Woman's enterprise., 1922-01-13


prepared to pay, than a great cry of
protest rose to high Heaven. We be-
lieve that it will require considerably
more logic and considerably better
arithmetic than have yet appeared to
convince the people Of the United
States that the Government, in any
fairness whatever, either to itself or
to the taxpayers, can decline the Ford
proposal.
1t may be argued with power that
it would be of advantage to the whole
United States, and not to the South
only, were Mr.. Ford permitted to un-
dertake his plans even If he were not
in position to pay in cash single
penny for the Muscle Shoals property.
He is prepared to undertake a devel-
opment which is Incompatible in its
magnitude. He plans in Millions
not in millions of dollars but in mil
lions of men-WORK for a million
men. He visions an industrial crea-
ton which would appear to be absurd
were it not for the fact that accomp-
lishment almost equally great he has
already achieved. If he is able to get
but half Of the million horsepower he
hopes to obtain and is able, therefore,
to give employment to but half mil
lion men, still that in itself would be
an achievement to amaze and educate
the world.
Mr.. Ford estimates that as re-
suit Of his operations at Muscle
Shoals he will ), able to revolutionize
agriculture in the South. He fore.
shadows the upbuilding of a variety of
manufacturing enterprises, including
production cf aluminium on a huge
scale, and promises to upbuild in the
env!rons Of the power development an
industrial area that, if his plans are
carried out, would quite obviously riv-
al any similar area any other place
on the face of the earth.
Mr.. Ford intimates that there is
much he can teach the South, to the
South's great benefit. Wo do not
, doubt it. He has taught the North,
and the industry of the whole world,
many things. His peculiarities are
various. His ignorance on some sub
. jects is astounding. But in the bal
ance scales his eccentricities are as
5 nothing compared with the things he
is able to achieve. The world is in
terested in his merits, not his de-
merits:
The future belongs to the South.
It is not remarkable that a man Of
" Mr.. Ford's magnitude has foreseen it.
Power IS the open sesame in modern
development. "White coal" is power.
l. The Southern Power Company has
e just announced that it will begin the
y construction at once of two great
: new water-power plants, in the caro-
:; linas, one at Great Falls, with mix
3 imurn capacity of 10000 horse power;
n the other at Mountain Island on the
e Catawba River, with maximum ca.
9 pacity Of $4,000 horse power. South
ern rivers, year-round reservoirs of
). perpetual power, are being harnessed
: up, in increasing number and volume.
The example Of what has been done,
: when accentuated by the enormous
e project of Ford at Muscle Shoals, will
4 not only induce other developments
in all parts of the South, but, as with
the power of vast magnet, will draw
to the South innumerable manufact.
uring plants Of all sorts.
E The whole South ought to get be.
! hind Mr.. Ford, and Mr.. Edison with
him, and assist to the uttermost IN
) see that he gets Muscle Shoals. The
Investment will be worth incompar.
ably more under private than under
public ownership, and worth incom.
parably more under Ford direction
I we believe, than under any other d.
rection. While we believe that Mr..
Ford is fundamentally wrong in q
number of things he does and saws.
there is none who can challenge the
actuality Of his achievements. A
man who dreams dreams, be has the
ability and the resources to make
the real. The coming of Ford to the
South. with the vast enterprise he
contemplates, Would mean Infinitely
more in the immediate industrial de-.
velopment Of the South than anything
else that can possibly happen. It
would be an event of world renown.
and in its influence on opinion. on
faith IN the South and as a stimulus
to greater effort on the part of all the
forces now working for development
IN the South, it would exert power
illimitable.