Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-11-24
TUESDAY EVENING, NOV. "a
FOREIGN TRADE CONFERENCE

THAT the movement to extend the
export trade of the United
i States has taken root and Is
being given the serious consid-
Grafton it SO much deserves is eVldent
from the large attendance of promi-
ent manufacturers and business men
at the foreign trade conference held
in Harrisburg to-day under the direc-
ton of the Chamber of Commerce. All
Central Pennsylvania and even more
distant points are represented. Men
who have been content in the past
with catering to the home markets, or
who have sold haphazard to jobbers
for export without thought of the
needs abroad or the opportunities of
selling direct beyond the seas, are here
to-day, keenly alive to the fact that
our whole future as nation of manu-
facturers and merchants lies with the
number of foreign markets in which
our goods find favor. The interest
displayed in the trade conference is u
sure indication of the broadening
spirit of our industrial leaders and of
their eagerness to fit themselves to
take full advantage of the opening
made for them by the war now in
progress
But the extension of our export
trade is only one of the channels
through which the business of the
country may be increased. The great
continental seaports of Hamburg,
Bremen, Rotterdam, Antwerp and AM
stertlam are, closed, These ports were
important distributing centers for
many staples of the worlds commerce.
Producers and shippers of all the
varied products that found their way
to the manufacturer and the consumer
through these cities must look else
where for their points of distribution.
The United States bought in times of
peace vast quantities of these goods,
second hand, if you please, and paid
the jobber his profit. To-day our har-
bors offer the only safe and adequate
docking and warehouse facilities for
the producers who formerly patron
lied Europe. Our bankers have an
nounced that they will finance direct
purchases of foreign commodities for
which there is a consumptive demand
in the United States, or which are
required as raw materials by Ameri-
can manufacturers, so that prompt ac-
ton in this respect may vastly increase
both imports and exports and give
our industries the advantage of pur-
chase and importation direct from the
producer at a considerable saving of
both time and money.
Another very important feature of
this reaching out after the distributing
trade of other countries (and this ap-
plies most forcibly to Latin America }
is that the handling in the United
States of goods formerly marketed
through European centers will create
credits with the producing countries
against which American exporters can
draw in payment for export shipments
Thus it may be readily seen that q
basis is found whereby international
trade relations may be resumed in
both directions-enabling countries
outside of the United States to dispose
of their exportable products and with
the proceeds of such sales to purchase
the innumerable articles they nor.
mally require, and which we, if VIC
set ourselves seriously to the task. car
produce for them in unlimited quanti.
ties.
Men we'll qualified for the work are
bending their energies toward solvine
this distribution problem. so that Il
deVolVes upon us, the people of the
interior, in the very center of a grea-
manufacturing community that ba.
been unnecessarily suffering from
trade depression due to the biunder
ing of an incompetent political admin,
istration, to do just what we are<doine
to-day-get together for a careful sur
Ney OF the situation and to learn first
hand from the knowledge of expert,
Just what we must do to win this vas
trade that is now open to us. 1t il
gratifying to note the eagerness will
which our manufacturers and busines.
men have set themselves to the tasl
and the intelligent assistance they ar,
receiving from those who ara IN
charge Of the affairs of the Chanbe,
of Commerce.
To-day's conference is easily tn,
largest piece of constructive work tn,
Chamber has undertaken since its or
ganization.
a whole shipload of Christmas gift,
sent by children of America to the chill
dren OF the countries now sufferint
from the raYaPes of war han n.......l