The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-19
SAYS HUGE TRUST SEEKS POWER PLANT
Editorial Intended To Warn Of Monopoly Men,
 ace, Says B. J. Clapp
FAIL TO DECIDE
 ON FINAL VOTE
Shoals Deadlock Continues In Senate-Underwood, Norris
 Forces Obdurate
(WashingtOn Bureau.)

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1S.-Ap- plications pending before the fed- eral power commission for the de- velopment of more than 100000 undeveloped horsepower are on the part of subsidiaries of one corpora tion, the General Electric, according to Edwin J. Clapp, editor of the New York American, before sub- committee of the senate Judiciary committee. today.
 Inasmuch as the witness, who had been summoned to elucidate an editor ial which seemingly libeled Senator Oscar W. Underwood of Alabama, ad- mitted that he had had no intention of reflecting on the character of that senator, that he held that senator man of spotless honor and reputation and that his apparent statements of fact were designed for purposes of "or- atorical emphasis" his allegations re- specting the power monopoly deter. mined, he declared, to secure control of every horsepower in the United States, comprised the far more import ant part of his testimony in the opin- ion of the subcommittee.
 Attacks Power Go.
 He stated under oath that the. Ala bama Power company ito make its acquisition of Muscle Shoals easier,' changed it's character from foreign to domestic corporation, only last October. It was his insinuation that the change was significant only in legal sense and was representative of kind of stock manipulation.
 Mir. Clapp, accompanied by counsel, informed the subcommittee that his references to Senator Underwood were surprised that the senator and other senators had construed his editorial as reflecting on the character of the Ala bamian. The idea he meant to convey, he said, was that under the terms of the bill the Alabama company would secure Muscle Shoals. He was obvious ly embarrassed when made to acknowl- edge that no corporation, under the Underwood bill, could secure Muscle Shoals unless a contract was entered into by the President of the United States and the secretary of war.
 Caraway States Issue
 When he emphasized his declaration respecting Underwood's honor. Senator Caraway, was reminded that previously he had bitterly assailed Underwood for having renounced him as a liar in the senate last Saturday.
 'You declared that dennclation libelous," said Caraway. "As 8 man of honor must be man of truth, how do you reconcile your state- ments?"
 "That act of the senator's" said the witness "is the only blemish on his character of which know" Clapp summed his attitude up in his final statement in, reply to question prOpOunded by Senator Spencer.
 You say that Muscle Shoals is power proposition and that the fertili- ger contention is buncombe and that the Underwood bill advocates know that. Now, Senator Underwood is>an advocate of the Underwood bill. Do you mean to imply that Senator Underwood knows the fertilizer sections are buncombe" "It is just as if I should say to you, Senator Spencer, on some occasion when we differ sharply, You are wrong and you know it."
 "Oh," retored Senator Spencer, "then you were employing certain words and phases for oratorial effect"
 "That is it," said the witness.
 In similar way, Clapp disposed of the phrase "Underwood's Alabama Power company" although he did at-
 (COntinued On Page TwO.)