The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-01-27
HOUSTON OFFERS
y
VERSION OF STORY
Departmental Heads Appear
to Have Been Ignorant of
Good Harbor Here.
Washington Bureau
The Pensacola journal
BY GEORGE n. MANNING.

Washington, ID. c., Jan. Ex-senator
Fletcher called on Secretary of Agri
culture Houston today and obtaine
from him an explanation of the state
G7"ut made by the latter a week ago
THAT none OF the charges of nitrate
to b. shipped from Chilli to the United
States to be used as fertilizer by the
American farmer would be brought
in through Florida ports because there
was no port in Florida with sufficient
depth To accommodate the ships.
Senator FIetcher's resentment of this
seat Cucnt was equally as bitter as
that OF the people of Pensacola and
lie called on Secretary Houston at
oagc fos an explanation.
The senator was informed that the
nitrate ship will put in at Savannah,
VTEIa.ngton, Norfolk, Charleston and
~ tirnore. one of the ships, the Maui
$500 tons put in at Norfolk To-Day,
and the Santa Barbara, $500 tons, is at
~avaruoh now discharging. Another
sl,p, the Margaret. $500 tons is sched-
u.cd to- arrive ar Wilmington shortly.
senator Fletcher was told that two
moro boats are on the way and that if
z ill., seems best one Of them may be
diverted to Florida rpoint. Senate
Fletcher said today that the whole
trouble seemed to have arisen from
the fact that Mr.. Brand, chief or the
division of markets of the department
of agriculture, was informed by the L.
<. Shipping Board that no Florida
rorts were deep enough to accommo-
date ships.
Mr. Brand was asked by the Pensa-
cola Journal correspondent today for
his side of the controversy of which
lac appears to have been selected "as
the goat" Pensacola was never con-
sidered in our plans for landing the
nitrate in this country" said Mr..
Brand because our plans never con-
templated using any gulf ports 1t
was originally intended TO land one of
the cargoes at Jacksonville. Then the
negotiations with the Chilean trader
took so long il became evident the
nitrate could not be obtained in time
To supply the Southern Florida farm
ers. 1t was planned. however, to put
one cargo in at Jacksonville, then We
were advised by the shipping board
that the Maui of $500 tons, drew thirty
one feet and could not get into Jack
sonville harbor, and il was arranged to
land her at Norfolk where she arrived
today.
1--WE cannot get nitrate into South
Florida until the middle of February
and that will be too late. Shipments
will be made to Northern Florida from
Charleston as soon as possible. Anoth-
er thing: 1t would be poor judgment
TO ship $3.50 tons of nitrate TO Florida
when only a small part of that is
needed We did not consider any other
locality specifically, our chief aim be-
ing to get nitrate as soon as possible
TO assist as many farmers as possible.
Judging from the cards now on the
table it appears to the Pensacola Jour
raj correspondent that negotiations
were delayed too long by the depart
nent Of agriculture. That the gov
ernment did not take into consideration
the fact that Florida needed its ferti-
uzer by January LIST. That the ad-
vantage of landing the nitrate 9s
quickly as possible at Pensacola OF
some other gulf port and distributing
it quickly from there and entirely over
looked and that the department of
agriculture and the shipping board
fiddler a duet, while Florida's early
crops burned.