Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-11-14
EDUCATION IN TRADE.
Discussions Before the CONNER
cial Congress at Philadelphia.
VIEWS OF FOREIGN DELEGATES.
Things Which Merchants Should
Know IL They Go Into Foreign
Trade Views of Presidents Low
and Eliot - Further Extension of
the Parcels Post system Urged.

ton were presented To the delegates 10
the international commercial congress
at Philadelphia the other morning
President Seth Low of Columbia uni
versity presided, ana on the stage with
him sat President Eliot of Harvard,
President Atherton of Pennsylvania
State college and DIR. Lindsay of the
University of Pennsylvania. In his
greeting TO the delegates DR.. Low said
that lie had been identified with the
commercial interests of the United
States for ten years. He said that
while the commercial courses in the
schools and colleges We're worth little
without practical experience they
opened 4 wider field TO the student and
taught him valuable lessons that were
of the greatest use i'll business life.
President Eliot of Harvard Jmiver-
sity said that the commercial courses
We're being offered To the detriment of
students in many cases, for the reason
that they We're taken instead of certain
elemental studies. He said that inter
national as we'll as domestic trade was
becoming more complex. that it is nee
esSary for the successful merchant of
today to have a much more varied
stock of knowledge than it WAS a few
years ago. The struggle for suprem-
acy, for increased trade. is getting
Eeener. he said: transactions are larger
and profits smaller.
y knowledge OF the modern Ian
guages. he thought. is almost indis-
penSable, but said that young men in
the United States are handicapped. for
the reason that, unlike the English, the
German and the French boy. they can
not cross the border and work readily
in q country where the language and
customs are different. They must make
long voyages, which take time and
money, and to the ma jOrity are impOS-
sible. lie spoke of the Importance of
having the consular service made up of
men who We're trained in financial and
commercial affairs. ard said that such
representatives would tend to increase
the trade of the country very material
ly.
Professor Rowe of the University of
Pennsylvania spoke on Higher Edu-
cation In Relation to international
Trade"
At the afternoon session the question
of the advisability of establishment of
an international parcels post was dis
cussed. 1t was expected that POstmas-
ter General Charles Emory Smith
would be present and give the views of
the government on the question. but he
was not able to be at the meeting. In
his absence DR.. WiSloj presided. Mr..
+. 5. Jackson of Philadelphia spoke of
the institution of the parcels post 10y
England, saying that to it was largely
due her success in expanding her trade.
because it allowed sending samples at
little cost and facilitated the placing
and filling of orders.
Captain de Graca, representative of
Brazil. advocated the establishment of
the parcels post. saying that he was
convinced that it would result i'll large
~ increased trade between the United
States and his country. jacques Schuk
of Budapest. Hungary. said that, al
though the commercial dealings be-
tween his country and the United
States We're not large, he had
been here six weeks before the open
in. of the congress and that he had
established connections and bought
goods from many manufacturers in
the United States. and that he hoped
that soon the trade would be much
larger. lie said that this desired end
would be reached with much greater
ease and speed if the parcels post was
iuaugUrated. He said that n parcels
post convention had been entered into
with Germany and that it would be
unfair to extend the privilege TO the
Germans and not to other nations.
Il: this partiaIity continues to be
! shown" he said. there is 10 doubt
! that all the surrounding countries OF
| central Europe will use the German
postoffice for forwarding their parcels
! to the United States. Thus Germany
viii De the center of the trade of all
! Europe and will have the control of
European trade with the United
! States. feel confident that this will
/ be as injurious to your own trade as
| to ours. and that the only way to prof
| il by the great advantages offered by
the facilities of the parcels post is to
give TO other countries the same priv
/ ilCgeS you have given Germany in this
/ respect"
+. Il. Gandhi of Bombay, India, said
/ that commercial education in the Unit
ed States was an absolute necessity if
merchants expect TO 90 into the export
| trade extensively. The prime OBJ
| ject." he said. "of this congress is the
J extension of American export trade.
| There are two factors TO be attended
TO if the American manufacturers sue
, coed in this. First. they must have a
competent knowledge of the condi-
lions existing in the countries in
which they wish to deal. l find that
| in the United States the manufactur-
ers are yell educated in general. but
| display a wonderful ignorance in re-
I gard to the economics of trade, COM
mercial geography and trading cOndi-
I lions abroad.
I Il know that il would be the most
| polite and polite thing TO speak only of
pleasant matters. but we are here TO
: GisC1ss the conditions in various parts