The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-29
SECRETARY WEEKS WILL DECLINE ID
 DESTROY MILLIONS.
War Cabineteer Probably Will Heed Cooper'S Warning That "To Junk Muscle Shoals
 Would Be Great Crime"
By HUGH W. ROBERTS washington Bureau rho Aps- Hersla
 500 Davidson ButIau


 500 Davidson BuiiaIuu
 Washington, March 2S.-(Special) The attitude of the Secretary of War, John W. Weeks, and the various water power companies of the United States, who were recently in confer ence in Washington, means that the gigantic government enterprises at Muscle Shoals on the Tennessee river, will not be scrapped as certain repub- lican senators are on record as having desired.
 There is no indica tion that the de- velopment will be completed as the farm CTS of the country hoped-that is by the government with an understanding that in time of peace, when the plants were not essential to war plans they would be devoted to the production of high grade fertilizer to be retailed at figure slightly in advance of cost.
 Mir Weeks has agreed to recommend tho appropriation oi sovoJO,VvJ Mltn wnlcn to complete the Wilson dam provided private corporations take over the prop erty, and guarantee the government q worthy TeJuTn OH us l1NSSlIutHl. IutIt is every indication that some plan will be devised whereby this arrangement can be consummated.
 FARMERS MAY COMPLAIN
 AS taf 4.liJ,,n Sy 14Ie 4A44lIess or ganizations in Washington, this scheme might eliminate hope of abundant. high grade fertilizer at very cheap prices. But if fertilizer is produc ed Dy corporations and sold at trust prices A. e.. ..f4 4l, tain direct benefit because of the cer- tinty of "shorti hauls" in comparison with the distance from which fertilizer is transported to them at the present time
 As a national proposition, the idea re- garded as of prime importance is that the dam will be completed and the plants as war assets, preserved. At the present time the United States is depen- dent on Chile for it's supply of nitrogen oEs explosives. Were the Unted States engaged in war with first-ciass power, and dependent on it's own resources for explosives, it Is estimated that it could maintain the engagement no longer than 24 hours. Experts have determined that the plants on the Tennessee river could, after operation for certain limited length of time, make the United States independent.
 EFFECT ON CONGRESS
 The expressed allItude or lne secretary of War, involving a willingness on a business basis to turn the Muscle Shoals properties over to private corporations. is expected to have an interesting effect on republican members of Congress.
 The democratic administration which stood for the operation Of the plants by the government through government corporation was charged by Senator Lenroot and others with harboring an insidious scheme to develop the plants at the cost of the government and turn them over to the Alabama Power com pany.
 The Wilson administration made denial of the charge. Secretary Weeks. after having been informed by the most dis tinguished hydro-electrical engineer in the world, Hugh l.. Cooper, that it would be crime to junk" the Muscle Shoals property, concluded that there was no other way out of the dilemma than to trade with private concerns.