The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-07-22

supply is chiefly a question of securing more food per acre cultivated without an increase in labor; that this defines cheap agricultural fertilizers; that cheap agricultural fertilizers are chiefly a question of cheap and assured source of nitrogen supply; that the one adequate, nitrogen is the atmosphere, Therefore, it is economic necessity of the very first or der of importance that the country should have a cheap and plentiful supply of air nitrogen in the form of a fertih- Fer.
 ITO make assurance. of the soundness of these premises doubly sure we have but to consider what has taken place m Europe. Germany, at the outbreak of the war, was expending for Chilean saltpetre used chiefly as a fertilizer and for the manufacture of nitric acid between Sf0, 1 0o0,O00 and $50, ,0O0 900 per year. She had available within the borders of the em- pire 660.O0O tons, valued at $30 GOO 00o, suffi- cient for a few months requirements. | When this should be eXhausbed there re- mained no means of replenishing the sup ply by reason of her being cut off from 1 Grille Within IS months Germany eX- banded the air nitrogen production in | the country by the investment of ap- proximately $1Oo,0000O0 and the employ ment of an additional 300,009 continuous horsepower. Today she is independent of all outside sources of nitrogen and will continue so throughout all time. "The allies have approximately 500,0000 1 continuous horse power engaged exclu- | sively in the fixation of air nitrogen for 1 explosives and, furthermore, air nitro- 1 gen nitric acid plants are now being | tactively installed all over the allied countries of Europe, notwithstanding the ] sea is open to the allied nations for the l transport of saltpetre from Chile, which, | however, the shortage of sea bottoms | makes highly undesirable and expensive as a source of nitrogen supply NITROGEN IN OTHER NATIONS The United States is about the only country in the world which is without the air nitrogen industry. Japan, Nor way, Sweden, Germany, France, Aus tria, Italy and Switzerland together con duct the industry on an enormous scale, 1, employing 100000 continuous horse power, involving an investment of 150,- 100000 and an annual production which in normal times has value of $7S,000 GOO. The greatest waterpower center in the world, with which none other compares, Is Niagara Falls. where at this time more power is being developed than ever in it's history, namely, somewhat in excess of 450,00o continuous horsepower This Is equivalent to about one-half of what the countries outside of the United States are consuming every second of the year in the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen.
 These facts should have our earnest consideration, for we are here dealing with the greatest single factor affecting nations economic prosperity in times of peace and it's power of defense and offense in times of war.
 The people of the cities are always demanding cheaper food and the farm CTS always desire higher profits for their crops. There is but one way to produce cheaper food for the people and secure greater profits on the farm at the same time and that way is to produce more on the farms at less cost. There is but one way to accomplish this result, and that way Is to furnish agriculture in America with fertilizers at lower prices
 Germany can be referred to as pro- noting European agricultural methods She has increased in 20 years her grain crop 15 bushels to the acre with cheap nitrogen fertilizers. In the same time the United States has increased it's grain crops three bushels to the acre. The naturally poor soils of Germany today yield practically double that of corre- spending crops in the United States, due to the liberal use of fertilizers.
 A number of years ago the Congress passed bill to dam the Coosa river for hydro electric power to be used in the
 
 to be erected in Montgomery. Through misrepresentation a President of the United States was induced to veto the bill and the platn went to Canada. The freight cost on every ton of fertilizer produced by that plant and bought by the Alabama farmers is S5 a ton.
 Tn March, 1916. an amendment to a bill was pending to the national defense act in the House of Representatives to erect an air nitrogen plant in the United States and was defeated by the machi- nations of an unholy lobby. A few weeks afterward this opposition was eX- posed in the Senate and an amendment was adopted to the national defense act appropriating $20,o0O, ,0oO for the erection of an air nitrogen plant for the manu- facture of powder in times of war and fertilizers in times of peace. This pro- posal was bitterly opposed by interested parties before it's enactment, and in my
 opinion obstructive tactics have con tinued to be used against it's successful consummaticn down to the present time
 SOURCES OF OPPOSITION
 Cheap nitrogen would interfere with the business of some of the great indus tries of America. Therefore if the gov ernnent has determined to make nitro gen it is manifestly to the interest Of those who opposed the plan to see that it is not made at a low cost.
 "The primary cost in the manufac- ture of air nitrogen by known pro- cesses that are commercially possible is largely determined by the cost of hydro electric power. Therefore, if the farmer is to be benefited by the erec- tion of the plant in the way of low cost of fertilizers the cheapest water power possible must be utilized. T have advocated the erection of this plant from the beginning. I be- l lieve there is no greater boon that can come to the farmers of the south than a plentiful supply of cheap fe9- tilizers. The location of this plant at some particular town or place fades ! into insignificance compared to the great problem of securing low cost nitrogen for the farmers and cheaper | food for the people.
 q have studied this problem in all | it's details for more than five years and have satisfied myself that aslGe from Niagara Falls there is no place I this side of the Rocky mountains where hydro electric power can De | produced at as low cost as it can on | the Tennessee river at Muscle Shoals "I might make the comparison With l all the proposed sites without fear of not being able to establish the statc- ment just made. but for the present M desire merely to make a comparison between a power plant established at Muscle Shoals and one at some point on the Warrior river by a comparison of statements made by government en- | gineers.
 From the very best study I can make of the Warrior river and Ten I nessee river power propositions, thc
 case stands practically as follows MT G. K. Little. docal governm ant | engineer on the Warrior river) re-, ports that there is, under his plan for