The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-09-27
Shoals Sale
Enbitters
Ford Men
Purchase of Corgas Plant by
Alabama Power Company
Threatens Political
Storm.
Under Wartime Contract
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

down as a fact beyond the shadow of
doubt that one Of the foremost topics
of the 1924 presidential campaign was
set up when the administration took
the action which seems to prevent
Shoals in the only form in which he
regards Muscle Shoals as worth hav-
ing.
This question may not seem to have
the dignity of an issue, but 1t will
be the subject of more discussion and
swing more votes than good many
things in the platforms Of the party.
Although the incident is only two
days old, Washington is in storm
about 1t. Partisans of Ford are talk
ing Of an injunction or some other
form Of legal action to undo the step
taken by the government this week.
The summarize as compactly as
possible: Ford made an offer to the
government to buy Muscle Shoals as
a whole including steam generating
plant rs miles away from Muscle
Shoals known as the Gorgas plant.
After Mr.. Ford's offer had been pend
ing for many months, 1t developed
that the government was not free to
sell the Gorgas plant to him. This
Gorgas plant had been built by the
government on land belonging to the
Alabama Power company had an
the arrangement between the govern
ment and the Alabama Power COM
pany was a proviso by which the
Alabama power company had an
option to buy the Gorgas plant at
an appraised valuation.
An Old War Contract.
This option, the Alabama Power
company announced. 1t desired to
exercise. In the opinion of the War
department and in the opinion of the
attorney general the War department.
under the old wartime contract with
the Alabama Power company, had no
choice except to sell the Gorgas plant
to the Alabama Power company.
This Ia the action that was taken
this week. Mr.. Ford's partisans now
say, and Mr. Ford himself said some
months ago, that II he could not
have the G6fgas plant he does not
want Muscle Shoals at all. and the
entire deal is off.
The administration, In defending
their action of Monday. say they are
willing to turn over to Mr.. Ford all
the money they receive from the
Alabama Power company, and that
with this money. Mr.. Ford can
duplicate the Gorgas plant ana De III
as. good position as II the Gorgas
n,ant should have been turned over
to him as pyart of Muscle Shoals.
This looks like as reasonable
thing as the government can do un-
der the circumstances. But Mr..
Ford's partisans say Il at tn
Gorgas plant cannot be reproduceo
because that plant included ID miles
OF transmission which the govern
ment alone could build and which
Mr.. Ford cannot build because he'
as a private citizen, does not have
the same rights as the government
tn condemn a right Of way by emf
nent domain. Obviously the merits
of this question include intricacies
which can only be discussed aoe'
auately by lawyers and engineers.
Fought by Big Interests
Aside from all that. for political
purposes Mr.. Ford's partisans are
going to say that this defeating OF
Mr.. Ford's plan is merely an adroit
device Of those enemies OF Mr.. Ford
whom his partisans refer to as the
big interests" 1t is an unquestioned
fact that ever since Mr.. Ford made
his offer certain large fertilizer In.
terests, certain hydroelectric inter
ests and certain other large interests
have devoted themselves Zealously to
preventing the sale Of Muscle Shoals
TO Mr.. Ford. Their motive, as com.
monty understood, is fear that Mr..
Ford would manufacture fertilizers,
electric power and some other COM
modities and would sell them to the
farmers Of the country at so low a
price as to discredit those concerns
already In that line Of business
II may be that the administration
had no choice except to do what II
did this week. 1t may be that. as
the friends of the administration
claim, the original fault lay in the
Wilson adminlstrat ,on for making sc
foolish a wartime contract with the
Alabama Power company, and for
spending some s4,000,000 OF govern
ment money on land belonging to a
private corporation. However that
may be, the clear fact Is that farm
organizations Of the country have
wanted desperately that Mr.. Ford's
plans for Muscle Shoals should be
helped instead Of hindered.
With equal strength the farm or
ganizations and the farmers are nov
certain to blame the administration
for preventing Mr.. Ford from getting
the opportunity to do what the farm
ers have looked upon as a magnifi
cent help for them. II Mr.. Ford
himself is candidate for the presi
dency he will be helped greatly. Ever
II Mr.. Ford personally is not can
didate. the democrats expect great
help from. the agitation of this issue
Some OF the most powerful farm
leaders have had their hearts in Mr.
Ford's project. They are now cor
respondingly angry and determined
to make the most OF the incident In
. political sense.