The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-08-22
By MILTON BRONNER

members OF NEA services W&Sn-
ingtOn bureau pinch-hit for him.
By MILTON BRONNER
NEA Service Staff Correspondent
Washington, Aug. 22-The Ten
nessee Valley Authority Is slated to
play big part in the nations de-
Tense program.
So says David E. Lilienthal, vice
chairman of the governments
greatest venture in production Of
electricity by water power.
During the last war the famous
and much-contested Muscle Shoals
dam was constructed, and two vast
and costly plants were erected. The
aim was to manufacture nitrates
for the arrny's needed high eXplo-
sives.
Actually, the plants were never
used. They were completed too late
and were obsolete from an economic
standpoint. 1t was cheaper, after
the war, to produce nitrates from
other sources.
Plant No. has not been used
since then. Plant No. Itself vast
structure-was converted in 1884 by
iva for the production of phos-
pilates for fertilizer.
WILL FURNISH POWER
FOR ALUMINIUM
THAT plant" says Lilienthal will
fit in our defense program. Food is
a vital part of defense, and phos-
pilates will keep the soil fertile. But
in addition, part of the plant can
be converted to the making of nj
trates-especially if we add to it.
By new processes we can economi-
cally produce ammonium nitrates
for high explosives. Part of the
| phosphate could also be used by the
army's chemical warfare section"
Congress recently appropriated
$25, 900, 900 for IVA. This is sup
plement to the regular funds, and is
designed to make start on $685.
100000 additional power program.
A storage dam and hydro-electric
power plant will be started at once
on the Holston river, near Jefferson
City, Tenn. 1t is hoped to have the
plant in operation by the fall of 1912.
1t will create 10000 kilowatts Of
electrical energy.
The IVA Is in a race with time,
because of the defense programs
urgency. A week after the Presi-
dent signed the appropriation bill,
all contracts for the two plants were
let.
Main purpose is to furnish alum
mum for army and navy airplanes.
An army fighter plane takes
some five tons of aluminium. The
electric power it takes to obtain
that much from bauXite ore and put
it into shape for use would supply
200 average families with electric
power for year.
If aluminium production is not
astly increased, it is estimated the
army's aircraft program will face a
deficit of 63,000,O00 pounds of the
metal by 1912.
TWO OTHER PLANTS
CUSTOMERS
The biggest aluminium producing
and rolling plant in the world is at
Alcoa, Tenn, the property of the
Aluminium Company of America.
This firm is increasing its plant and
prospective output. The vastly more
electric power needed will be fur
nished by the new IVA plants. Be-
sides, the company is erecting some
of its own power plants.
1.-TWO other big customers for our
future additional electric power"
Lilienthal says, will be the Vultee
Aircraft plant at Nashville and a
new $20000,0O0 du Pont powder mill
near Memphis.
1.-THE Vultee people recently took
Ger the Stimson concern in Nash
Vile and propose to increase it ten
fold, ultimately employing 5000 men.
They find Nashville a strategic
point. The haul of aluminium from
Alcoa to Nashville is a short one and
they will have the benefit of this
IVA electric power.
"By the time we get the new
electric power plants going, there
may be many other factories in the
IVA area doing work for defense.
I say this because it has been found
that about one-third of the COM
modities classified as strategic and
critical by the Munitions board are
available in commercial quantities
right in the Tennessee Valley"