The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-05-12
WEEKS PLAN SURPRISE
 TO RIVER INTERESTS

Fl. T. DeBardeleben, manager of War rior river transportation, is out of the city, and could not be gotten for ex- pression of his views on the possibilities attending the carrying out of the re- ported policy of Secretary Weeks with regard to the Warrior.
 w. D. Nesbtt one of the foremost champions of Warrior development. was reached over the telephone last night
 It is all news to me-" said MT. Nes- bitt. T had no inlxling of such a plan as is reported to be that of Secretary Weeks. I am not able on short and incomplete notice to analyze the situation that might arise out of such a plan if carried out. I am not able off-hand to formulate any exacts picture of the consequences of the change that Secre- tary Weeks is reported as favoring"
 Mir Nesbitt was asked what he thought of the advisabilty of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company taking over and operating the Warrior craft in case Secretary Weeks carried out the re- puted idea. He replied:
 T cannot form any tangible opinion in the matter at all until it becomes a trfle more definite It is too big a thing to express an opinion on without some thought"
 Officials of the Tennessee Coal, Iron anu ItdllTOdu company were gotten over the telephone, but would not express themselves on the matter, nor indicate whether the Tennessee company might be willing to take over the river interests in case they were abandoned by the gov- erbment and the equipment disposed of to private parties.
 The Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company is the largest shipper on the river in point of tonnage. moving thou sands Of tons of steel to the port of Mobile for export every month, and hav- ing several thousand tons of manganese ore from Brazil brought up the river for the steel mills every month or six weeks.
 In conjunction with the fleet of the Isthmian Steamship company, which is Steel corporation auxiliary, the War rior river forms connecting link with the scorporation's export trade carried in these vessels and the river also con nects with the shipbuilding plant of the Chickasaw Shipbulding and Car com- pany at Mobile another corporation aux Hilary, which gets it's steel from the Bir- mlngham mills.
 The Warrior fleet in its inadequate state was operated by private interests, the old barges and steamers now used by the government having been purchased from the Pratt Consolidated Coal com pany. the DeBardeleben Coal company and others The new fleet was built by the government.
 If the Warrior operation was turned over to private interests consensus of opinion in the industrial field would point to the Tennessee company as the strong est private interest and the one most capable of making it a success
 In the matter of earnings report of op- erations of the Mississippi-Warrior barge system for the month of April shows a net profit of so0.000s the first profit yet earhed The river operators have pre- sented this profit earned on uncompleted fleet and terminals and in q duh com mercal and industrial season as proof of greater earnings that could be made with the complete fleet and terminals under normal state of business.
 Patronage of the northbound self-pro- pellers has broadened with each week, every point or the 2o Der cent freight ldifferential territory participating. This showing will probably be presented by the river advocates opposing change in method of operation.