The Washington times., 1923-12-10
COOLIDGE BACKS
FORD s SHOALS
OFFER
Difference Between Them Now
Is Question Of Lease or
Outright Sale.
By JOHN I. LAMBERT.
CosmopOlltan News service.

OO8mOnOlt8m NeWD 6CNNHCCs
Henry Ford is today up in the
air over President Coolidge's
message on Muscle Shoals.
He is uncertain whether the
President wants him to have it
or not. President Coolidge de-
clared in his message that the
shoals ought to be developed. IF
cheap nitrates can be made there
for the farmers, it should not
remain idle e. minute. he said.
The Government spent about
soc, 900 900 there. The Govern
ment can sell it, get some of its
money back, and shake off q
permanent expense, he said.
Bitter Against Weeks.
Ford does not want to buy it.
He has never considered taking 1t
over He was willing to spend
$40, 000. 900 Of his own money there
as starter and to pay the Gov
eminent in excess of 500, 900 900 in
leases. but he believed the Govern
ment never should let go its hold
of such valuable property, contain
ing such potential power Of good
or evi for the nation.
Ford was not invited to buy the
Shoals. He was invited to bid to
lease it. He is especially bitter
against Secretary Weeks. because
he feels that from the moment he
accepted in good faith the requests
to bid on It, Weeks has lain awake
nights thinking up plans to keep
him from getting it.
As g. matter Of fact, President
Coolidge is very anxious to have
Ford get the Shoals His political
philosophy Is different from Ford's,
however. Coolidge believes in get
ting the country ont Of business
wherever possible. Ford believes
that in basic enterprises and ex-
perinents of this character, the
nation should take q firm hold on
It and never let go.
Ford Standing Pat.
Ford, however, is at pneselt dis
posed to stand pat and let the
Government accept his lease offer
or reject It until he receives more
definite assurance that there is
NTH him.
The Presidents message is likely
to raise serious complications In his
own cabinet family. His recon-
mendation to Congress to create q
small committee with complete
power to work out terms for, dis
posal of Muscle Shoals lifts the
matter out Of the hands of Secretary
Weeks. This is probably the first
time since Weeks went into the
Cabinet that the Administration has
avoided the law which gives to the
Secretary the power to dispose Of
var properties.
Coolidge is believed to know that.
n addition. there have been recent
rumors that the Air Nitrates
Corporation, or some other private
company. has been negotiating with
Weeks to make a new offer for the
Shoals.
Insists on Contract.
whether the Government can
sell the shoals to any corporation
other than air nitrates is being
generally discussed here following
the Presidents message. Secretary
Hughes, when private citizen,
was paid by Air Nitrates to draw
q contract that would enable that
company to keep the shoals, II it
wanted, after the war.
Hughes wrote a section which
provides that Air Nitrates shall be
allowed to buy the shoals on fden-
ticalIy the same terms that the
Government is ready TO accept from
any other bidder.
Both the Attorney-General and
the Judge-advocate General have
advised Weeks that Hughes OPP
ton clause is illegal. Weeks has
insisted, however. that the country
should go through with its moral
obligation" to Air Nitrates, which
spent 500, 00O, 900 of the country's
money with an alleged lavishness
which was condemned by the Gra-
ham Investigating Committee.