Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-04
'CYANAM|D MUSCLE
SHOALS BID IS HIT
Mcclellan in Forum Address
Predicts Passage of
Norris Proposal.


Expressing the opinion that discIos-
nreS before the Senate lobby committee
have made it impossible to accept the
American Cyanamid Co.'S bid for
Muscle Shoals, now before the House.
Senator Kenneth d. Mcclellan, Demo-
address last night that Congress will
again pass the Norris Government oper-
alton bill and that the measure will be
given President Hoover's approval.
Speaking in the National Radio
Forum, arranged by The Washington
Star and sponsored by the Columbia
BroadcaSting System, Senator Mcclellan
described in detail the various proposals
advanced for operating Muscle Shoals
and how it would be operated under
the Norris bill. His address was broad
cast locally from Station WMAL.
THE American Cyanamid Co. s
bld, offered in the House, has no chance
In the world for passage, in my judg-
ment," he said.
Describes WOrthington as Lobbyist"
Senator Mcclellan described j. w.
Worth1ngton, chairman of the executive
committee of the Tennessee River I'M
provement Association, which advocated
the proposal of American Cyanamid
Tor Muscle Shoals, as lobbyist in the
interest of the various private interests
here for many years" Recalling that
Worthington had been quoted as saying
that President Hoover would not sign
the Norris bill, Senator Mcclellan said.
I do not believe this lobbyist speaks
for the President"
II am absolutely convinced" he as
serted. that if the Congress passes
this much-improved Norris bill at this
session, the President will not with
attach It,"
The criticism that has been visited
upon Congress for failing to dispose
OF Muscle Shoals has not been just, he
said
"If we had passed some of the bills
that have been proposed for the private
ownership and control of these plants,
O great injustice would have been
done" he declared, IAN injustice that is
not likely to be done now"
Would Open Navigation.
Under the Norris bill now in the
senate, he said, navigation will be
opened along the Tennessee River from
KNOXVILLE to its mouth; storage dams
VIII be added to aid in flood relief of
the lower Mississippi Valley: cheaper
power will be furnished, together with
reduction of fertilizer costs, and the
whole property will be available to the
Government in the event of national
emergency. In addition. he said, the
development should attract a great
many manufacturers to the Mississippi
Valley.
Senator McKellar's address follows
In full:
Ladies and gentlemen of my radio
audience:
have been asked by The Washington
Evening Star, to talk to you about
Muscle Shoals, the bill for the DISPOSE
ton Of which is now being argued be-
fore the Senate Muscle Shoals is sit
way across the Tennessee line in Ala
bama. The Tennessee River is one OF
the longest and largest rivers in the
United States. The main river rises Ia
Virginia, flowS in a SouthweSterly direc-
ton through East Tennessee by the
city Of Knoxville, by the city of Chatta-
nooga and then it dips down across the
Alabama State line, running by the little
city OF Decatur, Ala, and thence on tt
Muscle Shoals. Muscle Shoals is sur
rounded by three beautiful little towns
Florence, Tuscumbia and Shefleld
From there, the river turns north again
and flows all the way across Tennessee
and Kentucky and emptieS into the Ohio
River. Because of the shoals or rapids
IN this river, it has never been navigable
because Of Muscle Shoals and it has
rapids both above and below Muscle
Shoals. The purpose of building locks
and dams on this river is tWo-fold
First, by the building Of these locks and
dams the river can be made navigable
from Knoxville, in East Tennessee, some
500 miles to where the river empties
into the Ohio and thence, of course
down the Ohio and down the Mississippi
to the Gulf. For SO years or more 1t
has been the purpose of the Govern
ment by means of locks and dams to
open this river up to navigation but
only since the advent of electric power
has the purpose been two-fold. Since
the discovery and utilization of cleo
tric power and the great Importance to
our modern life of this great instru-
mentality 1t has become more important
70 build the dams for power pur-
poses than it Is even for navi-
cation purposes. There are three
dams necessary at Muscle Shoals
In order to make the river navigable.
Ihey are commonly referred to as Dams
NO. !, No. 2 and No. 8. Dam No. / Is
farthest down the river, Dam No. 2 Is
the Wilson dam and Dam No. Is q
snort distance above Dam No. 2. BY
the erection Of these three dams and
the putting in of these locks. the river
becomes navigable up to Chattanooga,
Tenn.
Explains His Connection.
My connection with Muscle Shoals:
Muscle Shoals is only $50 miles from
my home in Memphis. Ever since I
have been In public life have been in.
tenSely interested in the building of the
dams there. Prior to the Great War
private capital was not interested
enough to build the dams for power
purposes and We could not induce the
Government to build them for any pur-
pose. The Great War gave us our op-
Portunlty. OF course, every one knows
ehat the air all around us is full of MI
erateS and all intelligent people know
Cnat nitrates are necessary both for the
manufacture Of explosives in time of
war and fertilizer in time of peace.
Since time immemorial we have gotten
our nitrates from Chile where nitrate
beds abound in the greatest profusiou.
OF course, In the war our only supply
OF nitrates from Chile could have been
cut on and the United States was In
Q bad condition because she manufae-
eured no nitrateS from the air at that
time, but processes had been discovered
by which, from the use of very great
power, nitrates could be extracted from
the air. So as soon as the war came on,
Or even when 1t was thought 1t might
come on, many suggestions were made
as to how our Government could get
its supply of nitrates. AS a member of
the House, introduced an amendment
TO the Army reorganization act of 1916
providing for an appropriation of 500
100000 to build dam at Muscle Shoals
Tor the manufacture of nitrates from
the air at that place. When this bill
went TO the Senate this provision was
objected to principally by Senator
Chamberlain because he was from Ore
gon and there was in Oregon a power