Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-04-03
Redfield Favors Commercial Spies

gress. One term was sufficient to !
stamp him as one of the big men in the |!
capital, and President Wilson, recog-
nizing his ability, both as a drummer
and a statesman, made him chief OF
the American foreign sales depart
ment, oftener callal the department
Of commerce.
Redfeld knows American goods. He
knows the problems in the extension
Of American trade abroad. He real
ICES the possibilities in the undevelop-
ed markets of the world. And what is
more, he has bag of tricks picked up
in years Of selling experiences, which
are calculated to make the German,
French and English trade pioneers sit
up and take notice. For the next four
years in the orient and in South Amer
lea the Europeans are going up against
the latest and best methods of Yankee
salesmanship directed by a shrewd
Yankee salesman, and just as an off.
hand judgment, one would say that the
trade outlook in these markets is
bright
Being a successful salesman, Red
field is loaded with that mental attri-
butte called ingenuity. Right off the
bat he proposes an absolute novelty in
foreign trade extension-but before
mentioning the innovation, letns exam
inc the nucleus of a boosting force he
already has at his disposal. More and
more the consular service is becoming
/ the governmental agency for building
/ foreign trade, and the last congress put
many Of the services commercial ac-
tivities under the direction of the new
bureau of foreign and domestic COM
merce, which is the principal bureau
/ in Redfield's department This bureau
also directs its own force of American
commercial agents, who visit foreign
markets and study them. The consuls
and agents keep the American manu-
facturers informed with the Daily Con
sular Report, which is published by
the bureau.
Now for the novelty. To this force
Redfeld proposes to add a new foreign
officer, the commercial attache." He
will be attached TO the American en-
bassy in the country where he is sta
toned. and will correspond in rank 10
the military and naval attaches. The
latter officials are polite spies, help
ing the ambassador out at his social
functions, but devoting most of their
time TO the study Of the foreign ma.
tons army, navy and defense. The
commercial attache will have similar
duties. 1t will be his job 10 let Ameri
can manufacturers know what their
foreign competitors are doing. Euro
.pean nations have never thought OF
this trick, and if Redfield secures the
: consent Of congress and the necessary
appropriations. no doubt all nations
will be adopting the idea of the com
!, merc;sl attache.
/ 81 haven't had time vet TO size VI
the whole department" said Redfield
. but it now seems to me that the great
. est field for development is in the bu
; reau Of foreign and domestic com
p merce. If il is thought advantageou!
. 10 maintain commercial attaches. ",
| ought TO have them in the six grea
exporting countries of Europe. Oul
cCnsuls already do a great deal, bu
they are limited TO a small localit!
; and cannot spare the time and though
5 for the study Of the commercial life o
2 a whole nation. If We had such an OF
= fcer as a commercial attache, speak
: ing the language Of the country L
t which he is accredited, and having
l. long tenure of Office. obtaining and dt
] costing the industrial and Commercial
= facts Of the nation, receiving report
Y from the consuls, he would have grea
C value"
e All Of which is an indication of al
= evolution in our foreign policy.