The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-16
TAKE STEPS ID AID FOREIGN COMMERCE Trade Convention in Wash
 ingtOn May 27-2S TO AFFECT ALABAMA Fairfax Harrison to Speak on I'm portance of Foreign Trade to
 the ailroads"-Purposes
 of Convention
TO AFFECT ALABAMA
By C. E. STEWART

Washington. May 15.-tSpecial)-Th National Foreign convention, which will meet in Washington on May 27 and 2s, promises to be a unique gathering. both Tn its composition and the range of topics which will be presented for discussion. Every section of the country, and every class of business enterprise, will be rep resented. Fairfax Harrison, president of the Southern railroad. will make an ad- dress upon the subject of the Importance of Foreign Trade to the Railroads.
 The purpose of the National Foreign Trade convention is to arouse interest in and to promote the foreign trade of the country. It is expected that the value of the papers submitted at the meeting will be enhanced in large measure by the full debates which will take place at every session, and as far possible an nouncement will be made in advance of those who are expected to take part in these debates. It is hoped by gathering and concentrating at the National Foreign Trade convention the opinions of the lead ing men in commercial affairs in this country that a betterment in commercial conditions may be effected Ways and
 
 of the United States to it's logical position in the nations of the world will be dis cussed, and there will be an effort to bring about unity of purpose and en- deavors which will prepare and point out the way to American manufacturers and ssnerchants to assist them to the greatest development and highest efficiency to the production and marketing of their prod ucts both at home and abroad.
 It is the purpose of Secretary Redfield to cooperate with the National Foreign Trade convention in every way possible. There has, heretofore. been no organized effort to promote the foreign trade of the United States. either by our manufactur CTS and merchants, or by legislation.
 The United States has an immense and growing foreign trade. But 1t has grown mp and developed entirely through the individual efforts of large manufacturing concerns who were driven to foreign fields because the development of their business had outgrown the home market A part of it has been more or less irregular be- cause of the fact that certain concerns which confined their activities to the home markets during times of prosperity in this country turned their attention to the for eign markets during deprsssions al home in order that they might keep their mills and manufacturing plants in operation during such periods.
 Manufacturers hayes been brought to the realization that it is up to them to in crease their produets. reduce their costs and increase their efficiency and go after foreign business in. order that the United States may hold her own so far as the bal ance of trade is concerned. with the na- tions of Europe. The character of our for cign trade has been undergoing a great change for the past 10 to 20 years because Inf hn ar.il fr,Ar etx .t.A.- ~A the United States and because of the fact that farming has not kept pace with the increase in other lines of endeavor, the United States, and because of the