The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-04-11
Underwood's Strength In
 Tennessee Valley Secure
Republican Bosses Are Playing Remarkably Shrewd Game by Letting Wood and Johnson Tear Each
 Other to Pieces
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tional necessary legislation if it is put up," has made him the friend of every individual in the Tennessee valley, and from reports reaching Washington, he will sweep the Eighth district in the com ing primary from top to bottom and east to west.
 In this connection Washington oo- serves the frantic efforts of leaders of labor not only to enlist the rank and file of their organizations, but to enlist the farmers of the south. through their alleged political leaders, against Senator Underwood with considerable surprise. In all the work preliminary to the con- struction of the Muscle Shoals plants, the greatest boon to the farmers ever ac- corded by the federal government, the farmers of the United States collaborated with Senator Underwood To such an extent were the farmers aroused, and so effective was their work. that Senator Underwood attributed to them the major portion of the credit for the great suc- cess achieved: and the farmers on the other hand, admitted that they could nos have done anything without Senator Underwood.
 The construction of the plants is as water which has gone over the dam. While the people of the Tennessee valley promise not to prove ungrateful, others might do so but for one fact. There is yet very much work to be done. And Senator Underwood is the only man in Congress who knows the subject and is qualified to present it with authority There is no denial on the part of any one acquainted with the facts that if in the pending fight before Congress the trusts are defeated, and the government au- thorized to manufacture fertilizer for the farmers of the south, Senator Underwood will have brought about both results.
 The determination of the trusts-the gunpoWder trusts, the British-Chilean syndicate, the waterpower trusts, all of them-to defeat the administration bill, and their great ability to carry their point, is recognized by all those who saw them in action when for the actual de- fense of their country, Senators Bankhead and Underwood assisted by the Alabafn- ians in the House, undertook to interest the government in Mascla Shoals. The fight came to a head when military bill pendtd in the House. Representative Dent of Alabama introduced an amendment to the bill under which the government, at the cost of $20,0o0000 would investigate all methods and means of manufacturing gunpowder independently of the Chilean nitrate beds. Mir Dent made a valiant fight for his amendment But despite his ability and his determination. and his prestige as chairman of the military coln- mittee, his amendmen was rejected. The trusts had proved themselves too strong.
 The bill, without the Muscle Shoals amendment, came to the Senate. There Senator Underwood offered the amend ment which the House had refused to accept. The trusts instantly threw them selves into the fight. Senator duPont, heavily interested in the duPont powder works was at that time a member of the Senate. He led the opposition. The battle for many days ragged furiously, and the entire country centered it's attention on the Senate. Throughout it all Senator