The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-11-06
THE
WASHINGTON
SCENE
n rrucNrnv 1nN
Federated Press)
BY HENRY ION

\ WASHINGTON-(FP)-By a vol
r of five to two in the National d
( tense Advisory Commission, the TV
| has emerged victorious in fight
J preserve one of its vital functions
| that of manufacturing fertilizer.
, The acknowledgements fight in tn
commission was the first since tn
commission was formed and repre-
} scented an initial defeat for Commits
sioners William S. Knudsen and &c
ward r. Stettinius.
Knudsen was formerly president o
General Motors while Stettinius wa
at one time vice president of Genera
Motors. Directly affected by the figh
in the NDAC was the DUPONT com
pany which has controlling interes
in General Motors.
The story goes back to the las
World war when an ammonium nj
trate plant was built for the govern
ment at Muscle Shoals, now in the
IVA area. 1t was intended to use
the products of this plant in the pro
duction of explosives, ammonium nj
trate being an element in the produc
ton of TINT.
The Muscle Shoals plant, however,
was not completed until the day after
the armistice in 1918 while the Wilson
dam, which was to furnish power for
the plant, was not completed until
1925.
From 1918 until the time the iva
was formed dispute ragged as to
whether the Muscle Shoals plant
would be given or sold to private in
terests or maintained and operated by
the government. Proponents of pub
lie power forestalled the private in
terests while the private interests
were able to prevent the public power
people from forcing adoption of their
views.
With the coming of the IVA the
Muscle Shoale nitrate plant was
turned over to the production of fer
tilizer. About 100000 tons of fertil-
izer year are produced.
The IVA fertilizer differs substan-
TALLY from the same type fertilizer
produced by commercial concerns.
Twas product contains approximate
ly 4S " % plant food while the product
of commercial concerns contains only
about 1919 plant food.
In other words, TWAS product is
about three times as good as the pro-
duct of commercial concerns. And in
some types of fertilizer the Twas pro-
duct has been as high as 70% in
plant food.
The 100000 tons year produced
by IVA are distributed in part
through the Agricultural Adjustment
Administration. About $4,000 to co.
BOO tons are given in place of cash
benefit payments. An additional 50,-
900 tons could be used in this way
II it was available. The balance is
distributed through county agents to
farmers in 81 states in an educational
program designed to teach farmers
he use and value of fertilizers.
Earlier this year congress was |
lsked for an additional $25,000,000 for |
he start of an expansion program in |
IVA. This request was stymied until
he NDAC made great show of COM
ng out for IVA and declaring the
money was essential for national de-
ense.
Gano Dunn, president of the ]. G.
White Engineering Co. and one of the
oremost opponents Of the IVA, Gre
ted surprise by appearing before
he House military affairs committee
nd urging favorable action on the
25,000,000 appropriation.
Dunn, now one of Stettinius' chief
dvisers in the raw materials section
f the NDAC, played down the fact
hat the appropriation would also pro-
ide $4,000 kilowatts firm load for a
liant of the Aluminium Co. of Amer
ca.
The fight in the NDAC came over
he terms of a s6,200,000 War depart
1ent contract for new ammonium
itrate plant to the iva. Officials
the iva insisted on a provision
eclaring that when the defense emer-
ency is over, the expanded nitrate
lant-with its 300 tons day capa-
ity-would be converted to the pro-
uction of fertilizer and not be retired
rom operation.
Leading the fight against this pro-
iso were the duPonts, Allied Chem
al and American Cyanamid, chief
roducers of the nitrous fertilizers.
hey operated through the Mellon In
Litute which is hooked up with the
luminum Co. of America.
Dunn and his experts led the fight
/ the commission against the iva.
hester c. Davis, agriculture's repre-
on the commission, led the
ght for the IVA and was backed by
DIV. A. O'Neal and the American
arm Bureau Federation.
When it came to vote In the
DAG, all commissioners except
nudsen and Stettinius voted for
VA. Those two voted against. Later
lie records of the commission were
hanged to show unanimous vote in
.vor of IVA.
Dupont, however, will get an $11,-
10000 to s12000,000 contract from
lie War department to build nitrate
ant in West Virginia while Allied
hemical will get a War department
,ntract for a nitrate plant In Ken
cky.
HUNGARIAN PARTRIDGE