Evening star., 1924-03-06
DEBATE ON SHOALS
SALE WAKES WARM
rockingham and La Guardia
Bitterly AssaiI Ford
Proposal.

The House today resumed discus
sion Of Henry Ford's offer for Muscle
Shoals shortly after convening at
noon.
Leaders of both advocates and op-
ponents of the Detroit manufacturers
offer .0ld numerous speakers to be
heard in the three hours and four
teen minutes remaining for debate.
Failure OF the measure to provide
for the manufacture of fertilizer was
denounced by Representative Froth-
ingham. republican, Massachusetts,.
manufacture Fertilizer" Mr.. Frothing-
ham declared. there might be some
excuse for approving this bill. But
there is not word in the measure
calling for such action. The great
fertilizer. and this certainly should
be the only reason for selling out
such an enormous plant as this"
Representative La Guardia, repub-
1ican. New York, suggested 1t was not
yet too late to put such a provision
in the bill.
AssaiIs Sale Terms.
Mr.. rockingham also assailed the
terms of the proposed sale and lease,
declaring the government was dis
posing of one Of its greatest manu-
featuring plants ION nominal terms
I.
Chairman Madden of the appropria-
tions committee recalled that the
government had sold two other war
time plants, costing $145.000,000. for
To a quotation used by Mr.. Gar
rett that by their fruits We, shall
know them" Representative La
Guardia, insurgent republican, New
"Are there fruits in this?"
'The gentleman from New York
does not understand figurative lam
guage:" Mr.. Garrett replied, "and
1 shall explain" 80. ,--.'
Mr.. La Guardia, who is of Italian
the world its literature and poetry.
Attack ON Ford.
Following Mr.. Garrett. Mr.. La
Guardia took the floor and made a
bitter personal attack on Mr.. Ford.
The New York representative de-
clared that II given Muscle Shoals
Mr.. Ford would become the indus
trial king" of the nation.
Should the Detroit manufacturer be
given control Of the nitrate plants.
Mr.. La Guardia said, the government
would not know in what condition
they might be If war should develop.
He added that 1t was possible in the
event of war that Mr.. Ford might be
bound on peace ship trying to get
the boys out of the trenches" adding
out of the trenches was his own
son.
Mr.. La Guardia declared that Mr..
Ford, through insidious propa-
ganda, was responsible for the mas
sacre Of the Jews in Poland in 1919
and 1920, and that giving Muscle
Shoals to. the manufacturer would
make Teapot Dome look like petty
"wor.e Than Teapot.
1t would even be worse than the
Teapot leases, Mr.. La Guardia added.
!, for in the oil case 1t may be possible
to countermand the leases through
the courts.
Asked If he would not rather have
Mr.. Ford receive control Of the shoals
Guardia replied that he favored gov
ernment ownership in this case.
Turning partly around so as to face
the Speakers stand, back Of which
hangs an American flag, Mr.. La
Mr.. Ford would be tearing down the
sign in its place."
Representative Boylan, democrat.
New York, took up the debate. and.
the flag, asked If Mr.. La Guardia would
tear down the American flag and raise
the British ensign"
Defended By Garrett.
Representative Garrett, democrat,
Texas, opened the discussion with a
warm Endorsement Of the Mckenzie
bill providing for acceptance Of the
manufacturers proposal.
The manufacture of nitrate and
fertilizer. he said, is the primary
thing to consider ip the development
of Muscle Shoals, and not water
power.
The need of all states for fertilizer
was reviewed by Mr.. Garrett, who de-
clared that this feature Of the Shoals
project was vital to all sections.
Representative Hull, republican,
Iowa, who has been active in oppos-
ing. the Ford bid. interrupted to ask
II MT. Garrett had read the Union
Carbide Company's offer to manufac-
ture fertilizer at S per cent, whereas
Ford wants 8 per cent.
want to tell the gentleman from
the Secretary of War advertised the
sale of Muscle Shoals. Henry Ford
was the only man to come forward"
Mr.. Hull rejoined to q remark by
Mr.. Garrett that he was not urging
the southern power companies bid,
and only had introduced q bill au-
thorizing acceptance of the COM
pantes' offer SO that the House might
become familiar with the proposal.
Mr.. Garrett said he did not mean
to intimate that Mr.. Hull was "un-
duly" urging any bid, adding:
In the last Congress the Alabama
Power Company never raised its hand
against the Ford offer, excepting re-
gardins the purchase Of the Gorgas
steam plant"