Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-02-18
Believe Hostile Interests Are
Com bine d Behind IT
Committee Members May
Inspect Muscle Shoals Site

Lobby here now TO defeat Henry
Ford's offer for the Muscle Shoals
nitrate project was made in the seni
ate today by Senator Mcclellan, Ten
nessee.
He also believes congress shouidv
make an investigation to determine
the truth or falsity Of charges that
large interests hostile to Mr.. Ford
have combined and are backing the
"eleyenth.hour" bid of the Alabama
Power company.
Senator Mcclellan today introduced
resolution in the senate asking
that the senate agriculture commits
tee make a complete investigation OF
the alleged lobby, which, according
to several members of congress, if
unusually large and active.
In the house, Representative Hud'
dleston, Alabama, issued a state
ment bitterly attacking the Alabama
Power company and Secretary OF
War Weeks, and charging that sew,
eral of the big trusts are now in the
"arena at washington" seeking to
kill the Ford Offer.
Mcclellan Resolution
"It has been charged" Mr.. Me.
Kellar's resolution states, "that the
fertilizer industry is controlled by q
combination of corporations and that
such combination of corporations OF
the Individual members thereof, has
employed agents, attorneys and lob
byists to influence congress against
the offer Of Henry Ford for MusoleN
Shoals. tssF !
Therefore, be it resolved, that the
committee on agriculture is hereby
authorized to investigate the charge
that the fertilizer industry is con-
trolled by corporation or corpora
ton whichs Is, in fact, monopoly
and has employed agents, attorneys
and lobbyists to lobby against the
resolution accepting the offer OF
Henry Ford for the said project
Representative Garrett, Tennessee,
| Democratic; house leader, today urg-
ed prompt acceptance of the Ford
offer.
IT am hopeful. Notwithstanding
| the terrific assault that is being
| made on, the proposition by the fer
tiltzer organization and other large
| interests, that congress will agree
to accept the Ford proposal" ~
/ MI 2sr FOrd's Vision
"FIenry Ford Mr.. Huddleston
said, secs a great vision of Muscle
! Shoals-immediate relief Of unenl-
ployment with eventually profitable
4 81, frXv, oh a.
plentiful supply of ritrates for
| farmers; Harvesting of great river
for useful production; cheap produce
I ton Of steel alloys, abrasives, car
bides, aluminium and other products
| of the electric furnace; the building
| of new cities with vast happy in
| dustrial population.
Mr. Ford sees a vision-but the
administration does not dream
dreams. Weeks and his cohorts stab
the project through and through:
| they thrust each unprotected point
with captious criticism; they urge
every battling objection; they put
forward every legal technicality; pre-
tending to be fair, they salute the
project amiably and strike it under
FORD ALLIES WOULD PROBE
! ALABAMA POWER co. OFFER
! WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-THE
house military affairs committee will
| be asked by members of congress
! friendly to Henry Ford's offer for
the Muscle Shoals nitrate plant, to
| investigate reports that interests
hostile to the Detroit manufacturer
have combined and are back of the 4
Alabama Power company's bid for
! the plant.
Doubts have arisen in the mind
Of the Ford advocates that the powe
company, is standing alone in it
offer, which Secretary of War Weeks
will submit to congress, and they
assert the country is entitled to
know IL any other interests are back
| ing the new bid.
Thomas Martin, representative or
| the Alabama Power company, said
| today that he would urge accept
ance Of his bid, before the military
committee, and the Ford forces win
ask that he be subjected to a search
ing inquiry at that time asssto
whether other interests are back of
him.
One OF the outstanding features OF
| the power compnay's bid is that Of OIL
fers to- complete the dams, without
| cost to the government. The Ford
offer requires that the government
complete the dams ,g
Engineers estimate that thisHwill
cost from $28,000,000 to $56,000,000.
| Ford advocates point out that this
would be a big financial venture. for
the power company, standing alone,
| to take.
The power company also offers to
buy the Warrior and Sheffield plants
Of tie project. On the former, the
company claims it has an option and
this is one of the entanglements
congress must unravel, before ac-
cepting the Ford offer. The entire
Guarantee of the production Of
| finished fertilizer by Henry Ford at
| Muscle Shoals was virtually assured
| today when Thomas WorthingtOFl5
representing Mr.. Ford, agreed e.gto
| have the amount Of fertilizer" to
! be produced by Mr.. Ford at Muscle
| Shoals inserted in the record of the
house military affairs committed
Committee members want Section
| IA Of the offer so changed as to
| guarantee production of finished fer
| tilizer in a definite amount annual
| ly.. Now it only guarantees the mans
| ufacture Of nitrogen, and other
compounds.
project would bamIeased for fifty
years in accordance with the water
| power act,
SENATE COMMITTEE
| WOULD VISIT PLANT
| WASHINGTON. Feb. 17.-By the
| Associated Press. 1.-The senate agfi-
cultural committee Thursday asked
| senate in resolution for authority
| to visit the Muscle Shoals power
and nitrate projects in connection
with the committees consideration
of Henry Ford's offer to lease the
properties. The Eesolution which
| proposed that theFwhole COMMITTEES