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Show SEEK TO BLOCK r " ' r Pi L Ull U J U 1 1 o' I U llllsj WASHINGTON. Feb 20. Acceptance Accep-tance by the United States government of the offer by Henry Ford for pur-' pur-' chase and lease of tho Muscle Should, Ala., nitrate and water power project I "would constitute a violation of the : solemn and binding agreement entered enter-ed into with our company, under date of Juno J. 1918," J. C Hammltt, vlco president of tho Air Nitrates Corporation, Corpora-tion, notified the house military committee com-mittee today. Tho witness asserted that, despite the opinion of Colonel Hull, acting I Judge advocate of the army, the agreo- mont was "null and void" ho believed lt would "hold in tho courts" where It would bo tested If the governmont Insisted upon violating its pledge. Mr- Hammltt explained that the Air Nitrates Corporation, was a sub-sid-ary of tho American Oanamld company com-pany of Malno and was created to protect pro-tect the stockholders of the latter in case the corporation fell down on Its wur contracts." amounting to seven tlmps its capital Without the assistance of the two concerns, ho declared, the nltrato planus could not have been erected by the covernment. . "We could havo asked." He said, j "that tho plantn be destroyed after the war. Hut ull wo requested was that the corporation bo given a right to purchase tho plants on as favorable terms as given others after their op-'r.vion op-'r.vion was stopped by the government." govern-ment." nn |