The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-18
ONE TRUST FIGHTS IT

There has been something ominous about the apparent quiet which has pre- vailed among former enemies of the Ford offer, particularly the power and the fer tilizer trusts. If the Underwood measure was satisfactory to those interests that must be charged with the failure of the Ford offer, many persons instinctively felt that there must be something wrong with the Underwood bill. And yet if such wrong existed the most searching scrutiny has failed to detect it. There fore, it is With relief that the people find that the fertilizer trust is probably secretly fighting the Underwood bill. 1n- asmuch as the power trust probably knows what the fertilizer trust is about, doubtless it might be inferred that the measure does not meet with the approval of the power interests. If these trusts are in reality opposed to the Underwood bill, then the bill must be a good thing for, the people.
 Although some people are honestly dubious of the proposal to make fer tilizer, believing that the nitrates thus produced would be infinitesimal in amount, compared with the country's growing annual consumption of this fer tilizer ingredient, yet there are four things in it's favor. The first is that the processes for capturing nitrogen from the air are fundamentally the same, whether this nitrogen is to be used for fertilizer hue ho tilizer production gives an economic op- portunity to keep the nitrate plants in readiness for war emergency at no public expense. The second is that it is better to produce in time of peace commodity essential to peacetime progress than to produce only war-materials during peace. In the third place, while it is true the total expectation of fertilizer from Mus cle Shoals would fall far short of sup plying the country's requirements, if the Shoals plan can demonstrate that fer tilizers can be produced at cost per- hitting a far lower retail price to the farmer than at present prevails, then the price of all such fertilizers will inevitably fall.
 There is no doubt that the Chilean ni- trate monopoly, with headquarters in London, is growing fat on it's sales of this commodity to American farmers at a price far greater than. is necessary to return a good profit. Evidence of the concern of this trust in the disposition of Muscle Shoals is shown by the fact that its London directors held jubilee banquet when it was learned that Ford had withdrawn his offer. MT. Coolidge has offered a fourth reason for the man. ufacture of nitrates at Muscle Shoals, by calling attention to the likelihood of other water powers being devoted by private enterprise to similar production if the Shoals plants are operated suc- cessfully and at profit.
 If there is any loop-hole in MT. Under woods measure whereby any trust may come into possession of the project to the public detriment, the reaction upon MT. Underwood politically would be cataclysmic. Politically he could not af- ford to have that happen. On the other hand, if his measure is what on the sur face it appears to be, then it will stand up under the most searching scrutiny. Already it has withstood attack. If there are other enemies of the measure, let them now come forward, in order that
 the armor of the bill may be tested from any point. If it has any weakness, now | is the time to find it out.