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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 1920)
THE OREGON FTATJ.SiAX: SATURDAY. FEBRUARY 21, 1920. ; spsgiscap . - .... Nrdfe --- -'VfvlWfV V Eft rwtn house h-S - -vUMfil Y. (YftHT 20.000 workers It ONE OF MAIN BUILDINGS OF MU5CU SHOALS NITRATE T 'V . f 'K?' i'; PLANT WHICH WILL RENDER. FUTURE AMERICAN 1 1 -'it ' P ' CEXET.ATI0N5 FREE FROM AMMUNITION SHORTAGE. v "7 'Q'rt'e J V ZSAh - V'; ' ' three chief sLell barstlD3 explosives ' rrf 1 "T ' 1 I I irrf? I V I lJtt-tt-t. r V ,1 SHOALSF ' EET Dy GARRET 8MITH. KG of the chief fortresses of Amerlra' oewi military de fense sjratetn which deTclope-1 ont of the world war Is lo cated at Mo sole Shoals; Alabama, on the Tennessee ttlrer, oter three hra dred railcs from the scaCoast It Is not a fortress of concrete emplacement and mammoth runs, of trenches and Imrbed-wlre entanglements. It Is the United. States Government's new anv ' monlura nitrate nlant ih liirMt at its kind In the wcrld. rapable of tnrn Ins out 300 tons of high explosives per tej. . It assures to the! United States for. all tine so abundance of ammuni tion lthont which the large tnnj Is kelpless enenmbrence and It has made this unlimited supply of explo sives without resort to raw material from outside of the country. In modern warfare art abundance of ' lh explosives Is an essentia equalled tit Importance only by runs end men. ". XIow necessary is an abundant supply 1 of Ammunition Is shown Ly the esti mate that durloj the world war It re . quired two tons of anmunltion to km or permanently disable! one soldier. Jlodern military erploslves are divided aceoniln; to their ese Into two classes, propellanfa for hurllnj projectiles, and IXgti explosive for bursting the bombs or c!ln. Jloth clrsses aro nitri'sen corrpounda made from nitric add or , araDtona or both. The proprHsnts are ' the famll'.dr suo cotton and n'.tro-tTi.- erlne made by trcatlnf cottoa or glyc, erlne respectively with nitric add. The three chief shell bursting explosives sre T. N. T whose full name Is Tri nitrotoluol, made by treating toluol with nitric add; picric acid made by treating: benzol with nitric add ; and ammonium nitrate which Is a combina tion of sinmonia;and nitric add. Now It will be seen that the essential Ingredient of all these explosives Is nitric acta i;erore the world war the united States was entirely de pendent upon a foreign country for the supply of Le only chemical from which nitric acid can be made com mercially. This chemical, nitrate of soda, had to be Imported from Chile over a sea route 44300 miles long by way of tbe Panama, Canal, or 9,000 miles by way of the Straits of Ma gellan. It was evident, then, that In case this country became Involved in war with any nation that could control the sea our foe Would have us at ber mercy; for she could cut oft our essential means of striking back. Cut other nations were equally de pendent upon the Chilean nitrate supply. Germany before she became embroiled fn'tfce-wftr wlih the rest -of the world was purchasing one-third of tbe Chilean nitrate supply. She had expected, to bold the sea with her sub marines but failed aud thereby lost Ihe raw material for Mipplinjr ex plua.vf for ber hne army. How PERMANENT SATE -HOUSC MUSCLE PLANT'. then could the Central Powers con tinue the war for five years? Tbe snswer lay In a process for extracting nitrogen from the air. This process bad been successful In producing high-grade nitrogenous fertilizer from which in turn citric add and ammonia could be extracted and combined into ammonltrm nitrate. Germany, there fore, fell to manufacturing ammonium nitrate from the air on a large cale. Now It happened that in 1007 an American company headed by Frank S. Washburn had wcured the American r?2hts to th'.a process and bR'l for.e into Manufacturing ire fsitUlzcr cu the Canadian s'd of the Nieyarn Fills When America found herself in the world war still dependent upon the Chilean altrate supply, the Ordnance Department turned to Mr. Washburn's company for help. As a result the Air Nitrates Corporation was formed, with Mr. Washburn at Its head. It was as sisted by several other well tn.own corporations as