The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-08-17
SOUTHERN INDUSTRIAL
DEVELOPMENT
Great Natural Resources of the
South and Reasons Why
They Should Be Used to
the Utmost Extent
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To the Editor of The New York Eve
ming Sun,
Sir:-In recent issue you said
THE Administrators policy of do
ing all possible toward the indus
trial development of the South con
tinues. 1t may be wise and no one
Will grudge the favored regions in the
resulting benefits, provided it can be
shown that the movement is econom
ically justified. Yet one cannot quite
forget the story of the large nitrate
plant which was located near water
power, but nevertheless required an
enormous steam plant to supplement
this water power during the several
months of the year when it ran dry
There is plenty of real water power
available that never runs dry"
Some of the other suggestions in
your editorial are based on errors
as serious as the one in regard to this
nitrate plant. The nitrate plant To-
Gated in the South is at Muscle
SRHshi ~ the Tennessee River one
OF the really great rivers of America
AT that point there is power avail
able for the development of over
$4,000 horse power, or more than
entire power thus far developed at
Niagara Falls, and this is available
at all seasons and never runs dry.
This power could be nearly doubled
by the use Of storage system which
would give to that central point in
the South a greater potential water
power than has been developed any
where else on this continent. A mo.
ments study of the geography of the
tennessee River would show Won
tnat 1T is one Of the most important
rivers of the United States. It never
runs dry, and at Muscles Shoals. by
the testimony of army officers and
others, fully able scientifically TO
Judge, is found the most important
water power potentiality in America
next to Niagara Falls, even when the
full power Of Niagara Falls has been
developed.
through the constant fight made
against the Tennessee River for
transportation as we'll as for its
water power, the utilization of this
great national asset was long de.
layed, and so enormous is the power
70 be developed at that point that
the dams necessary for it's full until.
cation cannot be completed for prob
aDiy Two years or more. In the
meantime, because of the pressing
need OF nitrates, the army officers adj
vised the location of the nitrate
plant at that point and the temporary
use OF steam to supplement the DOW:
er available by transmission in or.
ner to save time. No other point in
ne country afforded such exception.
opportunities for a plant as vast
y that under way on the Tennessee
liver for the making of nitrates
MS Is not in the interest of the
Pouth, nor is. it sectional in any
ense; 1t is merely the utilization by
ne nation of one of it's greatest hith-
rto unutilized assets,
II there is one thing that could be
operly charged against the whole
administration in the utilization Of
Re resources of the country it would
tnat the natural advantages of the
puth and Southwest have not been
tequately awaited or for the produc.
Pm Of the things which make for
e winning of the war.
IN the South there are about 10000
uare miles of coal area, or five
pes as much as all of Europe ex.
eding Russia, or twice as much as
OF Europe, including Russia.
hree-fourths of the cooking coal
pa Of the United States is in the
nth.
" OF the known sulphur deposits
any value in the United States are
md In the South, and about 80
cent of the sulphur output of the
ted States, which makes possible :
ability to carry on the war, comes
p the South. This entire output
from two plants, one located in