The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-08
FORD ANXIOUS ID ACQUIRE SHOALS,
 OFFICIALS THINK
Idea No Longer Obtains That Manufacturer Is Bluffing. Additional Concessions
 Are Expected
By HUGH ". ROBERTS Washington Bureau, Tho ARe-Hers

cUo DAv1usOn buuQ1nI
 Washington, May 7.--(special)- Hope for the final acceptance by Con- gress of the offer of Henry Ford for Muscle Shoals Is found in tho fact that tho mind of the Detroit manu- facturer has been disabused of an idea that Congress would not dare. in this election year, to reject his proposition.
 There Is no question but that MT. i Ford Is now aware that Congress will weigh his offer on it's merits. For he has made concessions of a most significant nature. concessions which transform his offer from one of outstanding crudeness into one of real merit.
 The idea now obtains that Mir. Ford Is anxious to acquire Muscle Shoals, and that to that end he will go to any reasonable length. It is regarded as probable that he will eventually instruct his agents to abandon their insistence that the Gorgas steam plant. on which the Alabama Power company has an op- tion, be surrendered to him.
 Originally Meaningless
 Tn view of Ford's concessions re- Earding production of fertilizer. there is no longer a doubt but that his of fer, in it's original form, was abso- lutely meaningless.
 In the beginning he agreed to pro- duce, for no definite period, & fer tilizer compound Now he agrees to produce finished commercial fertil- fzer for 100 years. While there is still certain lack of deiniteness in his fertilizer section (for he doesn't agree to produce a stated quantity or to suffer a penalty in event he fails to carry out his agreem ent), 1t is so strong today as to illustrate its orig inal crudeness and weakness. Though in its original form 1t meant nothing. politicians and farm CTS spokesmen readily embraced the fertilizer section, and without condi- tion declared it's acceptance by Con- gress would transform arid southern lands into a modern valley of the Nile.
 Ford Not BIuffing
 When MT. Ford, while visiting Washington. criticised the Secretary of War and declared that he'd "be hanged if he wanted Muscle Shoals very much after all," and when pro- Ford advocates in several southern states, instead of attempting to meet the requirements of Congress, pro- ceeded to criticise Congress, the idea got a-foot that Ford was bluffins.
 That idea no longer obtains. His concessions regarding fertilizer give contrary indication. And in the be- ginning he demanded that the Gorgas steam plant be acquired blythe gov ernment and delivered to him with clear title. Now he Is willing So ac- cept Gorgas with bad title, and in Knowledge that he rvill have to defend his claim before all the courts to which tho Alabama Power company might have resort.
 It is now believed that Ford will make every reasonable concession that Congress might demand. There seems to be no doubt that he was un- wisely advised in the beginning.
 To Postpone Decision
 There is little question but that Congress will postpone final decision until the next session of Congress. Even were the Senate not congested with business 1t would be difficult to put any offer through while the mind of the average member was dis tracted by politics.
 The formal contracts between the Alabama Power company and the American Cyanamfd company respect ing Gorgas and nitrate plant No. 2, In which the government has pledged Its honor. and which if violated would lead to lawsuits of indefinite duration, would give Congress an ex, cuse to go slowly. And then Senator Norris will demand a showdown re- specting his plan fer government op- eraticn Tor all the people. not one of them." as he says.