The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-11-11
Baker Explains Details
ofMuscle Shoals Project
Grocers Enter Protest Against Sales Being Made by Gov
ernment-President Wilson Signs Many of His
Official Papers With Left Hand
BY HUGH w. ROBERTS

Washington. November 1o-(SpeciaL)
Newton d. Baker, Secretary of War, in
asking Senator Wadsworth to introduce
bill in the Senate Identical with the
Kahn bill, pending before the military
committee of the House, outlines more
clearly what the administration pro-
poses respecting the $40. 100000 Muscle
Shoals enterprises than does the synop-
sis of the Kahn bill which has already
been printed in this correspondence.
AS the Muscle Shoals plants will of
fer cheap and abundant fertilizer of the
highest grade to southern farmers the
permanent disposition of those plants
is of the greatest Importance to farm
ers-not only those of Alabama, but Of
CONTIGUOUS states, and, for that matter,
all other states of the union. 1t may
safely be said that the administration
proposes to nurture those enterprises
1t may be added in truth that the repub-
ican majority is disposed to continue
its attack against the plants, especially
as the administration, in its new bill,
asks for an additional appropriation OF
12,500,000.
So a fight is imminent.
The letter of the secretary addressed
Il inclose a proposed bill providing
method of conducting operations at
the United States Nitrate Plant No.
at Muscle Shoals, Ala, and authoriz-
ing the expenditure of such additional
sums as are necessary to equip the
plant to turn out fixed nitrogen in
available form for agricultural uses. /
shall be grateful if you will introduce
the bill into the Senate, where dis
cussion can be had upon it from both
points of view, pamely, first the i'm
portance of maintaining this great en-
terprise as military asset for the pre-
duction of nitrogen for explosives in
dependently of importations; and, sec.
ond, the contribution which can be
made to the farmers of the country
by increasing the available supply of
nitrogen for fertilizer
THE investment of the government
in this great plant approximates s70,-
000,00 In addition to that, under au-
thority already granted by the Congress
and by direction of the President. dam
is being constructed at Muscle Shoals
which will incidentally improve naviga-
ton of the Tennessee river, but the
primary purpose of which is the devel-
opment of an immense water power
to be used in connection with the fxa-
ton of nitrogen should the electri cal
process remain the most economical for
that purpose This investment can only
be salvaged by continuing the operation
of the enterprise and by improving the
processes with view to further econ
omies and consequent reduction in price
for available nitgoren for agric tltura1
purposes. If we allow the plant to
stand idle, it will not only deteriorate,
but become obsolescent, while it can be
continued in operation the forward
steps in the development of the process
can be currently installed and, should
any emergency need arise, the plant
will be up-todate and ready for i'm
mediate use
Because this property now belongs to
| the war department, it seems wise that
| legislation affecting it should be in
| troduced by the chairman of the MILL
| tary affairs committee; but the major