New-York tribune., 1922-10-08

| tain that with cheap power and easily
/ accessible raw materials he can dell
| fertilizer more cheaply than the pres
! ent makers. That is one of the reasons
|. for the determined opposition TO his
| plan offered by the fertilizer interests.
Probably only Henry Ford himself.
his son and his closest advisers know
I exactly what he proposes to do with
/ Muscle Shoals if his offer is accepted.
1t is probable, also, that the leading
citizens Of the "Tri-Cities" who have
attended him On his two visits to
| Muscle Shoals, and who have followed
| most closely the course of his negotia-
! tions, have clearer conception than
almost any one OF the magnitude os
| his conception. There is considerable
I evidence, scattered here and there, to
| back up their contentious, but it never
: has been assembled into a concrete
whole. Here is an outline of his plans
as told, with substantial unanimity9 by
a dozen of the most prominent men OF
1 Sheffield and Florence:
Ford proposed, they say, TO bring out
sooner or later new car of type en-
tirely different from the one now be-
! ing operated by the millions. In some
/ respects it will be more conventional
| il design, and in others it will be a
radical departure from accepted prac-
tiee. One of it's most notable char
aeteristics will be its lightness.
To attain the lightness which Ford
has in mind, and which his engineers
have demonstrated in his laboratories
is practical, light alloy steels and
aluminium will be used most literally.
All the materials he will need can be
obtained in unlimited quantities in the
Muscle Shoals district.
1t is the belief in Florence and Shef-
field that the new car will be made on
the banks of the Tennessee River in a
gigantic plant, which will, at least,
duplicate in size the one at Highland
Park. When the new plant is thrown
open and the new car is in quantity
production, as only Ford understands
quantity production, manufacture of
the present line will be abandoned
The huge Highland Park plant Sili
not be abandoned, but as much of il as
necessary will be used to make parts
for the Fords now on the road. There
will be q great surplus of space which
can be devoted to expansion of the
truck and tractor business and to other
purposes which Ford may have in
mind.
1t is believed around Muscle Shoals
that Ford will manufacture there prae-
tically all the materials and parts
which will 60 into the new car One
Of the plans they attribute to him y
| rather to Edsel, who is said to have
proposed it first, is the construction
of one of the biggest cotton mills in
the world in which tires will be manu-
factured and fabric made for tops, etc.
All the cotton needed can be purchased
within few miles of Sheffield.
| 1t Is asserted, also, that Ford will
not by any means confine his Southern
activities to motor cars. There is talk
/ of expansion of his tractor industry
and new motor cultivator which will
sell at a price low enough to bring It
within the reach OF even the poorest
| farmer. For this work he will build
electric furnaces and ths most modern
steel-making devices.
Muscle Shoals, It is asserted with
confidence will make it possible for
! Ford to realize his dream of retailing
a car, truck and tractor for 81 900.
| These are some of tba things Shelf
| field and Florence expect Ford TO do.
| They are con ident, however, that de
velopment will not be confined TO
Ford activities. They see in the fu
ture scores of smaller plans springing
up to supply Ford with some of the
parts and accessories hs needs. but
will be too busy on b'ggsr ahiaga to
make.
AS a matter of facs, this South is
no stranger to hyd:o-e!ecsx;e power
and the extent to which 1t has been
developed in that section of the
country is revelation. IL Eeems al
most that wherever you 80 In the
South you are passing under a sue
cession of high tenslon transmission
lines, the energy for which is supplied
by water power.
That is why the power interests Of
the South are opposed 60 acceptance
Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia are
closely allied and exercise virtual
monopoly in their respective itates.
You will be told al Sheffield, and
doubtless with truth, thaa Thomas A.
Edison is co-opjeras,ng with Ford
along electrical lines In connection
with Muscle Shoals. The wizard is
supposed to be developing something
new in the way of electric furnaces
which will improve and expe lite pre-
duetion.
When asked for evidence they point
TO the fact that Edison accompanied
Ford on his second visit to the Shoals
and expressed amazement at its possi-
bilities and potentiaiities, both for war
and peace.
Henry Ford is something Of fetish
not only in Alabama but throughout
the South, The negroes seem to regard
him as q sort Of second Lincoln. It is
felt in all quarters that re is the one
man in the country who can and will
develop the full resources of the Ten
nessee if ne is given the opportunity
by Congress. No encouragement seems
TO be felt because no action is likely
at the present session on the Ford Of
fer. He is hailed In the South as q
fighter who never stops until he gets
what he wants.
Will Build New Dams
ruin of the $arn, aAs,e,la