subcontractors, spe daiists in their, lines, ruch as the Westln-house Chsrch Kerr Company. which pot up most of the plant build ings, the plant ihe permanent city and utilities; the JTG, White Corporation, which dc3!Ecd au-i constructed" the power rS'-t: the. Cbvmi'-al Or! t ruc tion Cor.:psiMy, vilrli Iri'gfl and 1 provements nt ! l.niit th nitric ac'.d riant. anJ il.c 1.1. ! raUruitlon. In 1 the piping and built the chimneys. Beginning work In November 1917, a big plant and new dty at Muscle Shoals was completed within one year's time. Had the expected spring drive of 1919 materialized this one plant alone would have supplied 13 per cent of all the ammoniwn nitrate used by all the allied armies on all fronts during that drive. As It is, tbe United States Is secure for all time to come against an ammunition shortage. The United States Government bad had Its eye . on Muscle Shoals ever since 1S71, when an abandoned canal the state of Alabama had started to build In 1832 around the Muscle Shoals rapids was partially reconstructed by the government. A reduction in ap propriations prerented completion of the plans. In IScO a board of engineer ing officers of the United States Army recommended further navi?ntin im- Mtiscle S'. oa'. by ca Wft n not her lw;irt f V. Kerngs Ok .-.pa 3 7. which furcihed , army ensrinoors was di recti-J to ex amine the condition of the canals and Improvements with a view to water power development, the first real step towards power development for future ammunition manufacturing. It was not, however, until 1916 thst Congress approved the recommenda tlon for hydro-electric development at Muscle Shoals. When the arrangement was finally made for building the big air .citrate plant at Muscle Shoals, work was be gun on a power dam at the same point. This work Is being conducted directly by the United States Engineers Corps and not by contract. It will not be completed, however, for two or three more years. It was necessary, there fore, simultaneously with the building of the nitrate plant and in order to Insure Immediate operation when It n completed, to construct a ?10.- 0.10.000 stciirsi ower plant, one of the largest r-a:n electric ptani in the vnr!L Thi- power plant I capable of cpr:iiiu citrate plant at full c:ipicity. Wh'-n the water-power plant 1 itni'ii-; .. .rt"c- .v.:t MT'.e . auxiliary pov.-t-r n- Ume of -It.w :-t-r. Kren had th wacer-power pUnt levn c-'inpleted dartne the war' it uu-ild have iH-n nc-crscary aUo to ' cociMriti-t n t-ain plant in order to ln-im-- tl.c working uf the nitrate plant st ' full cup'K-lty at sll times during the; yeitr, ni.-l i!.e oilier Intluntrie that win ' 'jfrnw ann nd the hydro-electric plant. Now this hujre combination of man-' ufiicturinz plant, power plant and x-rmam-nt city cost tne gorernmeni ftii.O'JO.tm- It was put through at a time when tbe costs of materials sod lalnr were at their summit. It was built at record speed and xpel costs money. The question naturally arises. thn. as to whether Lnde Sam got his money's worth. Tests mnde after the plant was la operation showed that ammonium ni trate of standard specifl-"3tions could be produced at ths plant at a cost of less than one-half the standard fixed price paid by the government for ammonium rrtrate produced by the older methods. This cost Is only alut one-fourth to one-fifth the cost of other high ex plosives of equal strength. Compared with the older process for making am monium nitrate, the savings made by this plant would have paid for the entire plant in about one and one-l.::lf yenrs of operation. As a milPnnr ll.Hl . Mar lasted, to be tbe w Icm and mot economical expenditure that the Ord nance Iepartnnt bad undertakers. But Just befwre the plnnt it Into operation Germany capwujatcu so that tle nitrate made at ii-sct Shoals was never useil in tbe world war. Nevertheless, there can le no doubt that tbe knowledge of the German High Command that Ibe United Statea had completed Its mam moth plant and was ready to supply unlimited ammunition to lis ; armies was one of tbe chief reasons why the Central Powers did not risk ccm palgn In 1919. If we compare the cost of the Muscle Shoals plaut with the cost of contlnul.