The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-05-19

became known. that the contract be-
tween the government and the corpora
ton provided at the conclusion of the
war. the corporation might at practi-
cally its own figures. come into pos
session of the property. Such is not
the case. The property will forever
remain in the hands of the govern
ment.
As far as layman is able to judge.
the corporation will receive no re-
ward other than the good will of the
government and the people. The plant
VIII be located on Neville Island, near
Pittsburg, and will have cost, when
completed. Between s60.0oe.000 and
S7o.600,00o. 1t will be larger than
the famous factory of the Krupps.
MUSCLE SHOALS CRISIS
1t is statement capable of de-
Tense that but for available service
of the Alabama Power company, the
prodigious development underway now
at Muscle Shoals would be attracting
thousands of people to Keokuk This
Alabama Power company, according to
the record of the war department, has
done it's bit"
When Congress authorized the Presi-
dent 10 spend s2O0oO,000 in providing
means of producing gunpowder and fer
Ulizer the American Cyanamid company
offered it's process for air filtration, and
the state of Alabama offered Muscle
Shoals as site for the project.
The theorists of the government how
ever, concluded to. investigate. They
wasted two years-two precious years
And then they decided it to be necessary
to get to work and to produce mme-
diately. They realized the cyanamid pro
L.
Shoals the best site. But they, after
having wasted two years. wanted to pro-
duce nitrogen right now"
THE STEAM PLANTS
keokuk-the dam already constructed
offered the best advantages for quick
production. And it is very probably
true that Keokuk, despite the admitted
superior advantages of Muscle Shoals,
would have been selected but for the fact
that the Alabama Power company pos
sessed steam plants in Walker county
which could be used to fine advantage
pending the development of water power
at Muscle Shoals.
But for the fact that the Alabama
Power company had its steam plants
ready for the government service, it is
probable that the nitrate projects would
have gone west instead of south. There
is no doubt of this. 1t is circumstantitl
When the government selected Muscle
Shoals, it laid plans for carrying the
power of the Alabama Power company
from walker county, and with the sane
ton OF the company. to all practical pur-
poses took possession of the property.
THE COMPANY'S GIFT
And that is not all 1t is known that
the Alabama Power company desired ana
attempted for years to develop, with gov
ernmAct San ha
Shoals. In preparing for this project the
company purchased land bordering the
shoals on both sides of the river
Frustrated in it's desire, the power
company might have attempted to
checkmate the government in its object
to acquire property necessary for the
development. 1t could have delayed the
carried the case to court and entered
upon litigation which might have pro-
longed itself throughout many years.
But the company did not select that
course. Instead, it walked into the "of-
flee" of the government one morning
and gave the property-worth half mil
lion dollars-to the government Almost
Immediately thereafter the President au-
thorized the construction of Dam No. z,
Shoals dream of a hundred years
reality.
PILL FOR DEMAGOGUES
The response of big business to the APP
peal of the government has been an aw-
full pill to politicians who have preached
for their own advancement the inquiry
of corporate interests.
While big business has made money,
there is scarcely a case on record-if
single one-wherein big business has
sought to profit at the expense OF thu
government or wherein big business has
failed to rally to the side of the govern
ment in time of war.
Big business might be planning for the
future, as its critics charge. But the
facts are that in the present crisis it has
responded with as fine patriotism as anv
individual of the nation. President VIII
son would not withhold such commenda-
ton.
A French botanist, who has expert
mented with vegetable raising, has de-
termined the exact amount of water
necessary for the best growing of vari-