Evening star., 1942-05-04
Swamps in Northwest
Are Transformed Into
Industrial Empire
VituI War Material
Pour Out From Acres
OF Concrete Buildings
By SIGRID ARNE,
Wide World News.

PORTLAND, Greg, May Ats
an eerie experience out here to
drive halfway up a snow-capped
mountain to look back down on the
Pacific Northwest's new DetroitS,
new Pittsburghs, new Birminghams.
Two years ago they were swamps,
COW pastures, apple orchards.
Today they are acres of concrete
buildings pouring out enough alumni
mum for 10000 war planes a year,
rushing metal alloys for ships and
tanks, pouring out carbides and
CELEBRATES for explosives and phos-
phorus for incendiary bombs.
The plants are the birth of an
entire new industrial empire.
They're up to the hilt now on war
production.
But, unlike many war production
centers today, this Northwest en-
pire has a chance to 60 on full
speed in peace.
Can Switch to Peacetime Work.
Except for the shipyards, the
plants here can switch to peace
time work: Phosphorus can be used
In fertilizers CELEBRATES in weed
killers and aluminium has a thou
sand uses.
It's an electrical empire far re-
moved from the old source of power
-coal-and it's drawing attention to
the Northwest
Many factory men-from the
Eastern coal field area-have rushed
up annexes out here as large as the
home plants. Daily, planes and
trains drop scores more here and in
Seattle for quick look-see at
what's happening.
Most of them end up in the
Portland Office of scholarly looking
DR.. Paul j. Raver, the administrator
of the Bonneville -Coulee power
system. DR.. Raver, too, is trans
plant. Two years ago he was chair
man of the Illinois Commerce Com
mission. He's an engineer who has
spent years in the fight over public
&o"SA -NSA pOWSI.
He's still in 1.-THE fight.
No More Argument.
Bonneville and Coulee are the
huge Government-built dams on the
turbulent Columbia River. They
caused loud howls when they were
started early in the New Deal. They
were called "sociahstic," white ele-
phants" and "a tragic waste of the
taxpayers money"
Acknowledgements people pointed
out there was no market here for
more power, but their argument has
been drowned now in the war, The
power is needed.
1t was here, so the plants are
springing up on the high-lines from
the dams-even though the home
offices are 5000 miles away In New
York, Philadelphia and Baltimore.
The private power companies are
grinding out 100000 kilowatts
themselves. That might have been
enough for stagnant northwest
or even for a slowly growing one.
But now these companies are SELL
Ing every last kilowatt. And in ad-
dition, Bonneville-Co is ped
ding $4,000 kilowatts.
What's more, there's a waiting
list for Bonneville -Coulee power.
and some plants won't even be built
until next year because the power
isn't ready.
Generators Needed.
Both dams need more generators.
Congress must vote money for them.
And it's right there, in Capitol cor
ridors, that the fight still is raging.
BY the end of this year Bonne-
ville-Coulee will be grinding out
100000 kilowatts. If they get the
new generators they'll pour out
$4,000 kilowatts in 1943. For the
entire Nation the capacity is now
placed at about $4,000, 900 kilowatts.
Two years ago Eastern companies
began to flood in here. Now the
Bonneville-Coulee system feeds five
huge aluminium plants, three i'm
mense shipyards and plants turn
ing out carbide, chlorate, ferro-
alloys, magnesium and ferro-silicon.
Those standing around hungrily
waiting for more power next year
include plants to make phosphorus,
another aluminium plant, one for
INT and plant to fabricate alumni
mum.
The Eastern companies repre-
sented include the Aluminium Corp.
OF America, Pittsburgh; the Victor
Chemical Works and the Interna-
tlonal Minerals and Chemical Corp,
both OF Chicago; the Ohio Ferro-
Allows Corp. Canton. Ohio. the