The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-05-22
NAVY DEPARTMENT
LETS BIG CONTRACTS
NEED BISCUITS MORE
THAN BULLETS, IS URGED
senate Has Critical Discussion of
Failure 40 Push Nitrate Purchase
Project.

Washington. May 21.--We need bis
cults quite as much as we need bull
/ let's.
1t is more necessary to provide for
an adequate crop than il is to send
what we have already produced to the
mites
Charity begins at home.
These are three thoughts Senator
Smith, of South Carolina. whipped out
on the floor of the senate yesterday af-
ternoon. He was charging Secretary
Of Agriculture Houston with holding up
the 100000 appropriation the senate
/ recently made in order to buy Chilean
nitrates and save the crops for the
farmers II developed today that the
BIN is now buried in a house committee
The secretary having said the price or
nitrate was too high for the investment
and that il was too difficult TO get SUI
hctent government vessels to transport
Il from South America
. Senator Smith declared he would
offer an amendment to the Gore food
hil} which was under consideration.
duplicate OF the nitrate bin.
Would Increase Crops.
THAT viii give the house an oppor-
tun!ty to vote on the proposition and
think they viii pass it as overw helra-
inE'@ a. did the senate" said the sena-
tor. adding he was thunderstruck when
he found Mr. Houston opposed to the
scheme. Senator Smith said the nitrates
would Increase crops 80 10 Ice per cent.
During the same debate. incidental
10 the Gore bill. senator Underwood
said Of the men appointed TO the chem
teal committee Of the council Of ma
ttonal defense:
u know many 81 these gentlemen.
They are experts in their line Some
Of them are in The business OF selling
fertilizer TO the farmers. DO you sup
pose they can approach the question Of
the farmer getting fertilizer from any
ether source without bias"
The names Of chemical committee
we're printed In the .'Ofncial Bulletin"
but to the amusements OF various sena-
tors. senator Stone, OF Missouri. had
never heard OF Il
May / ask II It be no secret. whore
you obtained that pamphlet" never
knew OF it he naively said 70 Senator
Underwood The publication Is distri-
huted broadcast In Washington.
Criticism of the .then,iesl1 corr n1itti.e
was made by a man named II. : Bauer
representing n grange. Senator Under
wood presented Bauers letter IN which
he said the fertilizer trust is looking
after ifs own. and tnat' PRESIDENT w IL
son has not even answered a letter
written by farmers asking representa-
tion OF the committee, Bauer claimed
II the government were ahead with its
own nitrogen process farmers would
save $1,000. o0o annually
Nitrogen Plant Delayed
The delay in the cstablishm Or the
s2o, eco. coo nitrogen plant congress au-
thorized last year wa. set. Senator tn
derWood taking He chided the senate
agricultural committee with having
something 70 do with the delay. But
Senators Hoke Smith and Gore said the
matter was out OF the committees
hands
IF there have been any slackers they
have not been in congress" said Sena-
tor Hoke Smith
Senator Underwood said the way to
handle the food situation was not to
curtail production but to stimulate II.
Fifty years ago the German empire
began intensive cultivation. When the
war broke out she used more fertilizer
than. any ether country, Although cut
of from the world for three years she
has been able to maintain her people
ard her army he said.