The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-05-08
DANIELS GAIN IN
NEW YORK ESTEEM
BY HOLLAND

! New York, May THE Secretary of
the Navy, Josephus Daniels, did not at
tempt to conceal the pleasure he derived
from the cordial and enthusiastic manner
in which he was received when upon a re-
cent visit to New York.
/ 1t may be that there occurred to him
| carrier experiences when his relation to
the navy department and to the admin
istration was not spoken of with I'M
doubted enthusiasm. Today Secretary
| Daniels, it can be safely reported, is re-
| garded not only with high respect, but
with admiration, and many have been the
comments of New York business men and
OF those who have to do with finance,
based upon the belief that Mr.. Daniels
possesses inherent qualities which enabled
him when the emergency came, to meas
ure up to and adequately grasp the re-
sponsibilties which were suddenly thrust
upon his department on account of the
European war
Moreover, he has shown himself to be
one of the most democratic of men,
sometimes spoken Of when he has been
conspicuous member of a group of able
men as almost boy in the sense that
he takes pleasure in everything that he
sees He comments sometimes with the
wondering words of a child upon various
things which are brought to his atten-
ton, and he appears to be a man who
finds life well worth living Furthermore.
It has been known to some who have been
brought into business association with
him that he frequently signs orders and
drafts or whatever the paper may be
involving the payment by the govern
ment of millions while he has in his own
pocket only a few cents. The wealth of
the nation is his in the sense that he
means to every American citizen but not
in the sense that it has any relation to
his own pocket book He is presumed to
be without other property than that |
represented by his newspaper interests in |
Raleigh, N. c., and his chief income is |
now his salary as Secret ary of the Navy. |
The government pays this man who is in |
a position to disburse hundreds of mil
lions. and who is able to enter upon con-
tracts involving the payment of mil
lions, only $4,000 a year.
DANIELS AS COTTON MAN
The latest occasion of Secretary Dan
iels visit to New York was due to the
meeting of about 1000 cotton manufac-
turers, all of whom operate mills in the
southern states. 1t was deemed especially
appropriate to invite Mr.. Daniels to meet
these cotton manufacturers since he has
kept well advised respecting the wonder
full growth of the cotton manufacturing
industry in his own state and in other
Southern states. He was keenly interes-
led in the great utilization of North Caro-
ina's water power which, by its CONVEX
sion into electric energy, made possible
The establishment of row of string, so
% speak, of cotton manufacturing plants
across the middle Of North Carolina and
nto South Carolina. Only a few years
ago the cotton manufacturers of New
England spoke with some passing inter-
,St but no great concern about the de-
yeiopment of cotton manufacturing in
lustries of the south. The New England
manufacturers did not fear competition.
some of them were of the opinion that
labor was abundant in the south
ret, it was not skilled labor nor could it ,
,e continuously relied upon by the manu- ,
acturers for steady work at the spindles. |
The utilization of the water powers of
he south and the constructive ability of ,
INVENTORS whereby electric energy is con- ,
'eyed from the water power plants many
niles with little loss of effectiveness, to
he cotton manufacturing plants, COM ,
,ined with a certainty that with the
pening of the Panama canal navigation
here would be opened up extensive mar |
tets for the peculiar kind of cotton cloth ,
in the south and economi- | ,
ally manufactured because the power is
heap, the labor not too high in cost and ,
he cotton fields are nearby, has changed
he earlier view of northern cotton goods