The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-12

. situation i'll this regard has reached the point where it is involving private obli- cations of furnaces and this has forced to be given to new meth eds of allocation. Heretofore orders for the government have been distributed and accepted by furnaces largely on loyalty basis ae ways be allowance for possible unfa- vorable weather conditions. In the first place. wheat cultivation in the entire district has begun from 15 to 30 days earlier than is usually the case Wheat seeding has been in progress over all Of North and South Dakota as we'll as Mon- tana- In Minnesota the farmers are do, ing great work, for the wheat planting is so advanced that about 40 per cent is in the ground.
 Montana, that marvel of the states Of the northwest, great in mineral produc- ton and likely to be even gerater in ag- dicultural production, is to have win- ter wheat acreage 20 per cent greater than last year and the increase in spring wheat is so great that if the weather be favorable Montana will add next sum- mer greatly to her prestige as a wheat producing state.
 The farmers of the northwest appear to be more interested in wheat culture this year than ever before, and that is made evident by the fact that many farmers who have not grown wheat for years are now planting as much as 4v acres of wheat in addition to their other farming work. The Dakotas are, if the weather proves satisfactory, to harvest great 60 in xyjY x1yha ing an increase in wheat cultivation as compared to last year of 40 per cent. Minnesota and Wisconsin it has been discovered that farmers in sec- tions which for 10 years or more have been exclusively occupied in the culti- vation of other grains are this year planting wheat. So extended is this ac- tiyity that it was said by the officers of a Minnesota bank: Our farmers are getting tired of war bread and have therefore put in 10 to 40 acres of wheat this year. Reports of this kind make it clear that partly from their own good of the situation and part ly from the impulses that have been ex- erted by the Washington authorities as we'll as the state authorities, the chances are excellent that very large wheat harvest will be garnered in the wheat growing states of the northwest this fall
 
 conditions. There appears to Dc no great apprehension of a scarcity of labor. in- formation of this kind should be grati- lying to MT. Hoover and to the Wash ington authorities, for it is wheat, in the form of flour that the government is anxious to secure in order to furnish our own armies and our allies in France and Italy with an adequate supply of this food.
 A CIT 4 NGE
 No longer is there comment respect ing the Secretary of the Navy, Josephus Daniels, similar to that which was fre- quently heard for year or two after he became head of the navy department. Instead of that in the financial district and in business circles. the view is com monly held that Secretary Daniels is en- titled to all the credit that is possible to give, because his direction of the navy department since we entered the war has been, on the whole, beyond criticism. In this respect Secretary Daniels exper- fence resembles that which was the lot of one of his predecessors and great predecessor, Gideon Welles of Hartford, Conn.,, who was Secretary of the Navy in President Lincolns administration When MT. Welles becames Secretary of the Navy and for year after he began service he was almost completely lost sight of or else, if there were comments these were not entirely favorabel to him. The great war governor of Massachu- setts, John A. Andrew, was free in his criticism. finding it impossible to make any headway, he said in his approaches to the navy department. Gradually there began to be understanding that this quiet, unassuming man, who never sought the publicity, who refrained al ways from taking any part in the fric- tion which occasionally broke out in Tin colns cabinet, had perfected out of ai- most nothing an effective navy and that, as a result of his achievement, he had been able so thoroughly to blockade the ports of the southern Confectionery as almost completely to shut off trade be- tween the Confederate States and Eu- rope, especially in cotton. After the war was ended it was recognized that Sec retary Weile's service had been fully as important as that performed by the fed eral army Today he is recognized as one of the ablest of all those who ever held the office of Secretary of the Navy. That is believed will be the recognition of the future for Secretary Daniels And yet it was almost by accident that MT. Daniels became Secretary of the Navy. When Governor Woodrow Will son of New Jersey was making un his presidential cabinet he sent for Senator 4N might consult with him. And he said to the senator that North Carolina was great and important state well worthy of recognition by cabinet appointment. Thereupcu he asked the senator who there was in North Carolina who, in his opinion, would be worthy of . cabinet office and the senator in reply instantly named Josephus Daniels.
 The President-elect, after reflecting moment, said that he would appoint Mir. Daniels Postmaster General. Butea few days later the North Carolina safla- tor was again summoned to New Jersey and was told by Governor Wilson that the pressure was so strong upon him Tor the appointment of Mir Burleson as Post master General that he felt compelled to yield to i., therefore he could not narno MT. Daniels as Postmaster General. Rut the senator said in reply as quoted: s.You have another cabinet office which you have not filled," and the President-eiect said that was so for he had not made choice fer the navy department. So that the senator recommended his North Car olina friend. MT. Daniels. for that nest. And the President-elect instantly, re- sdied. He shall have it.' Now ,tads recognized that. no mistake was made when MT. Daniels was appointed secre- tary of the Navy.