The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-02-03
Alr1on Defends Work Of Gouernn1ent ir1 Building Plant at Muscle Shoals
Fly HUGH W. ROBERTS

'
 "a member of Congress the House in
 the committee of the whole with only q few members in attendance voted down
 an appropriation for certain surveys for Muscle Shoals but provision was made
 in the same bill in the Senate for the same surveys and was agreed to in con- ference and the surveys were made. At
 the time Congress made provision for the construction of nitrate plants the farmers of the country demanded that the government dc something to relieve the nitrate situation and to relieve them of the unreasonable and practically pro hibitive price of Chlian nitrates, and when we realized that we could not af-
 ford in times of war to depend upon
 Chilian nitrate for explosives, realizing
 that something might happen that would cut off this supply and on account of transportation facilities and labor trou
 bles in Chile we might be caught without ammunition and explosives provision was made for government nitrate plants for munitions in times of war and fertilizer in peace times. It was left to the Presi dent to decide upon the location of thc le plants. It was found that Muscle Shoals possessed greater advantages than any other place did. It being the best loca- ton from a natural standpoint, hundreds of miles from the gulf and Atlantic coasts. Well fortified in case of invasion of this country by foreign enemy, and having all the raw materials needed in the manufacture of nitrates, such as coal coke, limestone and phosphate rock in close proximity and inexhaustible quantities. The very best transportation facilities both by rail and water. the greatest inland water power site in the United States.
 Much time was spent in making inves- legations of locations and processes and finally in November, 1917, after we had entered the war and the question of SUD- ply of explosives for war purposes be- came acute, contracts were made by the war department for the construction of two nitrate plants; one at Sheffield, Ala, using the scynthetic process of the Gen eral Chemical company, and the other a few miles away at Muscle Shoals, using the cyanamid process of the American Cyanamid company.
 DISAPPOINTED FROM BEGINNIN
 The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Long, Worth), being disappointed in the first place in the action of Congress In mak- ing provision for government nitrate plants. and in the second place being dissatisfied in the location of the plants has nothing remaining to talk about ex- cept the way and manner in which the plants have been constructed. He has had but little, if any, thing to say about plant No. 1 at Sheffield which is con- sidered as an experimental plant, using the process of the General Chemical company. I do not know whether it will be a success or not, but the big plant at Muscle Shoals using the cyanamid process of the American Cynanamid com pany has been demonstrated commer- cially to be a success, both for munitions of war and for fertilizer. It was the only available process to our government for the making of nitrogen by air iiXation process.
 The American Cyanamid company is a corporation of this country with large and successful plant at Niagara. or the Canadian side. By the way this plant would have been located on the Coosa river in Alabama had not President Taft vetoed the Coosa river dam bin, and would have been In operation and avail able for war purposes
 While 1t may be true that this plant has cost the government a great deal
 more than it should and a great deal
 more than it would In peace times the war department was forced to contract for its construction on the cost plus percentage basis just like it did it's can- comments, shipyards and other war plants However, in this case the percentage did not exceed 312 per cent and in other cases I am advised that the percentage was as much as 5 to 10 Many of these investments will have to be charged to the war and go into the scrap heap, but this great nitrate plant at Muscle Shoals Is of very great value and can
 be and believe will be used by the gov-
 ernment to a very great advantage to the people ofSfhe nation.
 MT. Longworth: MT. Chairman, will
 the gentleman yield?
 MT. Almon I have but little time MT. Longworth: I will ask that the
 gentleman have as much time as l. MT. Almon: I yield for a brief ques- tion
 MT. Longworth: In the first place, I will ask this question: | MT. Almon: 1 think the gentleman said the other day in his speech that he had prepared about 55 questions to be put to the Secretary of War. MT. Longworth: Yes.
 MT. Almon: Has the gentleman re- ceived answers to them?
 MT. Longw I have.
 MT. Almon: Will the gentleman in sert them in the record?
 MT. Longworth: I will when the
 time comes. What I have said today is confirmed Let me ask the gentleman | this question Let us leave out this part about war preparations. Let us
 grant we had put money in a nitrate plant
 MT Almon All right, sir MT. Longworth: I am not criticizing the gentleman. but would the gentle man have voted or would he now vote for an expenditure of s75,OOO,O0O at Muscle Shoals or elsewhere to build a fertilizer plant in time of peace? Mir. Almon: If it was necessary to get fertilizer for the benefit of the farmers of this country in the produc- tion of food crops we are going to need in the next few years I would have done so.
 MT. Longworth:' The gentleman is criticizing what he has called the Chilean nitrate fertilizer trust who are oppressing the farmer. Does the gen