Evening star., 1898-11-05
6eod Work They Do in Extending
Our Foreign Trade,
PRAISE FROM an ENGLISH SOURCE
They Well Deserve to Be Called
Ambassadors of Commerce.
INTELLIGENT ASSISTANCE
From the London Mail.

From the London Mail
United States consuls as thick as
kings in Homer. or blackberries in the au-
tumn. In nearly every city of the world
inland IS we'll as maritime and in many
little towns-is to be found an official of
the United States, armed with g. commits
sion from his President. fortified by an
exequatur from the government to which
he is accredited. and protected in his Of
fees by the Coat-of-arms of his country.
In sixty towns and cities of the United
Kingdom will the American eagle be noted
by the Hbservant traveller, somewhat rust
ed, no doubt. our damp atmosphere, as
he hangs suspended over the consular door.
but none the less an evidence of the ubiqui-
ty of the people over whose broad-and
now expanding-lanGs he scars OF these
sixty consular officers, about half
American citizens. the remainder being
Englishmen performing technical duties
in the smaller places.
The thirty Americans, though primarily
appointed also for the execution of specified
office duties have become, through public
demand and intelligent direction from
Washington (as have their colleagues
throughout the world), pioneers of their
country's foreign trade-"advance agents,
of their manufacturers and shippers.
1 have been brought into contact with
many of them in the course of the
past ten years, and l have diligently noted
their methods in connection with. and their
attitude of mind toward. these new and, l
may almost say, incidental duties. Some
thing Of what 1 have learned l set out
here.
Try to Be Practical.
Said enc consul to me, "Our people are
not old enough yet to have learned the
meaning of the word 'bureaucrat; our of
fcials at home and abroad do not consult
regulations, lest they may accidentally
do more than Is expected of them; and
few OF us would neglect a letter of inquiry
on the ground that the information wanted
would require considerable time, perhaps
some ingenuity to fish out Our manu-
facturers have only lately seriously entered
the field as exporters, and we feel that
are in position to help them. We don't
write essays or send over academic dis
courses, but VIC try to be practical"
For inStance?' / said.
For instance" he answered, "I meet
the proprietor of a newspaper. He tells
me he is using American paper in his
chine I ask II there are faults to be found
with the paper. or with the business meth
DDS Of the shippers. He makes several
complaints of technical nature the most
important of which refers to improper
packing. and consequent injury to the
goods en- voyage. 1 make a report that
night. in thirty days it is in print in our
journals. and before six weeks have passed
receive four letters from paper manu-
facturers. asking further particulars and
detailed information, which was duly sent"
1T accident that you heard about
this" l suggested
Sources of Information.
I'm one sense. yes; in another. no.
try to know everybody l subscribe to and
attend the chamber of commerce 1 live
my life among the merchants. I get to
know them and the sort of business they
do. that 1 may know where to go for infor-
nation that may be frankly asked and hon
estly given: and am glad to think that
have several times been useful in helping
goods TO come here that want to sell
and you want to buy"
In another town a very large dealer in
iron told me that he had just had a call
from the American consul. who had asked
him If he ever imported any American bolts
and nuts. Upon his answering in the mega
tive the suggestion was made that there
was a possibility of business; but that
prices were cut so fine, the consul could not
help matters on unless he was supplied
with price lists, showing discounts. De-
tailed figures were ultimately supplied the
consul, showing the exact prices paid to the
German. French and English manufactu-
rer; and these. with samples were sent to
the United States, with full particulars as
to freights. custom house charges and
trade terms. l do not know whether busi-
ness was inausurated through this action,
but it was not the consurs fault if
suit followed.
Assist Our manufacturers.
Calling once on a provincial consul l
found his table covered with little bits of
manufactured rubber, marked with prices
He had received a letter from a manufac-
turer in his own country, he explained.
which inclosed a sample of rubber, and
asked if that sample could compete in Eng
land and If so, whether it was necessary
10 send over a traveller; whether other
means of opening the business could be
suggested. Il am sending him samples of
English goods and prices, said the consul,
''and he can tell for himself what he can
do
n Ir-oTt rot tI,a5 ,fSo.o 7
From the largest people here, and from
another firm who do not manufacture. /
showed the former the letter and the sam
pie and said: If this is a class of goods
that does not compete with you, please tell
me all about it, They answered that il
did compete with them. but that their price
lists Were open to anybody, and they did
not fear competition they gave me all
the information wanted. L find that large
manufacturers rarely refuse information
which may easily be obtained indirectly
They are too broadminded to put petty OBJ
stacles In the way.
You had to go in person to get this in
formation | asked.
Yes. 1t is all personal. clerk couldn't
get II, and letters are not fruitful; but a
consul who sits in his office all day is not
much use a commercial traveller"
You admit you are a commercial travel
er?' l asked.
Ambassadors of Commerce.
'Of course. some call US ambassa of
commerce; but that is only high-falutln' for
the same thing. England and the United
States are essentially commercial coun-
tries, and cOnsuls have important duties in
connection with their export business. Per-
sonal dignity need not be rufied in per-
forming those duties effectively. There is
no more patriotic service an American can
render his country at the present moment
than to discover a new market for a COM
modify. That is really achieving some
thing; other consular duties are largely
technical"
Those creditable sentiments animate
many OF the American consular officers.
One l knew was extremely perturbed be-
cause his country was shipping fabulous
numbers Of sides of bacon each year to
England, and receiving regularly pound
Or SO a hundredweight less than Canada
and Denmark were receiving He made
exhaustive inquiry into the subject and
Enaiy sent report to his country, telling
the farmers what sort of pigs to breed
from, how TO feed them. when TO kill them
how 10 cut them up and how to cure them
demons ira ting that II his directinns varn