Evening star., 1925-01-19
NEW FORD OFFER
FOR SHOALS SEEN
auto Magnate May Yet Ac-
quire Right to Operate
Big Project.
ny FREDrRIC WILLIAM VILE.

ny FREDERIC WILLIAM "iLH'
Capitol Hill received during the
week end circumstantal reports o. an
impending new Ford oIcr Tor Mu9'l'
Shoals.
Despire the withdrawal last Sep
tomber of his original proposal.
which was approved b" the House
Mr.. Ford Is credited with an abiding
desire to become the overload or the
Shoals. The information reaching
members Of the Senate and House Is
that the motor king is rea'E, under
the Underwood bill, to make bid
for Muscle Shoals far more attractive
70 the Government than his previous
offer.
Confirmation of Ford's reputed in
tentions is not obtainable. But con-
rressional and private interests in
closest touch with Muscle Shoals at-
fairs confident Y expect that another
Ford proposition Will be the lateS.
l,ink in the tangled skein of Shoals
developments.
Sure of support.
II Ford comes forward with
project radically more generous to
Tie United states Treasury than the
offer accepted by the House of Repre-
Hentatiyes Ghe Mex Kenzie bid 1t IS
freely predicted that ii would enllS'
support in the Senate. opposition 10
any deal with Ford has been strong
ost in the upper branch OF congress
Senate opposition wou be launched
2sainsr a new Ford scheme. no mat
Ter how much il pledged Uncle sam
IN the way of rental er purchase
money. Senator Norris, Republican
Progressive of Nebraska. would night
Ford to the last ditch. Norris has
sworn something like a vendetta
against Ford and all his works lie
would suspect the richest man in the
world of putting something over
Tho Government and the people, in
whatever Euise Ford plan 1or
Muscle Shoa : might be garbed.
Norris "Fordophobia" is not gen
orally shared in the Senate. Some OF
the Nebraskan's colleagues say that
Detroits master of millions is the
only man in America" able to take
over Muscle Shoals and make II
go" But they add that he cannot
expect Uncle Sam TO make him a
present" of the shoals. which IS d
common description Of the original
Ford offer. Under that offer, ap-
proved by the House, he agreed TO
pay S5,0OOOOO in five annual install
nents for the purchase OF shoals
properties valued at rOundly $4,000
0O0 including nitrate plants, steam
plants, quarries and equipment of all
kinds, vast in extent. In addition
Ford was TO receive a 10o-year lea<e
Of water power plants at Muscle
Shoals. paying gross rental Of
roundly s220Q00,00o.
Promise Discounted.
The impression still fingers in a
good many quarters that the admin
istration is not uufavorable TO a
Muscle Shoals bargain with Ford.
made through Congress and on terms
satisfactory to the Government No
body ever took very seriously the
allegation that President Coolidge
promised" Ford that the latter
should get the shoals. Other con
siderations apart, Mr.. Coolidge could
rot promise" anything to anybody
which is exclusively within the gift
OF Congress. All this, of course. does
not preclude the possibility that the
President, like some other people.
may think that Ford is the best man
to run Muscle Shoals.
The auto maguate notoriously
dreams great industrial dreams. In
the stuff of which they're made, Mus
Gle Shoals is a big factor. One OF
Ford ) cherished and grandiose prof.
cots is said to be a Great LakeS-to-
Gulf railroad of his own, with Muscle
Shoals as a junction point, with RAM
ifcations East and West. With such
inde pendent distributing facilities at
his command, both for his motor
products and for the nitrate and fer
tiliZer to he made at Muscle Shoals,
Ford would come pretty near to being
able to snap his fingers at the rail
road trust" just s he long has
snapped them at the Wall street
money trust.
Current events with reference to
Muscle Shoals, one hears on Capitol
Nm point to the House, rather than
chc Senate, as the branch Of Congress
n which the Ford proposition is the
more likely to he launched The
theory would be that the exhibition
the Senate has lately made of itself
has convinced the people the upper
branch IL not qualified to deal either
exptditiously or effectively with Mus
Gle Shoals.
Ec thcs, things as they may, Con
aress Is prepared almost any day now
10 be surprised by fresh word from
Uncle Henry" on Muscle Shoals. If
he raises the auto high enough, he
may yet take the pot.
tCopyrgEt. l9.I.i