Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-03-07
DEBATE ON SHOALS
IA BECOMES CHAOTIC
Score of Senators Engage in
Fiery Exchange Started
by Heflin.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
The week of discussion on Muscle
Shoals ended in a flourish yesterday
with a score of Senators grappled IN
fiery debate.
For more than an hour Senators
hurled verbal shafts across the cham
Der while others on the floor and oc-
cupants of the galleries shook with
laughter. Senator Blease, Democrat,
South Carolina. who was presiding
made repeated vain attempts to curb
the uproar, by whanging the gavel on
the dias and finally he stopped the de-
hate and warned the galleries that the
sargent at arms would clear them II
the laughter did not cease.
Senator Hefiin, Democrat. Alabama,
preCipitated the furious repartee by
charging a group of Southern Senators
with jumping about on the Muscle
Shoals issue by opposing the resolu-
ton incorporating the terms OF the
Henry Ford bid, which they previously
had Endorsed.
Assailed From All Sides.
Immediately a half dozen Senators
were on their feet. assailing the Ala
hama Senator simultaneously. The
assault came so fast that for several
minutes he was unable 10 answer
each. He was accused of playing
into the hands of the trusts and with
being party to thinly veiled pan
to take Muscle Shoals from the people
and turn it over to some private cor
poration for it's own gain
The Alabama Senator shouted heat
edlv that he favored turning II over
TO the farmers and charged his adver-
saries with being 'pessimistic patriots,
who were turning the farmers down in
their hour of need.
Senator George, Democrat. Georgia,
finally got the floor and characterized
Senator Hef1in as the most suspicious
honorable man in the chamber"
IF the Senator from Alabama
knows anything he knows there Is a
bidder in waiting" he declared.
Il do not know of any bidder,
Senator Hefin retorted. The Sena-
tor from Georgia apparently has the
confidence of some one whom | have
not
Hits Aim of Bidder.
Il know there is bidder in waiting
and unless that bidder is deferred by
a few men of enough courage TO stand
the insult being hurled at them OF
being traitors to the farmers that
private lessee will take this property
from the people of the United States,
Senator George replied.
THE concurrent resolution does not
even require the approval Of the Presi-
dent. and Congress will be put in the
position OF turning over Muscle Shoals
to private interests. We are about
to decide one of the gravest issues this
Congress has ever been called on to
decide. Are we going to unsettle the
economics of the whole Southeast by
adopting this iniquitous PROPOSAL"
After the debate had been spent
Senator Lenroot, Republican, Wis
consin, declared that the time was
too short for the proposed joint con-
gressional commission to negotiate a
satisfactory lease for Muscle Shoals
by April I. He proposed an amend
ment TO extend the time to April 26
and announced he would vote against
the resolution unless the amendment
was adopted.
Debate will be continued tomorrow
with Senator Blease leading off, but
at $50 pm, voting win begin on the
resolution and amendments. under
unanimous consent. Final action Is
promised before the end Of the day.