The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-09-05

make them worth considering. So the
question is simplified. Up to date it
! is Ford or nobody.
4 have long been a violent conserva-
zionist. But II Is well TO be clear
about what we mean by conservation.
Coal can be conserved In the sense OF
being kept. The less we use the more
there will be for our children.
Conservation In u.
Forests can be conserved, both In
the sense of preventing improper cut
ting and in the sense of planting new
trees. Indeed, II is little short Of bar
barous to allow more trees to be de.
stroyed in any year than are planted.
|. But conservation in regard to water
power has an entirely different mean
ing. We cannot prevent the water
from running down a river, whether
1t is used or untouched, the same
amount of water runs down the next
day.
In water-power, conservation lies
in use. II the force Of the water is
of running idly away. 1t does work that
otherwise would be done by coal. The
use of water is the conservation Of
| coal
! Muscle Shoals has one other aspect,
| namely nitrogen. In that respect also
use means conservation. Our food
comes from the soil. The fertility of
the soil depends on it's having the
proper content Of nitrogen.
Air is hydrogen and nitrogen. The
air is compressed into liquid. 1t is
then distilled and the nitrogen sep
arated.- The nitrogen is then blown
through ovens in which powdered cars
bide has been heated electrically to a
white heat. The carbide catches the
nitrogen as sand soaks up water.
DIR. Caro's Estimate.
| The result is cyanamid, or AFFIXED
nitrogen. available either for war or
agriculture. Further processes give
ammonia, nitric acid. liquid am.
monium nitrate, ammonium sulrhate.
Perhaps II would be OF interest to
know what one of the most prominent
experts in Germany said about Muscle
Shoals from the military standpoint.
DIR. Caro- Is one Of the two men who
worked out the process OF getting nj
trogen from the air. He was made
minister Of munitions when the war
began. He says:
Far more dangerous than the COM
petition of nitrates from Chile appears
to be the possibility of competition
with artificially fixed heterogeneous
fertilizers produced in foreign coun-
| tries.
THE largest Of these foreign lime
nitrogen) plants il located in the
| United States, in Alabama. Its situa-
ton Is most excellent.
| ut is connected with the ocean by
means of the Tennessee river, which
has been made navigable. 1t is situ-
ated at a source of almost constant
water power, amounting to 100000
| horse power. and is in a locality where
all the raw materials of the cyanami
industry are found in the highest
purity and at the lowest cost"
This hint will suffice for the war
aspect. More about the water-power
aspect shall give tomorrow. The
farmers, whose activities i am calling
attention TO today are interested IN
the water power for it's development
of industry, but they are primarily
interested in the question of whether
or not this plant is to be so used
as TO increase the productiveness of
their soil.
Mr.. Pinchot states that Mr.. Ford s
offer of this part of his work lacks
clearness. l have read the contract
again. and / can only repeat that
Mr.. Pinchot ought to rewrite the
provision and submit 1t,
What Mr.. Ford suggests Is that
the fertilizer profits shall not exceed
s per cent; that a board be created,
designated by national farmers or
ganizations, containing two represen-
tatives of the company. And also
one non.voting ex-officio representa-
tive of the Bureau of Markets OF the
Department OF Agriculture.
OF course, this clause, like the rest
of the proposal, Is open to discussion,
but IL looks full of promise.