The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-10-18
Offends Tri-Cities

THE Birmingham News, whose indirect
 friendliness to the Alabama Power
 Company has sometimes aroused the wrath of the people of the Tennessee Valley, seizes upon the occasion of the reported with drawal of the Ford offer for Muscle Shoals to launch into a severe attack on MT. Ford, and less direct one upon his Shoals bid, which sounds very much like that newspaper is now getting out of its system lot of things it wanted to say all along, but deemed un- wise The comment also bears a distinct air of T told you so" in regard to certain pro visions of the Ford offer, with which it now openly takes issue. That there are fallacies in the argument, and the attack upon MT.
 Ford unwarranted in the face of the facts, is apparent even to the casual reader. It de- clares that MT. Ford has doubtless realized that congress was not virtually going to make him a present of Muscle Shoals for 100 years, with the privilege of renewa1,1 and that "Mr. Ford has no one but himself to blame," and refers to His contemptuouS treatment of congress- and assumption that he was supermm," and charges that "Mr. Ford was endeavoring to obtain for $5,000,- 900 property in which 50,00O,000 of the peoples money is invested" The facts in the case dispute directly the justice of these charges, and prove that at heart the Birming- ham News has never been friendly toward the development, of Muscle Shoals by Henry Ford to the limit of it's possibilities. In the first place, it is overlooked that Ford made his offer at the request of the government, and that disregarding all business precedent its terms were broadcast and every "interest" in the country invited to beat it, which they have been unable to do after several years. It is also overlooked that protection of the farmers of the country in fertilizer and main- tenance of the nitrate plants in readiness for war is better for the country for 100 years than for a shorter time. The public knows that the effort to persuade Ford to appear before the congressional cOmmittee Was by opponents who sought to provide aA 3ppor- tunity to embarrass him by useless eid ab- surd questioning. His accredited representa- tives and engineers were ready at all times to furnish all information that was needed. A man is not a superman because he avoids indignities from interruptions politicians, such as comprised a proportion of the congression- al committee. If the desire to obtain Muscle Shoals at $5,O00,O00 was unfair, why was his officer not exceeded? Does not the Birming- ham News know that the capital investment was reduced to that amount at the request of the farmers organization so that the in- terest charge in the manufacture of fertilizer might be reduced? This is common knowl- edge, and the News should be informed. Has MT Horu ever met WlIn Ine courtesy HI LhlS business transaction at the hands of the var department that might have been, expected even from those most ignorant of business courtesy? The whole affair is a reflection upon the business conduct of the American government, and in assailing Mir. Ford for what the general press of the country. con slider display of long drawn out patience in his determination to serve the farmers and others of the nation and to save them from the greed of merciless corporations the Bir- mingham News is merely bringing to the sur face the feelings that have been choked back for several years.-Florence, Ala, Times.