The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1940-07-11
BELL syndicate-WNU seryiee.l

WASf1lNG lON. - IL dNdlhidii
doesn't get one dam, IVA can't
have another dam.
That argument. made by Sen.
Richard B. Russell of Georgia, de-
feated the SOS 100000 authorization
and SOS, 900, 900 appropriation item IN
the subcommittee of the senate ap-
preparations committee. A lot of
other senators agreed with Senator
Russell. In fact, only Kenneth D.
Mcclellan of Tennessee voted for the
item.
The story behind this episode is
significant of a lot of things that
are going. on in Washington. There
has been a bad drouth in the Ten
nessee valley for more than year
now. As result the production of
power by the IVA power plants is
not what its officials would like. Re-
Gently IVA notified the Aluminium
Company OF America that it would
not be able to supply it with dump
power in the quantity desired, and
under the contract, would have TO
charge higher rate.
The Aluminium company is max
ing sheetings for airplanes. 1t laid
the situation before Edward r. Stet-
tinius, of the national defense COM
mittee, pointing to the importance
of the work it was doing from the
national defense standpoint. Stetti-
MUS consulted with various experts,
including Gano Dunn and Charles
w. Kellogg, head of the Edison Elec-
trical institute. In his recommended
ton to congress he mentioned that
both Dunn and Kellogg had been
consulted. (Stettinius has never
been accused of lacking a sense Of
humor.)
ACTUALLY SOLD IDEA
This recommendation was actual
" sold to the defense committee
member by David E. Lilienthal of
IVA. 1t was for authorization OF
the Holston river dam, to cost
$50, 900, 900, a steam plant, at s10,-
500, 900, and various incidentals, in
GLIDING transmission lines.
This writer has never been &C
cused Of boosting Lilienthal, but in
all fairness it might be pointed out
right here that back when the Nazls
marched into the Rhineland, when
Britain and France were enjoying
y respite from wars cares, which
they have had occasion to bitterly
regret in the last few months, Lii
enthal actually advocated more
power in the Tennessee valley be-
cause of the national defense situa-
ton! He quoted that days head
lines from Europe to the house mil
itary affairs committed
Unfortunately for the record,
Dawes friends in the power group
were so indignant at his joining the
war mongers' that they prevailed
on him to edit that prediction out of
the stenographer's transcript Of his
testimony!
CARRIED CROWD ALONG
This is cited in fairness to Lilien-
thai because the conviction that
more power for IVA as a military
measure is not new with him.
This merely happens to be the first
time that he could carry his crowd
along with him in using national fear
MS an excuse to further the cause
OF government ownership.
The real point is that all the sena-
tors on that committee had beer
voting the most amazing appropria-
tons for airplanes, ships and other
national defense items Had they
really believed that the construction
II another dam and steam plant
in the Tennessee valley was vital to
national defense, they would not
have allowed their petty disappoint-
ments over their own lack of pork
TO prevent their going along with the
administration.
They believed the national defense
cloak for this appropriation was the
bunk
AS previously noted, it is only the
advocates Of extension of govern
ment ownership OF the electric indus
try who are worried about power
Anortage.
FORD is STUBBORN
Negotiations between Henry Ford
md the army for mass production
OF airplane engines
collapsed because of
tho manufacturer
refusal to make war