Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-10-13
WEEKS
IS FLAYED by FORD;
SAYS OFFER IS OPEN
Manufacturer Accuses Cabi- (
net officer of Trying to In
jure Him by Selling Muscle
Shoals PiecemeaI

/ DETROIT, Mich, Oct. 12.-Henry
| stands as made and the automobile
manufacturer sees no reason why
another offer should be made since
the sale of the Gorgas power plant
to the Alabama Power company re-
Gently. This was made plain in a
statement issued by Mr.. Ford last
night, his first public statement on
the subject since the sale OF the
Gorgas plant.
The statement issued by the De-
troit manufacturer arraigned Secre.
tary of War John w. Weeks for his
stand on the Muscle Shoals ques-
tions and accused the secretary and
his friends of keeping the Ford Of
fer from coming to a vote in con.
gress.
Mr.. Ford's statement says;
The Pnited States government,
through Major General Lansing FL.
Beach, asked me to bid on Muscle
Shoals, not on piece of Muscle
Shoals. | did SO, and because my
bid included all of Muscle Shoals it
was the only one thought worthy or
reporting to congress. But I have
a very strong conviction that while
we have been negotiating with Mr..
weeks, we have not been negotiating
with the United States government.
John W Weeks reported assertion
that Henry Ford would never get
Muscle Shoals, neither with the
Gorgas plant nor without it, is evil
dence that the parties to this matter
are not the bidder and the governs
ment but other parties best known
/ TO the man VINO is at present secre.
tary of war,
Weeks Plan Scored
Long ago Mr.. Weeks matured in
his mind the plan to break I'M Mus
Gle Shoals and dispose of it piece
meal. When he sold the steam plant
at Gorgas he pulled the first stitch
In unfavelling the geratest single
prospect ever held out to the Ameri.
can farmer and manufacturers.
Inc next steps are SO plant that
d cnltd can see them. 1t only res
plant number one and the nitrsts
plant number two and finally fla
] wilson dam itself, and that is tha
END OF Muscle Shoals as a possibla
demonstration of the cheapness wiz
/ winch power and fertilizer "a y N
! produced. 0aii pc
m Inls plan was formed by John
!, ~. weeks for the purpose, al III
Ixmmought, or injuring Henry Ford.
,s pnlch shows how muck Boston
lsnnIus - o IT, IN politics for pastinle.
AiioWs about industrial problems
But the injury has sbot nan
/ Henry Ford and has landsa H., p sss
farmers | was willing 10 don,ar
strate at Muscle Shoals thar nnr,a,
ana FERTILIZER would be produced -
nuuch loWer cost than now and thar
tre' government could be assured
| ~ an adequate supply Of war
! nitrates. VAL
Greatest Munition Plant
muscle Shoals intact would be the
greatest munition plant on earth
muscle Shoals in its nitrate produn.
Ion IS our greatestl insurancd
a as.aa4s war, or, if war comes, our
sreatesr assurances of victory-bI1t
apparently that does not count will,
IN. Inc mead of the war department.
The Ford Motor company never Ma
heeded Muscle Shoals We hava
/ water power sufficient for all orr
! purposes. The only thing conid
! 40 at Muscle Shoals which T am M
aple to do elsewhere would be mako
! iertiiizef Tor the farmer. And thar.
| " me sole reason why John w.
! w eehs ana scores OF corporation
| lawyers have eXerted their clJnnirs
| TO prevent me. The same Influence
| that prevented vote i'm the hons,
| iast spring are responsible for tl,t 4
saie OF the Gorgas plant to preyeni
| vote on Gorgas.
Ihey may get other offers fot
| other pieces of Muscle, Shoals And
| the total sale price may compare
| IaVorably with the initial payment
| cailed for under my offer but thu
| sale price is the smallest item al
| Muscle Shoals
Complete Loss to People
| Even If the friends of John w
| weeks should pay the original cost,
uoHar for dollar, Muscle ShoaE
would still be complete loss to tlw
| people, because John w. Weekg
! friends will not develop its matcbt
| less powers and will not use it 70.
pubic benefit. 1t would be wei
| worth while for the power and fer
inner flnanciers who control thiz
| system to pay $10O,000,000 if thereby
| they can retain the endless milIior14
| which they now make through ~
| horbitant prices of power and fer
tilizer. The demonstration whicI
we would make at Muscle Shoals
would be death blow to all sued
exploitation.
My offer is still before congress.
L shan not withdraw it, There ii
nothing whatever for me to explain.
There is nothing that John w
weeks can explain. though he shout
talk from now until he leaves publjs
life, but l want to say this: IF
get Muscle Shoals, we shall ~,
power lines 200 miles in every diree
ton from Muscle Shoals. we havl
been working and have learned how
to send power long distances with.
out losses by leakage. [ say thij
now for the benefit of the interna
tlonal financiers, who with TIA
Alabama Power company, have Mus
Gle Shoals almost hopelessly in theii
grasp.
1T is not to me that John W,
Weeks has anything to explain /
know just how much value to at
tach to his explanations. Let him
explain TO the farmers -