-g the mar fr.r another year and adroit that that plant con tributed materially to the stopping of the war. It will be conceded that SG0.000.000 was a small price to pay for such a result. But the chief value of tbe Musde Shoals plart will be to coming genera tions. This defense will tend powerfully toward making other nations slow to at tack this country. Should such an at tack come, we will be prepared to fend 1L Never again will tbe Ameri can people iave to face the dU.Taee of being nnable to prorlde even the smallest of standing armies with more thsn two or three rounds of ammu nition. Never again will a predatory power, belierlng ns helpless to defend ourselves, arrogantly flaunt our diplo matic notes of protest aca'.nst Interna tional wrongs. If the League of Na tions Is to be a success, thst success will be assured because it has Ihe backing of the great powers of tbe earth ready to resist with armed force any outlaw nation that seeks to violate the new prindple of International brotherhood. The worUl looks to the United States as one of those guard ians of future par- Muscle Shoals is one of her eh let credentials, - SEED SEED We have In stock, recleaned, some of the best 'varieties ofl , I SPRING WHEAT GREY AND WHITE OATS CLOVER SEED VETCH SEED ; GRASS SEEDS UTAH LAND PLASTER We have a car that will be here in several days and will make spe cial price If taken from the car FEED FEED Wi- manufacture mlllrun, ; short middlings, ground, barley, rolled barley, ground wheat, rolled oats. We work on close margins get , our prices : Also carry molasses shady brook alfalfa meal dry alfalfa meal I and poultry supplies CHERRY CITY MILLING !::"'' 1 CO. I . 300 South Church Follow the crowd and 700 will go ft to NO VARY 1 GROCERS 383 Court St. Phone 409 STATE EDITORS MEET AT EUGENE Henry M. Hastings, Printing Expert Slated for Principal Address for Today EUGENE. Or.. Feb. 20. Oregon editors to the number of about 50 are here for the annual newspaper l conference at the University of Or- eKon. The sessions of the confer ence began this afternoon and will continue until tomorrow afternoon. A feature of the first day's session was a banquet given to the visiting scribes by the Eugene Chamber of Commerce tonight, during which B. P. Irvine of the Orefton Journal. Ed gar B. Piper of the Oregonian. E. B. Aldiich of the Pendleton East Ore gonian, C. E. Ingalls of the Covaallis Gazette-Times and other prominent newspapermen of the state spoke. President P. L. Campbell of the University and Leith Abbott of Ash land, a junior and student in the de partment of journalism, vert also on the program. This afternoon Henry M. Hastings, printing price expert of San Francisco, was tbe principal speaker. the others who enjoy good health. Other I. . V. Found Gnilty A jury in another department of the Grays Harbor county superior court brought in a verdict of guilty shortly before noon today against 11 alleged I. V. W. charged with vio lation of the Washington criminal syndicalism laws. Thirteen were or iginally charged vith the offense, which is a felony, but one was dis missed by the court for insufficien cy of evidence and another because of illness. All of the men found guilty today were arrested in sou t li the Centralia shootings. The jury deliberated from 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon until about 11:30 o'clock this morning, being locked up during the night. A new trial will be asked. it ras said today. The law does not provide a specific penalty, but sen would comeu nder the felony stat utes which provide a sentence of not more than ten years imprison ment or $5000 fine, or both. FLIRT IS BESTED IN STREET BOUT Pretty Auburn-Haired Miss Settles With Man Who Would Force Attentions J COLLEGE HEADS PLEAD FOR COIN Millage Tax Necessary to Op erate Schools Under In creased Expense PORTLAND. Feb. JoX-p. L. Campbell, president of the University of Oregon, and W. J. Kerr, president of the Oregon -Agricultural college, declared In public addresses here to day that unless the proposed millage tax bill for the raising of funds to increase higher school facilities In Oregon shall pass at the May elec tion more than one thousand would be students must be turned away from