,000 Chamber Will Also Use Every Effort to Have Nitrate Plant Located
 at Muscle Shoals

Birmingham is ready to present her
 claims for the location of the s11.00o,0oo government armor plate plant provided for in the naval appropriations bill. An announcement to this effect was made last night by Morris W. Bush. president of the Chamber of Commerce, who was
 chairman of the committee which pre- pared the data regarding Birmingham advantages sometime ago.
 The committee has ready a brief giving every possible argument in favor of the claims of Birmingham and no time will be lost in presenting the matter to the attention of the board which is to select the site.
 It is expected that this board will be named without delay. Birmingham is
 also going to work for the location of the proposed $2o,OOo,OOo government nitrate plant in this state. Muscle Shoals is to be one of the strongest contenders for the location of the nitrate plant, and the Chamber of Commerce and the other civic organizations of Birmingham are to bend every effort in aid of the plans for Muscle Shoals according to President Bush.
 READY TO PRESENT CLAIM Birmingham is ready for the presen- tation of her claims for the armor plate plant" said President Bush last night. Our committee worked on this matter
 some months ago and prepared a com plete statement on the advantages which this district had to offer. We are for the location of this plant in Birming- | possible. We have already had some in- formal correspondence with Secretary Daniels regarding the matter, and just as soon as the board which is to make 1 the investigations and select the site is named, we will get busy. We are very I hopeful of the outcome, as it seems to | be practically assured that no coast city 1 is to be selected. Our geographical po- | sition, together with our advantages for such a plant in a material way, will I be of vast aid to us in the effort to get
 the armor plate plant
 l We will also be active in behalf of
 the mvement to secure the nitrate plant, proposed at an expenditure of $2O 900, 900. | The advantage of getting this plant for
 Muscle Shoals, which is a strong con
 tender, was ably pointed out by w. P. G. l Harding in his address at Tuscaloosa | Tuesday.
 ARGUMENTS FOR PLANT
 l brief summary of some of the con l tentions we are prepared to make in be- half of Birmingham as the site for the armor plate plant follows:
 | Practically all of the armOr plate
 and munitions plants in the east are l on the Atlantic seaboard, within easy striking distance of any enemy that succeeded in invading the country and 1 getting a foothold on the coast. Bir- min ngham is several hundred miles in I land and is safe from both land and l sea attack unless the southeast were
 practically occupied by an enemy which is hardly possible.
 Practically all of the ores used in 1 the eastern plants come from the Minnesota Great Lakes region To i get this ore to the plants it has to be l carried hundreds of miles and through Canadian border, one of the canals being on the Canadian side. This would | be extremely dangerous in time of war | and particularly if England were the enemy With Birmingham practically everything, the ore, coal, limestone | and fluxing material, is in the Birming ! ham district. and thus the source of | ore supplies at no time would be en- dangered, without Birmin gham itself
 being captured. Pig iron is manufac- tured here more cheaply than any where else.
 Operations at Birmingham could l be carried on the year round because l of climatic conditions, and would be 1 far more economical than in the east with conditions such as they are La 1 bor conditions, while not ideal here | now, would adjust themselves to the l new conditions.
 Birmingham is also nearer to .nec- essary materials, such cotton, tim | Der and the like. It is in direct touch with both the Atlantic and gulf coasts l through excellent railroad lines, and will soon have adequate water connec- l tions by the Warrior river"