The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-04-18
COMMERCIAL TRAVELLER GETS CALL
FROM WILSON FOR THIS BIG JOB
REDF|ELD HAS
WIDE EXPERIENCE
Secretary of Commerce Well
Fitted for His Place
Knows Yankee Goods.
(By Robert F. Milson.l

tby fSODeTt r. NllSOn.)
Washington, April 1S.-If the presi-
dent of a big manufacturing concern
needed a chief of his sales department.
he probably wouldn't hire a lawyer.
an economist. or a practical politician.
What he probably would do would he
to bring his smartest, most hustling
commercial traveller in off the road
and hand the job to him..
Looked at in one light. the whole
United States is n great big fac
tory. turning out practically every
article and commodity used by man
kind. The factory has to supply the
needs of it's workers. hut under pres
ent economic conditions. it also has
to produce a surplus which. sold in
foreign countries, gives the balance
of trade which is the fundamental
cause of prosperity.
This big national factory has its
markets Stripped of several COLI
lateral lines Of activity. that is the
function Of the department of COM
merce. And the president Of this big
concern. Mr.. Wilson. il hunting for a
man to head this department.. did not
pick a lawyer, an economist. or a prac-
teal politician. He eselected the
smartest. most hustling commercial
traveller he could fnd-William c.
| fSeUIleiO VI nv" Ioih.
A Graduated Drummer.
Redield is a graduated drummer.
He knows the commercial travelling
game from Richmond to Duluth and
Omaha to Bangor. which were the
limits of his "territory'' for twenty
years. He has ordered his roast beef
medium in every second-rate hotel in
twenty states. He has a wider ac-
uuaintance with hotel clerks than n
other man in public life. He has kick
ed about excess baggage rates, cussed
out the railroads, snapped yarns in
smoking cars. n coaXed the unwill-
ing order from a thousand hiding
places.
Not only has he been a CONNER
cial traveller. but he has been a highly
successful one. He rounded out his
years on the road with ten. months in
Paris in 1900 as the European repre-
sentative: of his house. and with ~
years business trip o the world.
Heavy machinery was his line. but
in the last ten years he put on heavy
through this latter activity that the
public became acquainted with him.
Seth Low made him commissioners of
public works in Brooklyn, and in 1916
the people of Flatbush sent him to
congress-. One term was sufficient
to stamp him as one of the big men
in the capital. and President Wilson,
recognizing his ability. both as A drum
mer and a statesman. made him chief
of the American foreign sales depart
ment, oftener called the department
Of commerce.
Knows Yankee Goods.
knows the problems in the extension
OF American trade abroad. He re-
alizes the possibilities in the undevel-
oped markets Of the world. And what
is more. he has a bag Of tricks picked
up in years Of selling experiences
which are calculated TO make the Ger.
man, French and English trade pic.
neers sit up and take notice. Fol- the
next four years in the orient and In
South America the Europeans are go.
ing up against the latest n best
methods Of Yankee craftsmanship dt.
rccted by a shrcWd Yankee salesman
and just as an offhand Judgment, one
would say that the trade outlook ir
these markets Is bright.
Being a successful salesman, Red.
field is loaded with that mental at.
tribute called ingenuity. Right of
the a he proposes an absolute novel
ty in foreign trade cxtension-but be
fore mentioning the innovation, lei
us examine the nucleus OF a boosting
force he already has at his disposal
More and more the consular service
is becoming the governmental agenc,
for building foreign trade. and the las
congress put many Of the service'
commercial activities under the direc
tiOn Of the new bureau OF foreign ant
domestic commerce. which is the prin
cipal bureau in Rcdneid's department
This bureau also directs Its force
Of American commercial agents. wh'
.isit foreign markets and study them
The cLneul. and agents keep tn
American manufacturers informed