the two institutions next year for lack of facilities for their school ing, in addition to the large attend ance already, at hand. The nrrni uuauon, mey said, is critical. SICKNESS OF JUROR HALTS RADICAL TRIAL (Continued from page 1) Read prohibiting separation of tho i nrnn L t 'n aunng a murder trial. Bailiffs car UiC liasSUiea AOS. r,ea meals 10 tbe man and to BYRON HELD ON FRAUD CHARGE Man Under Sentence in Ore gon Convicted of 46 of 50 Counts at Seattle SEATTLE. Wash.. Feb. 20 Car los L. llyron. of Portland. Or., and Edward M. Corayns, Seattle, charged with having used, the mails to de fraud in connection with a land set tlement scheme, were found guilty of 4 6 of the 50 counts agatnst them by a Jury in federal court here to night. The jury was out five hours. The state charged that Comyns and Byron entered clients upon land that previously had been filed upon and accepted money for such service. The defense claimed these entries were due to clerical errors. The alleged fraudulent scheme, government wit nesses testified, extended through out tbe northwest. Comyns was for merly an employe of the United Statea land office at Washington. D. C. against all text books found which are not 100 per cent American, il was said by a member of the commit tee here tonisht. New Coalition Party U Latest Proposal NEW YORK. Feb. 20 A pla for a "new coalition nartv" with n hn.. inessman or Ihe highest standing mm 44. I J . r 1 .... us iMi-r-i,if uuai candidate, was madf toniKht by U. H. McCarler. president of the Fidelity Trust com pany of Newark. N. J. Mr. Mrt'artor spoke at the annual banquet of the trust company's section of the Amer ican uansers' association here which was attended by 750 bankers from aii pans or the country. Not a little excitement occirrd at the coiner of "Commercial and Cjurt streets shortly after 10 o'clock hus: niRht. when a. pretty auburn-haired maiden, angered by the enforced at tentions of a well known state em ploye, struck the nnn a stinq'ns hie- on the mouth. The fellow did not tarry to return ih" -'cor.irl'-ment." but hit out fcr his homo, probably content to escape arrest and prosecution in the city co'irt?. According to the story told by th? young woman she was followed by the man for several blocks, but uot wishing to pain th notoriety atten dant to a trinl In court, tock the Lw iri her own bands. Upon reach ins the corner of Commercial and Court stVecls tbe girl halted a if waitius for a car. and the man approached. "Hello. Fairy." he sai l In eedearirL tones. and later asked ''if he could see her home." At that juncture of th p-oeeeild-nes he young weman -wuna :i mighty riit to the jaw .-,f the nrv welcorvd nw!c flirt, with the remark that a'a:' was perfectly ca-.ijvile of looking titer her own welfare." Th younc nan thm vanished, and t!.-- fe-a ipcc a db attracted to the scene iaud'.d h-r f r h-r ilick. It !-.UI l,:ii b:- sine fallow .h.i- If en cr using tfoubl in different p;irt. of tht city recently, and inly a few k aco was detected while reering In a window of a private ho:.ie. The police were summoned on that occasion, but were unable tff fird any trace of the individual. ,lu5t "woman crazy" was the way one young woman who witnessM last ri-ht'- frarus diagnosed tho case of the young degenerate. Bitter Cold Wave Sweeps Over Most of Montana HELENA, Mont., Feb. 20. Most of the state Is In the grip of storms, with low temperatures general, and severe cold Is expected Saturday and prohably Sunday. Missoula, after weeks of mild weather, today was visited by a cold spell and the mer cury dropped to 18 degrees above. Snow- fell generally east of the Rocky mountains. Great Falls reported a temperature of 9 above; llozeman 10 above, with a biting east wind, and Butte 10 above. Morale of Teaching Staff Is Weakening CLEVELAND. O.. Feb: 20 The morale of the teaching forces of Am-' erican public schools in breaking, in the opinion of delegates to the con vention of the national council of tate normal school presidents and principles here today. Speakers declared that low salar ies are driving these teachers into affiliation with union labor, restless ness of the teaching lorces Is trana mitting itseit to the pulpits and the public's