The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-01-29
By HUGH ". ROBERTS Washington Bureau, The AGe-Herald,
 ROO DavidsOn Building

By HUGH ". ROBERTS
 800 Davidson Building Washington, January 2S.-tSpe- eial )-One of the most cogent state ments ever made on the Muscle Shoals proposition was that of Senator Un- derwood when the project was such a live topic during the war period.
 His statement, which was made To" The Age-Herald, showed such deep study of the subject and was so heart ily in favor of making cheaper ni' trates available that 1t is published again at the request of some Blrmlng- ham citizens. These citizens point out that facts are facts and that Senator Underwood's statement will be of even more general interest than 1t was at the time 1t was mado. The statement reads:
 Bringing Out Fncts
 fFrom certain articles l have read In the Birmingham paper. fear there is an entire misconception of tho pur- pose of an act passed more than year ago for the establishment of R government nitrate plant, and I, therefore. ask that may state some of the facts In the case in the columns of your paper.
 a"The premises upon which is based the proposition for the establishment of the air nitrogen industry in this country through the action of the government are clear and undeniable They are automatic and should carry the force of other self-evident truths
 "The first is that a nation cannot conduct war of defense or offense without it's explosives. that explosives Cannot be made without nitric acid that an adequate supply of nitric acid l.. AN. use of Chilean saltpetre or the fixa- tion of atmospheric nitrogen; that the supply of Chilean saltpetre might be cut off from the United States at any time by an enemy navy. Therefore, it is not only patriotic duty but a national necessity of the very first order of importance for Congress to insure the establishment in the coun- try of the air nitrogen industry on a scale adequate to supply the nations requirements for nitric acid in times of war.
 Cheap Food Supply
 The second Is that a people cannot survive the fierce competitive strug- gle in times of peace without plenti- full and cheap food supply: that a cheap food supply is chiefly a ques- tion of securing more food per acre
 
 bor; that this defines cheap agrIoul- tural fertilizers; that cheap agricul- tural fertilizers are chiefly & ques- tion of cheap and assured source of nitrogen supply; that the one ade- quate nitrogen is atmosphere. There fore, 1t is economic necessity of the very first order of importance that the country should have a cheap and plentiful supply of air nitrogen in the form of a fertilizer.
 TO mako assurance of the sound ness of these premises doubIy sure we have but to consider what has taken place in Europe. Germany, at the outbreak of tho war, was expending for Chilean saltpetrs used chiefly as fertilizer and for the manufacture of nitric acid between s40,00o, 900 and $60,00o.0o0 per year. She had avail able within tho borders of the empire 6eo,0eo tons, valued at sSo.o00. co, suf- ftctent for few months reouire- ments. When this should be exhaust ed there remained no means of re- plenishing the supply by reason of her being cut off from Chile. Within IS months Germany expanded the air nitrogen production in the country py the investment approximately of SlOO,OOo,00O and the employment Of an additional soo,oo0 continuou. Horsepower. Today she is independ- ent of all outside sources of nitrogen ana Will continue so throughout time.
 The allies have approximately BOO ooo continuous horsepower ensxa eed exclusively In the fixation of air and nitrogen for explosives and. further- more, air nitrogen nitric acid plants are now being tactively installed all over tho allied countries of Europe. notwithstanding the sea is open to The allied nations for the transport of sai'petre rom Chile, which, however. the shortage of sea bottoms makes highly undesirable and expensIvs as source of nitrogen supply.
 Nitrogen In Other Nation.
 The United States is about the only country In the world which is without the air nitrogen industry. Japan, Norway. Sweden, Germany. France, Australia, Italy and Syrtzer- land together conduct tho industry on an enormous scale, employing 100000 continuous horse power, in Voiving an investment of $150,000, 900 ana an annual production which in normal times has a value of SIS, ,OO0.z oo0. The greatest water power cen ter in the world, with which none other compares, Is Niagara Falls, where at this time more power is being developed than ever in its his tory, namely. somewhat in excess of 450,000 continuous horse power. This Is equivalent to aboue one-half of what the countries outside of the United States are consuming every second of the year in the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen
 "These facts should have our ear nest consideration, for we are here dealing with the greatest single fac ter affecting nations economic prosperity in times of peace and its power of defense and offense in times of war.
 "The people of the cities are al-