Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-12-28
Destinies In
Muscle Shoals
If Ford's Offer is Rejected He VIII
Be Next President, Say
CrOwther

eve may come to think OF Muscle
Shoals as one of the great engineering
undertakings of the age or we may
remember it as the reason behind a
great political upheaval," writes Sam
uel Crowther in, an article on Muscle
Shoals" in McClures Magazine for
January,
"If no electrical power comes out
of the Shoals, political power most
certainly WILL" Mr.. Crowther predlcts
Sketching the history Of the shoals
Mr.. Crowther writes:
"The Tennessee River, after con-
siderable meandering among the South
ern States takes trip across north
ern Alabama. Nature arranged that
part of the trip should be made IN a
hurry. The river drops one hundred
and thirty-six feet in thlrty-seveh
miles. and one hundred of these feet
in seventeen miles. A century ago
the rivers disorderly conduct was Sc.
yerely frowned upon. The State OF
Alabama tried to build canal around
these shoals. 1t failed. Then the
Federal Government leisurely under
took the work, and the War Depart
ment spent three and one halt million
dollars in nineteen years IN building
another canal. 1t is said that the
department compiled documents to d
bulk greater than the earth excavated,
hut on this point my information is
not wholly Trustworthy. The point
is that by the time the canal was nm
ished it was so out of date as TO De
useless.
"The shoals, starting as small
nuisance. became q big nuisance. AN
contemplation for Muscle Shoals was
hacked into every pork-barrel ever
rolled into Congress. The approprla-
ton usually came out very shrlveieo
and stringy. Muscle Shoals got to be
Joke. Now Muscle Shoals is more
of a nuisance than ever 1T was, put II
is no longer a joke. The river IS
changing the political countenance OF
the South and of the Middle West. IL
NAV break up a national adminlstra-
ton. and it may elect President, II
is stirring activity in Chile and III
Ever since Henry Ford stirred
those waters, they have been acting
oddly on people!
"There is not great deal CT con
/ fidence among the proponents Oh Iht
offer. but it is also their oplnlon-ane
it finds support among many OF tht
hest informed men in politlcs-that Il
the Ford tener is refused, Henry ore
will be the next President OF the I'M
ted States. 1t is said tnaU not a lie"
highly placed members of the admin
istration are in such positions as no
to be able to refute the innuendo tina
they have opposed his offer from mo
tives of personal gain.
"Ford heard that Muscle Shoals hat
a potential horsepower OF million
That was enough for him. He too
an engineer, went down TO see IN
place. issued a statement that mad
the widest dreams of the original pro
motors look little, and straightwa
made an offer to take over the whoi
operation. He said that the develop
ment of this power would employ
, million men and make the South.
"For moment it seemed that tn
5 Ford offer would be accepted. The
: propaganda against it began 70 al
pear. The advocates OF acceptanc
have been equally active.
: THE only person who has not tai
n en- part in the propaganda is Nj
: Ford. He has intimated that /
rni,ht have something to say when