The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-09
SMITH SAYSFORD SHOALS OFFER IS
 BEST SUBMITTED
Mississippi Valley Chairman States Detroit Financier Only Man Able to
 Swing Deal
By HUGH ". ROBERTS Washington Bureau. The Age Herald,
 Hl0 na.fdenu Etuflafug

Washington, October S.-(Special.) The most maligned, mlsrepresented and misunderstood enterprise that has ever been considered by the American people,
 Thus James E. Smith of St. Louis, chairman of the committee of the Mississippi Valley association, which Investigated Muscle Shoals, refers to that obstruction in the Tennessee river which is presently so promi- nently before the eyes of the people of the United States.
 The committee of which MT. Smith Is chairnan indorsed the development at Muscle Shoals. and called upon the government to accept the offer of Henry Ford to purchase the plants constructed there. The complete statement has been published. and is being today widely circulated In the statement, the various plants at Muscle Shoals are described. and the details of the Ford offer set out. In expressing opinion regarding the off, fer. Mir. Smith deals critically with the Interests which he alleges are endeavoring to prevent the accept NANS DA haaC 1T VI VI oAicl lCl oCiliSh ACa sons.
 Oner Is Magnanimous
 In his statement, the following is included: MT. Ford has made the government magnanimous offer for the property which should be prompt ly accepted. The interests opposed to the acceptance of the Ford offer claim that the additional dam (No. 8 will cost more than SS,000000. Sup pose ft does. The government can well afford to pay reasonable part of it's costs in order to secure the benefits which navigation of this im- portant stretch of the Tennessee will bring to the country.
 MT. Ford, in the opinion of the writer. is the only man in the country who at this time, has shown a full visicn of the possibilities of this great enterprise and who, at the same time has the necessary courage and financial ability to work them out successfully. When the people of the country fully realize the magnitude of this offer and the possible bene- fits that it's fulfillment will bestow upon its entire population, they will demand it's prompt acceptance.
 The only opposition to the com pletfon of this great undertaking comes from the selfish interests which are now producing small quantities of fertilizer materials. and who do not want to encounter the competition that will be created. and tisey are pressing their opposition in spite of the lessons of the war which demonstrated that no country can successfully fight war of offense or defense without it's own domestic supply of nitrogen for explosives. { Objects to Unfair Plans
 The writer has no quarrel with these large interests over the con duct of their own important indus tries so long as they are carried on by following fair and legitimate business methods, but he does ob- ject to their unfair attitude towards the operation of the Muscle Shoals plants simply because these plants will manufacture fertilizer products that will compete with certain ma terials which most of them produce. This policy Is unfair. un-American and isindefensible. and its continu- ance Is against the public interest.
 Mi. Fords offer must be given Congress- for it's decision. The ma jori.y of its members are undoubt- -d.y fair-minded. honorable men. They will have al lthe facts before them, and now that they are an op- portunity to avoid the waste of $10o.- 900, GOO and to convert possible war loss into safe investment. the re-
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