14 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis 



might be independent of Chilean nitre in case we 

 should be cut off from South America. Nitrates are 

 necessary for making explosives and are therefore 

 necessary for our national defense. For this reason 

 it would seem desirable that the plant be completed. 

 But it is only fair, that in time of peace the large invest- 

 ment should be utilized. Mr. Ford is guaranteeing, 

 according to the first proposition, to pay the United 

 States government about one million, five hundred thou- 

 sand dollars a year for a long lease. He also agrees to 

 keep the Muscle Shoals plant in operation as a fertilizer 

 plant and ready for the Government in time of war. His 

 investment in the plant is expected to be relatively small, 

 which cuts his overhead expenses down to almost nothing 

 on a plant which cost over one hundred million dollars. 

 Therefore he could put out fertilizer at low cost. If in 

 this way the American farmer could obtain materials 

 which are necessary to uphold the fertility of our soil, 

 the entire enterprise in time might become a profitable 

 investment and the entire American people would be 

 benefited by it. Mr. Ford is recognized as a great organ- 

 izer and a daring business man. He is no doubt also a fine 

 engineer, and the work before him is a great engineering 

 problem. But the best engineer cannot design a plant 

 if he is not told how the plant is to accomplish its pur- 

 pose. To design the process in detail is the work of a 

 chemist, and Mr. Ford must succeed in associating with 

 himself chemists who are fitted for this special work. 



The Haber plant at Muscle Shoals has never worked. 

 It was erected under the direction of holders of Ameri- 

 can patents, and these people were naturally desirous 

 of using their patented process. However, processes on 

 similar lines have been tried in Germany and abandoned 

 for cheaper ones. Had the war lasted longer, the Haber 

 plant at Muscle Shoals might have proven just as great 

 a failure as the manufacture of airi)lanes. 



In the Treaty of Versailles the Allies stii)uluto(l that 

 a commission of allied engineers be admitted to the Ger- 



