The dispatch-news. [volume] (Lexington, S.C.) 1919-2001, 1922-10-25
FORD WILL FIGHT FOR
~ MUSCLE SHOALS

Henry Ford has not abandoned his
plan "forf, the development of Muscle
Shoals, and in dispatch from De.
troit to the Wall Street Journal he is
quoted as follows:
: Henry Ford denies current renorts
that he had become disgusted with,
the delays that his ocer for Muscle
Shoals had been subjected to during
the last session of. congress and had
decided to drop all egorts To secure
a favorable vote on the project:
Amy statement that have lost in
terest in Muscle Shoals am con
templating withdrawal of NV ovsr
Is simply lie," he said emphatfcallv.
i've reached the point where I'm
tired of saying that people who con-
tinually misrepresent my position II,
regard to Muscle Shoals are merely
mistaken. Instead of that I'm going
10 say they are just plain liars. we
are In the Muscle Shoals. project IN
stay. We haven't started TO f,pbt,
MI. Mayo our chief engineer. has
been at Washington for a few weeka
more as sourceNof information than
anything else. helping the conpres-
sional committee all that he could in
explaining our proposition and gen.,
erally making more complicated en-.
sineerlng problem plans. but outside
OIL that we have done nothing. Y
THE opposition has been nr,nt,,.
pamphlets by the thousands, lining up
great and politically powerful business
interests, who feel they might be in
1ured If we produced a cheap alum;.
mum or fertilizer. to exert their in
fuence in every way against our pron-
osition. We have let hem plav their
string out.
When the time comes we w,,, 40
our hshting-if it is necessary. And
IL does. some people will know
theH have been in fight"
1t is a well-known fact that the
FERTILIZER interests. the aluminium in
lerests and some others are bitterly
opposed to Mr.. Ford, wherein they-are
making very serious technical blun-
der for their own welfare. The fer
tih"er interests profess to believe that
Mr., Ford cannot make. cheaps ,ferti-
llzers If they really believed thai
they would have no cause whatever
to oppose his plan. If he cannot nro-
ouce ana sell fertilizers at a lower cost
10 farmers than the present nr,ce
then the fertilizer. people have no
ground for complaint whatever If
the aluminium company of Amar;,,
es AFRAID of the possibility of Mr.. Ford
producing aluminium at a lower COST
than that company is making this
product and is fighting him on that
ground it is seltishly standing in the
way or the broad development of the
South for it's own financial profit. and
that is position which no great in
dustry. dependent upon the progress
fthe country for it's prosperity, can
agord to take.
me water power interests are also
hghting Mr.. Ford, and they, too. of
course, are doing it from selfish
standpoint. but it would seem that
they have a little better fighting
ground than Seither the fertilizer peo-
pie or the aluminium people. but they
are helping 10 stand in the way of 81
development which If carried out acN
cording to Mr.. Ford's plans would
bring about enormous, prosperity to
large section Of the South and thus
10 the country. The time has passed
when great business interests can az
ford selfishly to fight public improve
ments which would inure. to the bet
terment of the country merely because
these improvements would interfere
with their own individual prosperity
/. We are glad. therefore. that Mr..
Ford proposes to fight, and to fight
vigorously and aggressively. and we
take it from the statement that he
makes that he will be able to say to.
the opponents of his plan, Lay on.
MacDug. and damned be he who first
cries hold. enough, h,"-Manufa cturers'
Record.
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