The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-03-22
THE MUSCLE SHOALS CRISIS

| AFTER two ~yeafS OF stormy passage, anc
after having triumphed over previous efforts
to discredit and delay it, the Ford offer fol
Muscle Shoals now lies before the agriculture
committee of the senate. In spite of cease
less and persistent attempts to disparagt
its provisions or to supplant it with alterna
tive proposals, the Ford offer pow stands
forth with renewed acclaim and appeal. Pub.
lie sentiment is for it: engineering authority
of high order has Endorsed it; the national
safety demands it; congressional majority
undoubtedly will support it; the organized
agricultural opinion Of the nation has con-
sistently called for its passage. Yet SEN
ate committee, under the craftsmanship of its
avowed enemy, buries it behind a show of
recognizing precedence of other measures of
less importance. 1t is proposterous situa-
ton, and one in which politicians and selfish
interests have combined to defeat the will
of the majority both within and without the
congress.
| Although the national agriculture would be
immeasurably served by the operation Of the
chemical plants in accordance with the Ford
plan, and although the national sentiment of
farmers, so far as it has been given articu-
late expression: is wholly for the Ford offer,
and although the senate committee on agri-
culture itself makes show of concern for
the agricultural welfare, yet that committee
openly and deliberately seeks to place before
it lesser measures the fate of which would
not be endangered by delay, while the fate
of the Ford measure is endangered by delay.
There is need at this time for the senate
committee on agriculture to be encompassed
with such an atmosphere of public disap-
proval and indignation as will offset, coun-
teract and nullify the influence of those
forces of invisible government which covertly
are seeking to destroy this measure of great
public moment and to supplant it with con-
siderations enhancing the private profit at
the incredible national expense.
| 1t is fortunate that Alabama has in the
senate two men of the highest influence, I'M
changeably committed to the success of the
Ford offer. Senator Underwood is given
wide credit for having on at least one &C.
casion saved the great Muscle Shoals enter
prise from destruction. On many occasions
has he lifted his voice or exercised his in
fluence in its behalf. Senator Helm, equally
committed to the Ford offer, is on the senate
agricultural committee and has urged i'm
mediate consideration and report on the
measure as it passed the house. Other
friends Of the measure, in the senate and
on the committee, will not let it die if they
can help it. Upon all these men the con
siderations Of agricultural welfare and the
unacceptable demands of national defense in
sistently call for aggressive activity in the
behalf Of the Ford offer.
To be sure, there are those who can spin
out criticisms of the measure and reasons
why it should not be adopted, at least with
out amendment. But the same would be
true of any proposition that might either
be submitted to congress or formulated by
congress. The fact remains that nobody, with
all the opportunity in the world, has yet
compiled a better offer than the Ford offer
nor devised a better plan than the Ford
plan. The only thing that has been done is
the formulation and presentation of weak
limitations of the Ford offer. Yet two out
standing considerations have by many sim
cere critics been lost sight of. These two
outstanding considerations are the manufac-
time of peace and the production of direly
needed chemicals in time of war. Muscle
Shoals was developed primarily to furnish
munitions of war and as an indispensable
defense measure. 1t must be kept for that,
and what better plan can there be than its
continued operation in chemical production
on a peace basis until such time as another
war emergency shall require its services for
the national protection?
Let the senate committee be asked squarely
and pointblank, and let an answer be insisted
on: Will you men deny the national agri-
culture the prime fertilizer requisite which
this offer insuFes? Will you men permit the
machinationsS3f selfish interests, animated
solely by m9nopolistic impulse, to turn you
aside from making permanent this insurance
of national defense? Those are the only
two questions al issue. Let the committee
not be permitted for one moment to believe
that it has hoodwinked the American people
or confused their judgment.
@-a-
STANDARD OIL AND BILLBOARDS
No little interest and comment was aroused
by the announcement of the Standard Oil
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