neglert of the schools is re acting through the home. U. OF 0. DEFEATS CALIFORNIA U. Duron Stars in Fast Opener Played at Berkeley Fri- day Night BERKELEY. Cal.. Feb. :. The University of Oregon basketball team defeated tho l.l'uiversity of California fiv? 25 to 27 in the first of a lo-i.ir.i? Pacific conference series here tonisht. . The econd game will lo jdiyed tomorrow night. California led at the end of the first half by a score of It t lo. Hurno. Oregon forward, and the smaller player on either icai.i. was the star of the gape. scoring 1 7 of Ihe 19 points Oregon chalked up in the second half. today In denying reports which were said to have gained currency that the federal grading system and the grain corporation would pass out of existence simlrHaneously. The de partment explained that fixing of grades for wheat was authorized by permanent and not war emergency legislation. SPURIOUS PLUG BRINGS ARREST Imitations Made and Sold Cause Investigation of Nation-Wide Trade Conflicting Reports On Lineman's Strike TACOMA. Wash. Feb. 20 A strike of linemen of the Pacific Tele-! phone and Telegraph company was calleu in Tacoina at M o'clock thii morning, according to an announce ment made tonight by officials of the local union. The men were "100 per cent out", the union officials states. having left their work pomptly while, on the other hand, company official said tonight that service had not been impaired and that "if there was a strike they hadn't heard about it." There are about '00 members in the local union, it was stated. Elimination of Mace's History Now Demanded WALLA WALLA. Wash.. Feb. 20.- M Action Against The removal or Mace's history from Minister Is Continued the schools because of alleged unfair' . ftatements concerning the war in tbe Philippines and of the Essentials In Geography bv Briham and McFar land bocanse of alleged German lean- CHICAGO. Feb. 20. A search made today of the home of William A Heltley, arrested yesterday as be ing implicated in an alleged $1,000.- jou spark plug conspiracy brought to light several thousand spurious plug, according to H. F. Heard, special investigator for the Cham pion Fpark Plug company of Toledo. He charged that there is a national chain of maaufacturers and dealers who for the past five years have flooded the country with imitations of a spark plug manufacturer in To ledo. ilr. Heard declared tonight that records taken from Bentley showed that fr-jm 5.000 to 20.000 Imitation pings were turned out monthly In Chicago for the last five years. He said that the federal court would be atked to Issue an injunction against many jobbers and automobile acce.i sory dealers to stop them from dis po.-ting of suprious spark plugs. PORTLAND. Feb. 20 The suit of the board of school trustees of the Episcopal church of Oregon agai)st Ihn r?avrrr.nrl If i i . mgs. is demanded in a report of a : ..... .u. . ".". 1 ... c-." l"e miMise oi scnooi property and tr"'" a"'"'.:."! n P of ReverendMor- made public tonight. The fight will not only be pushed in Walla Walla nson. tei lor 'Druary 26. again was postponed today because of the absence from the rftv nf , u county but all over the nation and attorneys in the case. Wheat Standards Are To Retain in Force Idaho Man Is Murdered in Street Battle, Report BUHL. Idaho. Feb. 20. A man known here as "Sandy" who Is said to be a resident of Twin Falls, was shot and killed here tonight. WASHINGTON. Feb. 2 0. Federal grades for wheal will continue to be enforced under the grain standards act after the United States grain cor poration has ceased to functionthe depart men of agriculure announced 4 Fairbmis-Sfon T Engine uUh Botch Magneto Greater Engine Value OVER 250,0:0 farmers bougKt trie "Z engine. They know it is pcrwer ' ful, depended and practkall fool-proof truly a great en gine. 5 But now e announcs the one addition -which could possihly improve the "Z" per formance Bcsch high tension, oscillating magneto ignition. 5 So let us show yVa in detail this greater engine value. 5 Our service to ou b renwkahly complete end we are assisted by a nearby Bosch Service Station. 5Prices IHH.R $75.00 3 H. P. $125.00 6H.P.$2oo.oo. A11F.O.B. Factory. Lot L Pearce & Son 236 K. Commercial SL