The production of nitrogen for plant food in peace and explosives in war is
more and more important. It is one of the chief sustaining elements of
life. It is estimated that soil exhaustion each year is represented by
about 9,000,000 tons and replenishment by 5,450,000 tons. The deficit of
3,550,000 tons is reported to represent the impairment of 118,000,000 acres
of farm lands each year.
To meet these necessities the Government has been developing a water power
project at Muscle Shoals to be equipped to produce nitrogen for explosives
and fertilizer. It is my opinion that the support of agriculture is the
chief problem to consider in connection with this property. It could by no
means supply the present needs for nitrogen, but it would help and its
development would encourage bringing other water powers into like use.
Several offers have been made for the purchase of this property. Probably
none of them represent final terms. Much costly experimentation is
necessary to produce commercial nitrogen. For that reason it is a field
better suited to private enterprise than to Government operation. I should
favor a sale of this property, or long-time lease, tinder rigid guaranties
of commercial nitrogen production at reasonable prices for agricultural
use. There would be a surplus of power for many years over any possibility
of its application to a developing manufacture of nitrogen. It may be found
advantageous to dispose of the right to surplus power separately with such
reservations as will allow its gradual withdrawal and application to
nitrogen manufacture. A subcommittee of the Committees on Agriculture
should investigate this field and negotiate with prospective purchasers. If
no advantageous offer be made, the development should continue and the
plant should be dedicated primarily to the production of materials for the
fertilization of the soil.