Evening star., 1922-01-15
WEEKS DELAYING,
CHARGE Of FORD
Why Doesn't Secretary Take
or Leave Muscle Shoals
Offer? He Asks.
.RAPS FERTILIZER TRUST
Hanged If We Care Much
Whether We Get It Now"
He Says, in Statement.

Henry Ford in a statement last
night declared that Secretary Weeks
was apparently delaying settlement
of the Muscle Shoals proposition and
that "the fertilizer trust. the power
and chemical interests of Wall street.
the money brokers and other inter
ests that fear to have Muscle Shoals
developed along lines that will serve
all the people most are deluging
Weeks and Congress with literature
that grossly misreprcsents the facts .
ORer Only for Service.
"This is not political matter" he
added. "to be jockeyed and juggled
about. Why doesn't Secretary Weeks
take it or leave 1t. Yes or No. as
he would a private business matter?
I mean that now. after six months.
he is still asking what appear to me
az Irrelevant questions and delaying
settlement of this matter. We didn't
want Muscle Shoals for selfish pur-
poses In the first place; hanged n we
care very much whether We get it
now. We didn't make the govern
ment selfish business proposition
it was an industrial philanthropy
which we offered--an offer based on
a desire for great public service.
Not Asking for . Nickel.
"A subsidy means getting something
from the government for nothing. We're
not asking the government for a nickel
instead, we're giving the government
erosity. If they think this offer means
a subsidy why don't they go and talk
to Mai. Gen. Beach, chief of the Army
engineers? Say. those fellows would
climb the Washington Monument rather
than get the Army chiefs figures"
Discussing charges that he could not
make fertilizer at Muscle Shoals on a
profitable commercial basis, Mr.. Ford
declared that Thomas A. Edison says
we can"
Edison Working ON Proposition.
"Tm not a chemist" he added. but
Edison has been down there and knows
every detail Of this proposition. He Is
working on this thing right now in his
laboratories at East Orange. He says
that with Muscle Shoals we can give
the American people a better fertilizer
at a much lower price than they have
ever had before.
"Why, II we can't make a good, cheap
fertilizer down there, why does the
fertilizer trust flood Congress with
statements that IL We get Muscle
Shoals we'll wreck the monopoly?
We're going to the mat with them and
make them prove, before congress
sional committees, every statement they
make"
Bid Wns Invited.
1--WE have never neeSed Muscle
Shoals" he continued. .he govern
ment invited us, although we didn't
think we wanted 1t. to make a bid
because, as we saw it, it gave US an
opportunity to awaken the whole
American people to what they can do
II they will only study and utilize the
waterpower possibilities of the coun-
try. And the more we Investigated
the thing, the more we saw the great
wastes going on. We believe it's our
duty to. remedy. II we can. some of
these wastes"
4. Divided Into Three Parts.
The question Of disposition Of the
gbvernment's properties at Muscle
Shoals to private interests by lease,
purchase or agreement to complete
was divided yesterday into three sep
arate parts. '....
Law oficers Of the War Depart
ment were directed to begin work of
fitting into legal phrases a contract
involving Secretary. Weeks desires
with regard to the proposal of Henry
Ford, which. the War Secretary has
announced. will be submitted to Con-
gress with comments as soon as the
papers were prepared and Mr.. Ford's
signature afnxed.
/ Although Mr.: Ford remained in the
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