New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-05
PROMOTING EXPORT TRADE.
WHAT FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS DO IN
THIS DIRECTION
MEANS EMPLOYED BY ENGLAND, FRANCE GEN
MANY AND OTHER POWERS TO AID "NN'
FAcrrRERs IN FINDING NEW MARKETS

r,CTt-pERs IN FINDING NEW MARKETS.
Although the outcome of the war between WV
United States and Spain has been 10 give ''''S
try n more conspicuous place among 'ne ,'
80 tho earth in a political sense and as nii''a'S
, Power II would probably not be VIDE OF ''e NO"
IN say that IT is their commercial acl,e'e'
which are Just Of the most sie"'"' -
Americans The magnificent development '''aa tam
hv tho manufacturing Industries OF th's co"""
/ diving the last two decades as cohseq"'"
,ho ,ol,cv of protection and OF SURPRISING m'V"',
col ingenuity mas led American manufacturers "
look abroad for markets ,. .reir
At first they were content 10 u'N' "
own territory the products Of foreign rivals lney
re,oiced greatly when their fellow-countrymeh pc
gan IN stop buying imported goods ana w. '
1as,io wares instead This sort of thins mas
boon going on for nearly a generation Iu. wy
Yankee producers complasance was s'o' 49,
As soon as he found that he could MAKE u"s
which were as good as imported ar'ces' "'i" Wv
90 ch,apy he began to wonder why ne co'' ~
A,,r... ., norton Of his output In South AmerV'
,,,.i,o canada India china ana japan INV
second step In his campaign, ther' Wa =" ~ -,
with his rivals In markets which were oP'" ~
both the foreign and the American P'"""'
/ FINALLY he attempted with varying Su''''''
invade the home market Of foreign mahui''''i',a
,t-a.d, his con1uests have proved SO numerous
ard brilliant as to justify no little seif-congra,u''-
ton and National pride But they are THINE
: compared with those at which the America" mann"
/ facturer still aims ,-. o,irol,,
| Although these results have come aihloet e''''''
from personal enterprise and sagacly' theY n'''
J , nrorooted 10 a considerable extent ny 'oN-
/ rrr,en,al aid The Diplomatic and consular ser
! vice Of the country has been active In oNer'' lux
preiudIce and official barriers against the lht'on"
! ton ~ American products TO foreign lands. The
consuls Of the United States have been giving IN
creaeng attention trade questions. ana no" re-
mort intelgent,y and frequently upon conditions
that seemed TO favor embarrass the SAFE VI
American goods in other countries That rar-sls"'
ed statesman James G.. Blaine. nearly ten years
ago set afoot the negotiation or seN'ral N'"'.''
with Central and South American repunncS ioi
reciprocity in commerce. In other ways a'So' e"-
| couraeement has been given TO the American manu-
facturer and exporter by his own Government
Ru, the question has arisen IN many minds
| What are foreign governments doing TOT 'her
wards and proteFfs? Is there anything IT ue
methods and means employed by the rivals OF TINS
country which might ae followed here with pron''
Nearly eighteen months ago a Chicago trade or
! carizotion asked the state Department TO invesu-
gate this point Accordingly. Instructions were
! sent to the consul. cs-general In England Ter
| many. France and hall dozen other countries 10
| make due inquiry The replies which were receiver
have Just made their appearance In the consular
REPORTS" for February.
Examination OF these documents reveals III the
| first place that each OF several foreign POWERS
| has a Cabinet Minister whose uuty II y ~ 'Oo'>
after commerce In Austria he has the aid OF three
| or four advisory boards and commissions that az
sis. IN framing tariffs collecting statistics liking
prices and replying TO questions that are SUD-
mItted In Russia he Is charged with the super
vision OF Industry. we'll as commerce. IN japan
one of the twin interests committed to him Is aer
culture In Switzerland he looks after commerce.
agriculture and industry. In France he takes care
Of commerce industry. the postal service ana inc
,elegraphs. \ project for new department. that
| Of foreien trade. has been under consideration IN
The French Senate and Chamber or Deputies, Dut
thus far without result. In England there is a
BOARD Of Trade among whose functions Is the
regulation Of railways and the merchant marine
and when. in cooperation with the Foreign OHlce
and the Colonial Office does much to promote com
merce with other countries Finally IN Hermdhy'
the division Of government that has charge OF for
eiqn trade Is a branch OF the imperial State Depart
ment. II corresponds no doubt. In some measure
n the Bureau Of Foreign Commerce in the same
Department Of the American Government
Nv three countries special agents are employed,
IN addition to their consuls 10 advance the export
trade or TO perform kindred work. Russia at
taches to h@r legations In several places repre-
sentatives whose duty it Is to exploit Russian goods
and materials Germany sends 10 posts In hNe for-
egn capitals agricultural experts. for the purpose
Of supplying information Of value 10 the German
ration These men were at first sent out I'm an eN-
neriu,ental vav but now they constitute a pefna-
nent corps no purely commercial agents were
appointed however. until year ago ana theh
only temporarily. a commission was selected to
visit the East and hunt for openings Tor Hernah
| oro1ucts II has been suggested that this action
uas taken in consequence 81 the failure OF the OK
mort trade to America which followed the adoption
Of the Dingley tariff
England has developed this feature ~ her gov
ernmental machinery fully. She maintains COM
mercial attaches IN Paris. to look after France
Dels,um and Switzerland; in Berlin for Germany.
Scandinavia and the Netherlands; In Vienna, for
the Danubian countries. and in So. Petersburg Tor
the Russian Empire In China consuls are oc-
casIonally detached from their ordinary duties 10
investigate special industries or newly opened ter
r,,orv Pressure has been brought 10 bear on the
Governmen, to extend the commercial-agent sys-
tenn to the colonies and the matter is under con-
slderaton.
The establishment OF technical schools is another
notable agency in the development of industry
ohroad In Austria Germany. Japan. Russia.
France and England, government aid has been ex-
tended to these institutions, and In most cases In
creaslngy so within the last few years II Is
evervwhere recognized that national prosperity Is
|, stimulated 70 marked degree by such means
s,ecial emphasis on the practical advantages Of
these schools TO nation ia laid in the reports from
Germany.
Another important agency IN promoting COM
rerce IA the subsidy given 10 transportation lines.
The technical school educetes lot NJ experts in
the mechanical arts and nsures the excellence Of a
country's manufactures. The subsidy assists I'm
placing the products OF industry where they Will
do the most good 10 the manufacturer. In France
and Austria bounties are granted 70 seagoing YES
sells on the basis OF tonnage, that In the latter
country diminishing gradually 50 as TO termina e
at the end OF fifteen years. In Japan the bounty
IS adjusted in accordance with speed. beginning
with ten knots Germany and England consider
Instead the commercial importance OF the country
20 which a line Of steamships is 10 run Germany
, helps two lines this principle one running to
, South Africa. and the other to Eastern Asia and
Australia
? Here are a few Instances Of the British policy
The Australian mail service costs $4,000 year
and the postage reduces this amount by $4,000. The
subsidy Of Australia amounts to S36iS)) The home
. | nnrornnnnt then has sinnl a loss OF Stl6 90