The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-04-18
COOLIDGE MAY BOOST FORD BID President Expected To Plead Political
 Advantage NORRIS CHARGES
 SUPPORT TRADE Manufacturer Complained And Camc Out Smil-
 ing, He Says VOTE DEMANDED
 BY UNDERWOOD No Effort Will Be Made 1. To Prevent It, Chairman
 Replies
VOTE DEMANDED BY UNDERWOOD
(Washington Bursau.)

WASHINGTON, April 17.--In the face of a committee regarded as mimi cable to the Henry Ford offer for Mus cle Shoals, Senator ]. Thomas Heflin of Alabama today declared that the pro posal of the Detroit manufacturer would be reported to the floor
 Later Senator Oscar W. Underwood of Alabama declared to this correspon- dent that if the offer is put up on the floor it will be enacted into law.
 Less optimistic than the Alabama senators, however, are other senators who support the Ford offer. The idea obtains that the President must ex- press himself to "reactionary" sena- tors if the Ford offer is successful. That the President will inform his closest friends that it would be to his political interest that the Ford offer be passed, is regarded as highly prob able.
 Ridicule Offer
 The Senate committee on agriculture today despite the defense of Senator Heflin and Senator Pat Harrison of Mississippi, spent two hours in ridicul- ing the Ford offer. The witness was A. B. Hooker, brother of E. H. Hooker who, with W. ". Atterbury and J. S. White, has submitted an offer for Muscle Shoals.
 Hooker divided his evidence into three sections. In the first place. he advo- cated the acceptance of his bid In the second place, he criticized the Ford offer. In the third place, he spoke in glowing terms of the offer of the Ala bama Power company.
 T want right off the bat,'. he said, s.to scotch the report that in any way we are connected with the Alabama Power company. We are independent. At the sanae time, the power eompan g offer is three times aa Rood aa He Nor4 offer apa our 0ffeE $ fauk s.ines s
 Charge Political Trade
 Senator Norris of Nebraska, bitter opponent Of the Ford offer and author. ity on government ownership and oper. ation legislation, acting, on the cue af- forded by the witness, declared in ef- feet that the President and Ford had made trade whereby the President was to give Ford Muscle Shoals and Ford was to support the President for re- election.
 ssEord came to Washington" he said. livery. mad because the Secretary of War had sold the Gorgas steam plant to the Alabama Power company. He went into consultation with the Presi- dent and emerged smiling Immediately afterwards the President sent a message to Congress extolling the Ford offer, and Ford declared for the reelection of the President. It was as plain as the nose on the face.
 Mayo To Appear
 Senator Heflin, when Senators Nor ris, McNary, Kendrick and others com plained that Ford had refused to appear in explanation of his offer, declared that Ford's representative, W. B. Mayo, would at, the proper time come before the comndittee. Ford refused to permit Mayo to appear before the House com mittee on military affairs which con sidered the Ford offer. He declared then that he did not wish to consume valuable time in going over well beaten ground.
 That he has consented, according to Senator Heflin, to send Mayo to Wash ington in the present hearing, is re- garded as evidence that the manu- facturer will not be content that the op- position run away with all the publicity.