The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-12-04
FORD WANTS
SHOALSRANT
TO END WARS
Visits Wilson Dam With
Edison to Report
On Estimate.
PLEADS TO SHUT
WALL STREET OUT
Dedicates His Life to the
Junking of Armies
And Navies.

dont want Muscle Shoals to own
ii. 1 want Muscle Shoals to COM
plete it. It's wonderful job, one
of the greatest opportunities ever
offered any man.
Il want Muscle Shoals so that it
car never be exploited to greedy
private ends. | want to complete
it SO that it will always remain
i'm the service Of the people and
not be exploited by any greedy
flnanciers and so-called bankers
against the people.
Il want Muscle Shoals because
Muscle Shoals, properly built and
operated, will help to put an end
to war"
Standing on the great uncom-
pleted Wilson Dam today. Henry
Ford voiced his real reasons for
desiring to undertake what he re-
CARDS as the greatest job in his
career.
Has All Money He Wants.
Thomas 4. Edison. tall, angular.
stood by his side, a wisp of his
white hair blowing in the breeze,
shading his eyes with his hand
against the binding rays of a de-
Clining sun.
I've got all the money | can
ever want, more than Edison can
ever want, more than l can ever
hope to spend, il | tried to spend
il on myself" Ford continued.
Now, as the result of the last
great war. the chance has come to
me to undertake the completion
of the project which. If built as il
should be. ought to be source Of
national wealth and well-being for
1000 Years.
Muscle Shoals should become
Americas greatest asset out of the
world war"
Gigantic steam shovels. with four
to six times the capacity of the or
dinary contractors steam shovel,
will enable Ford to complete the
great Wilson dam in half the time
and at almost half the cost prev
iously estimated by government
engineers.
Knew Edison's shovel.
1t was the inventive genius of
Edison. placed to the construction
Of the Wilson dam. that evolved the
plan for the new shovel with its
gargantuan NAV that will soon be
crunching its way across the bed
of the Tennessee River.
Not only has Edison perfected
the plans for the new power shovel,
but he already has completed
shovels working at his plant in New
Jersey.
1t was because he knew of Edi-
sons shovel and its effectiveness
or great constructive enterprises
that Ford was so confident his or
ganization could successfully handle
the completion of the dam project,
Ford announced, after turning from
his inspection of the dam.
Crowds fiocked about the Ford
private car tonight as it lay parked
on a sidetrack near the small Flor
ence station Due to Ford's request
that no greeting of formal ma
ture be extended to him, all plans
for a welcome banquet were laid
aside by w c. Ashcraft. secretary
of the Florence Chamber of Com
merce.
To Report Estimates soon.
Fords interest in the Muscle
Shoals project seemed to be whet-
ted to new keenness when he and
Edison returned from the trip to
the dam. Edison. Mrs. Ford, Edsal
Ford and Mrs. Edsal Ford were
also in the inspection party.
"One thing is sure" he said upon
his return. I'VE have got to keep
the hands of wall Street off this
proiect. Whether or not am
eventually permitted to develop
the project. the American people,
am certain. will never permit
Muscle Shoals to be turned over
| to the hands of men who would
exploit it against the people.
Ford and Edison expect to he able
to give Secretary of War Weeks
n report on their estimate of the
cost of the completion of the wilson
dam by the end of the week. 1t
will not be a long document. To-
DAYS trip was largely in the nature
Of a personal check up on previous
reports The report already has
been pretty well outlined in both
mems minds and nothing they saw
today caused them to change their
previous estimates.
VIII Not Guarantee Cost.
Ford will not agree to construct
the dam at any guaranteed cost.
ct will tell Secretary Weeks what
Edison and | believe we can do the
lob at, and will assure him we
will do it as cheaply as it can be
done and cheaper than the govern
ment hopes tC do it."
Sunday the two men will give the
nitrate plants survey. They are
inclined to believe that the exist
ing electrical furnaces in the plants
will have to come out and new ones
among the type developed at the
River Rouge plant installed in their
stead Monday the party will re-
turn via Nashville. where they will
inspect the Old Hickory power
plant.
IF the government will accept
my suggestion of paying for the
cost of the completion of the dam
with money issued against the value
OF the structure itself the people
OF this country can have this Won
derful project completed and II will
not cost them one cent" Ford said.
Would Not Issue Bonds.
IF they issue bonds, as Wall
street will want them to do, II will
cost at least twenty TO thirty mill
IONS of dollars for the bonds them
selves. plus the interest over a Pc
riod of thirty years. which will run
into almost double the original
amount Of the bonds themselves
Now" declared Ford. suppose
the government Issues the twenty