The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1917-01-11
RUSSELL SAYS
CAPE WILL GET
BIG u. S. PLANT
Congressman Believes City
has no opposition in the
Middle West
ADMIRAL FLETCHER
LIKES CAPE BRIEF
He Listened to r. B. Oliver and
showed keen interest in
this town.

Cape Girardeau is the only city the
representative of which has been given
a hearing before the commission au-
thorized to select location for the
81 100000 Government armor plate
plant, says Congressman Russell in a
letter to N. f. Leming, president of
the Commercial Club last night. Be-
sides, the Congressman continues, no
city has been so we'll represented by
sbrief as the Cape. "The brief sent to
the commission by Cape Girardeau
was the best gotten up by any city ap-
plying for this plant" Mr.. Russell de-
clafes.
He expresses optimistic hopes that
Cape will land this huge plant. of
the location IS decided to be as far
West as the Mississippi, then l conf
| IDENTIFY believe that Cape Girardeau
will get the plant" the letter reads.
| The fact that Senator r. B. Oliver,
the official representative of TIE Cape
in Washington, was received by the
commission is pointed out by Mr.. Rus
sci Ito be good omen for the cause
Of the Cape. 1t was stated in the be-
ginning that no oral hearing would be
given any one city seeking the plant,
and therefore the audience granted
Mr.. Oliver by the commission is look
cd upon as especially favorable for
the Cape.
Mr. Leming received letter from
EIr. Liver early yesterday morning in
which ne detailed the result Of his au
dience with the Government commits
sion. He told of being accompanied
to the Offices of the commission and be-
! ing introduced to the members by Sen
ator William J. Stone and other repre-
sentatives Of Missouri. Chairman Adj
niral Fletcher gave MIN a very warm
and hearty reception, the Senator
writes, and seemed to be most inter-
ested in Cape's cause.
The letter covers four typewriter
pages. 1t tells of the Senator's activi-
ties in behalf of Cape Girardeau and
his efforts to get all the representa-
tives Of the State OF Missouri to en-
dorse the plea of the Commercial Club
to have the plant located in or near
Cape Girardeau.
The two other representatives of the
Cape, l. R. Kelso and w. D. Vandiver,
were not able to make the trip to
Washington as had been anticipated.
Both are in St. Louis. Senator Oliver
contemplated leaving Washington last
night.
The fact that several cities in Mis-
souri, are in the race to land this plant
has divided the support of several rep
| rescntatives of Missouri in Congress.
Il became known that in addition to
| Cane Girardeau, Hannibal, Louisiana
and st. Louis were applicants for tie
plant.
"The main thing to do" Mr.. Lem
ing said last night, "is to get the men,
bers of the commission to come to
Missouri and look over all the cities
that want the plant. l feel confident
that if we can get the commission to
visit the Cape, then we have won the
fight"
The commission which will select the
site met for the first time early last
week, The second meeting vas sched-
uled for yesterday. At this meeting
the briefs sent in by the various cities
vii! be looked over carefully, and all
cities that have not sufficient advan-
tages will be stricken from the list
After finishing this task, the COM
mission will begin an inspection of the
cities. The members will go through
the South and then come North to
visit the cities in Missouri.
Eastern cities seem to be confident
that the plant will be located some
where in the East. This belief arose
from the suggestion that the commits
sion would try to locate the plant as
closely to the Atlantic Ocean as the
law creating the plant permits.
Experts say, however, that this will
not be done because of the scarcity Of
coke in the East This shortage has
forced 4 number of blast furnaces to
close.