The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-15
HEARST ATTITUDE ON SHOALS


 trying to hand Muscle Shoals over to the power trust does not find warrant in any of the facts now in possession of the pub lie. The view in Alabama is altogether to the contrary. It is not believed in this state that the terms are such that the power trust cares to meet them. Indeed, the Herald reveals the inconsistency in its own argument when it scoffs at Under woods proposal that the Shoals be de- voted exclusively to nitrates and declares that the Shoals is purely a power proposl- ton. If the Shoals is purely power proposition, and the Herald admits that Underwood is trying to make it a ferti- Ezer proposition, where does the Herald find basis for it's accusation that Under wood is playing into the hands of the power trust? The people of Alabama would like to know.
 Further evidence of the Hearst Herald's infidelity to the facts is found in its statement that "President Coolidge will disregard those advisers who seek his support of the Underwood bill." If the Herald cared to quote from the Presi- dents message, it would find that he rec ommends all the features essential to the Underwood proposal and specifically urges that the Shoals be not power proposition but be guarded for the pro- duction of nitrates, whether for war or reace. The preamble of the Underwood bill, containing it's essential purpose, Is as follows: "To provide for the national defense; for the production and manu- facture of fixed nitrogen, commercial fertilizer, and other useful products; and for other purposes" The body of the bill permits the application of power to no "other purposes" until after the fixed nitrogen and commercial fertilizer ca pacity of the plants has been reached.
 Although the Hearst Herald, the New York World and other newspapers have declared that power, and not nitrates, IS the essence of Muscle Shoals, and al though the Hearst Herald says that Mi. Coolidge will not approve the Under wood proposal, let MT. Coolidge speah for himself, as he did in his recent mes sage:
 The production of nitrogen for plant
 food in time of peace and for explosives
 in time of war is more and more lm-
 portant To meet these neces
 sities the government has been develop
 ing water power project at Muscle
 Shoals to be equipped to produce III
 trogen for explosives and fertilizer. It
 is my opinion that the support of agri
 culture is the chief problem to consider
 ill connection with the property.
 Much costly experimentation is necessary
 to produce commercial nitrogen. For
 that reason it is field better suited to
 private enterprise than to government
 operation. l should favor sale of this
 property, or long time lease, under rigid
 guaranties of commercial nitrogen pro-
 duction at reasonable prices for agricul-
 tural use. If no advantageous
 offer is made, the development should
 continue and the plant should be dedi-
 cated primarily to the production of ma
 terias for the fertilization of the soil.
 Where in all that does the HeaIst Herald get its basis for the statement l that power production is the chief pur- pose of the government interest in Mus cle Shoals, or that the President does not agree with the Underwood bills provtsioh for the devotion of this project to t9c production of fertilizer in the time of peace and of explosives in the time of war? It should be explained that, in ad- vising either sale or lease of "this prop erty," the President isfspeaking primarily of the nitrate plants, and not the Wilson dam, for the sale of that is not contem- dated. Thus the Hearst Herald's ut. .erance is shown to be without that fou1r dation in fact, or plausibility every trust worthy opinion must have.
 Senator Underwood has properly de- manded a full investigation of the against his character, purpose and alleged utilization with the power company. The senate has granted that inquiry. It IS hoped that the inquiry will not, however, result Tn any delay to the lnactment of such Muscle Shoals legisla- ton as will rebound to the public ad- and will maintain the purpose of Muscle Shoals as set forth in the Presi- dents message.