The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-04-03
NOTED FATHER OF
A FARGO WOMAN
COL. ROBERT RERGH, FATHER OF
MRS. A. c. RElNEcKE, u. 8. CON-
SUI AT RELeRAnE, HAS DONE
MUCH TO DEVELOP TRADE
WITH THE BALKAN STATES.

The ST. Paul Pioneer Press in Its
Sunday edition has the following story
the principal of which. Col. Robert
Bergh. is the father of Mrs. A. c.
Reinecke of Fargo and we'll known
former North Dakotan. The story is
under a Belgrade dateline of March
10 and Is by N. Leonovitch. II Is as
follows:
1t is only Of recent years that the
United States turned serious attention
TO trade in the Balkans. A decade ago
commercial intercourse with the lands
of southwestern Europe did not enter
the schemes of statesmen at Washing
ton, but things have changed for the
better. Take Servia for instance,
where steady progress is more mani
fest than elsewhere in those regions.
In 1907 the imports from the states
scarcely reached the value of s3S, 1000.
Today they exceed $4,000; that IS,
they have more than quadrupled. The
satisfactory development Is due mainly
to the clever and persistent efforts of
the consul in Belgrade, Col Robert
Bergh.
There have been tough battles with
other powerful factors nearer at hand.
Indeed, the advantages were so clearly
in their favor that at first they dis
dained to take note of a competitor
hampered by distance. dissimilarity OF |
race and tongue, and with no political |
bonuses to offer. But they were mis- |
taken.
Servia Is getting tired Of the mighty
neighbors who have exploited her so
81 NvFn
testations and promises TO promote her
national aims. Not so many months [
ago her minister of foreign affairs,
DR.. Milovan Milovanovitch, proclaimed
that he, for one, was pledged to a
policy of realities only. 1t was fortu-
nate that the washington government
bad on the spot a man wide awake to
the opportunities offered by the new
direction of affairs.
North paketan in Land of Serb.
Colonel Bergh halls from North
Dakota and his activities as man Of
business, sportsman and mighty re-
publican before the face of the Lord
are we'll known to the citizens Of
Grand Forks. He has served his coun-
RVS interests in Gothenburg, Mainz :
ind at home, before he came to create I
! record in the land of the Serb. 2
American wares have now got such I
BOOM that they are in demand in the (
emotest villages on the tributaries of 7
he Morva. All sorts OF handy Ameri- ,
AN tools are in request and 1t is aston a
shing how soon the native finds these I
tovelties indispensable to existence. A i
-reat impetus has Fbeen given to trade c
n hardware. agricultural implements, a
machinery of all descriptions, shoes, Q
esks. typewriters, vacuum cleaners,
nd even gasoline launches. a
How He Got a Monopoly.
But Consul Bergh's chief success has g
cen in securing the monopoly of Ser. b
las supply Of cotton seed oil for the n
United States. In some mysterious n
ray he came on the trail of a project II
D raise the protective tariff for cot q
on seed from % to so per cent. One g
our after he had made sure of the =
act, he was cIoseted with the Servian
Minister Of commerce, smoking cigar
fter cigar and drinking coffee-which .
} the Servian mode of transactinG
usiness. The upshot of the interview
'as that the minister, convinced that
he increased. tariff was a direct lesion Z
American interests, had pledged +
imself to reduce the tariff by one e.
alf!
But that is not all. Consul Bergh, q
well versed in the in ~
-icacies OF SeTvian parliamentary IA
socedure, managed to get the ear of =
couple of influential members who u
al. their countEys economic interests q
hEart; and SO impressed were they "
-ithS Consul BeTgh's Arguments that
ley got the above figure beaten down
J 90. instead of 20, in the next session
the sSupshtinas An suspicious mo- l.
lent had been chosen; the clause was 2