The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-10-13
Ford Says Public
Bilked on Shoals
Accuses Secretary of Wal
Weeks of Dissipating
Public Heritage.

Detroit. Mich. Oct. 12.-Henry
Fords offer for the purchase Of the
Muscle Shoals project in Alabama is
still before congress and Will not be
withdrawn, Henry Ford said yester-
day in a statement. his first public
assertion since the sale of the Gorgas
plant to the Alabama Power company.
Mr.. Ford charged that political in
fluences we're brought TO bear to keep
him from obtaining the plant and
these same influences prevented a
vote in the house last spring" on the
sale Of Muscle Shoals to the Ford
Motor company. Mr.. Ford's statement
says:
Accuses Secretary Weeks.
The United States government.
through Maj. Gen. Lansing II. Beach.
asked me TO bid on Muscle Shoals.
not on a piece OF Muscle Shoals.
did SO. and because my bid included
all Of Muscle Shoals II was the only
one thought worthy Of reporting 10
congress. But l 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
repeated assertions that Henry Ford
would never get Muscle Shoals-
neither with the Gorgas plant nor
without II. Is evidence that the parties
to this matter are not the bidder and
the government, but other parties best
known 10 the man who is at present
secretary Of war.
Long ago. Mr.. Weeks matured IN
his mind the plan TO break up
Muscle Shoals and dispose OF il
piecemeal. When he sold the steam
plant at Gorgas he pulled the first
stitch in unraveling the greatest
single prospect ever held out 10 the
American farmer and manufacturer.
says Farmers Lose.
THE next steps are so plain that a
child can see them. II only remains
to sell the gigantic nitrate plant Ne.
and then nitrate plant No. and
finally the Wilson dam itself. and
that is the end Of Muscle Shoals as
a possible demonstration Of the
cheapness with which power and fer
tilizer can be produced.
This plan was formed by John ".
Weeks. as he thought. for inJuring
Henry Ford. Which shows how much
a Boston bond broker. in politics for
a pastime, knows about Industrial
problems. But the injury has shot
past Henry Ford and has landed on
the farmers. was willing to demon
strate at Muscle Shoals that power
and fertilizer could be produced at
much lower cost than now and that
the government could be assured of an
adeouate supply Of war nitrates.
Valuable in War and Peace.
Muscle Shoals intact would be the
The greatest munition plant on earth.
Muscle Shoals in its nitrate produc-
fion is our greatest insurance asalhsl
war. or If war comes. our greatest
assurances Of Yictory-hut apparently
that does not count with the head ot
the War department.
The Ford Motor company never
had needed Muscle Shoals. We have
water power sufficient for all our pur'
poses The only thing | could do at
Muscle Shoals which l Vas not able
to do elsewhere would be to make
fertilizer for the farmer. And that
is the sole reason why John ".
Weeks and scores Of corporation
lawyers have exerted their cunning
to prevent me. The same influences
that prevented a vote in the house
last spring are responsible for the
sale OF the Gorgas plant 10 prevent
a vote on Gorgas.
Loss To People.
They may set other offers for
other pieces Of Muscle Shoals and the
total sales price may compare favor.
ably with the initial payment called
for under my offer hut the sales
price is the smallest item al Muscle
Shoals Even II the friends Of John
" Weeks should pay the original
cost. dollar Tor dollar. Muscle Shoals
would still he a complete loss 20 the
people because John W. Weeks
friends VIII not develop It's matchloss
possibilities and viii not use il FOR the
public benefit
1T is not 10 me that John W.
Weeks has anything 10 explain. l
know Just how much value to attach
10 his explanations. Let him explain
to the farmers