The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-11-18
FORD WILL GET
MUSCLE SHOALS
NITRATE PLANT
Auto Maker Removes
Main Objection To
Accepting Offer.
Copyright, 1921, by The United
Press.)

Press.)
Washington, Nov. 1S.-Accept-
ance of Henry Ford's big offer for
the Muscle Shoals nitrate plant
virtually has been decided upon by
the Harding administration.
This was learned from high Off
cial sources, as the automobile
manufacturer came here today.
Ford Viii discuss his Muscle
Shoals offer today with Secretary
! of Commerce Hoover. A slight in
disposition" of Secretary of War
/ Weeks made it necessary to an
uounce at noon that the Weeks
Ford conference, scheduled for this
afternoon, would be postponed,
probably until tomorrow.
! Ford informed the United Press
/ that he is prepared to remove one
Of the administration main Oh
jections to the acceptance of his
offer, under which the government
( will eventually receive betw cen
/ $500, 100000 and $3.50 900 900.
To Finish Wilson Dam.
Backed by his engineers. Ford
. said he would inform Hoover he
could complete the Wilson dam for
the government at an estimated
/ cost of between SIS ,00O, 600 and $780,
900, 900
War department engineers have
asserted that the cost of completing (
the plant for Ford would be from
! S2S, 900 900 to $4,000 600, and Sec
retary Of War Weeks has taken the
position that congress might balk
at such a large appropriation. The
Ford offer requires that the govern
ment complete the plant. This work
mainly will be to finish the Wilson
dam, from which COO, 900 horse
power will be developed
Other than this he will make nc
new proposals and Will stand pat
on his original offer.
VIII Build Quick"
@I can complete the dam for be
tween SIS 600. 90 and 20,000,O00,
believe" said Ford today, in an cx-
elusive statement to the United
| Press, "and I can do it in one-thirC
less time than the government es1
mates required. This is the COZ,
clusion of my engineers. who hay'
made a careful survey OF the situa
! ton"
IF the government will agree tt
pay for it, I will build the da-
and build quick, so this industria
enterprise be no longer delayed" e." g
AS soon as the dam is completed
Ford hopes to have several of hi
new industrial plants ready To-
operation.
Ford has a keen interest and {
very real confidence in the reviva
of the river traffic in the south an
middle west. He has already haI
: reports made for him covering
l tremendous project for the crea
tion of a great lock system alohj
1 the upper Mississippi. In the build
ing Of the Wilson dam, he sees tn
possibility of extending river train
on the Tennessee at least 20 mile
; back of the dam.
Revive River Traffic.
: 'eThe completion and operation
: of the Muscle Shoals plant ough
to be a vital factor in the reviya
Of river traffic on the Tennessee
the Ohio and Mississippi" For
said. ALREADY We have had
proposition made us looking towar
the establishment OF q packet lin
between Ironton, Ohio, and Ash
land, Ky, and Paducah, KY i
which { new type of river steame
will be used. / expect to see tn
time when the Ievees at St Louis
: New Orleans and Memphis Wi
again be thick with vessels. Rive
! freight is cheaper freight an
faster compared with the ayerag
freight train transportation of to
\ day.
Ford refused to be drawn in an
, way into the arms conference. II
I is living in his private car and NJ
: in a hotel jammed in with arm
a Limitation delegates.