The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-23
CONSULAR SERVICE LACKS IN BUSINESS MEN SAYS DONALD Representative of Big Lon don Firm Here to Place
 Orders CONTRASTS ATTITUDE OF REPRESENTATIVES Americans Too Indifferent to Attract Business, He Says-ShOuld
 Make Special Appeal
 to Markets

Adequate oceaf transportation facil- ities and that only will bring to Bir mingham enormous export business.
 America and things American in many instances are very, very wrong.
 The European war offers opportuni ties to American business which could have never been had under any other circumstances.
 The great war will end just as it began. without a moments notice to the waiting world, the end will be brought about by diplomats and not by soldiers, and 1t may occur any time between the end of the next two months and the close of the twentieth century.
 These are some of the opinions of Percy c. Donald of London. England. MT. Donald is now in Birmingham, he says, to buy finished iron and steel products. He says he has found here the lowest priced products he has ever encountered; the placing of orders. however will depend on whether or not he can get bottoms to transport his purchases to their destination.
 Talks of World Commerce
 MT. Donald is a director and repre- sentative of the firm of Rownson, Drew X ClydesdaIe, limited. London, said to be one of the largest merchandise syn dicates in the world. He chatted of world commerce and international bus mess transactions to an Age Herald reporter yesterday like man talking of buying a box of cigars.
 q have come to Birmingham to buy wire nails, wire. hoops, barbed wirc, cast iron pipe and similar products" he said. 'I find prices here lower than anywhere else in the world. But before giving orders to local manufacturers l must know whether or not l am go- ing to get the goods and that ] am so far unable to learn.
 You people here should wake up to your export opportunities. If you had merchant ships plying between your several southern ports and the markets of the world your export bus mess would soon be astounding. Here am I ready to buy and l cant find anyone who knows anything about eX- port facilities. Even the railroad of
  formation. In all probability l will place an order here for 2000 tons of wire nails if I can learn for a fact that when l want them delivered you can respond.
 Birmingham is wonderfully well located for export business. You have Charleston, Savannah, Mobile, New or leans and other ports to which you are accessible. But there are no boats to carry your product after it gets there. You are missing wonderful opportunity.
 My firm handles hardware merchandise for shipment to almost every port In the world. We had been buying enormous amounts of material in Germany. As soon as the war broke out we realized the only place we would stand chance of buying these supplies was in the states. l went to the office of the London repre- sentatives of a great iron and steel man ufacturing concern and told him I had come to do business. We'll he said, we've got you fellows on the griddle now guess we'll toast you good and proper told him l guessed he was mistaken because before he would be able to toast me I'd come to the states myself and buy of independent companies. From there went to the American consul told him was coming to New York to buy goods and suggested that he might inform the pusiIeSs Ilen or that clIy tO pc pFepdreu for me. To my amazement he asked me if I could read. When answered yes. he said that I would find a directory in New York and I could look up the gentle men when I got over there.
 Canada Gets Orders
 'I determined then to give all my busi- ness possible to Canadian concerns, so l went to the Canadian consul. Within a few minutes he had various cablegrams delivered in Canada informing the busi- ness men of my coming. When l went to sail l was informed l could secure a booking in two months I went to the Can adian consul and told him must sail at once. He showed great pleasure in using his influence in my behalf and without further annoyance to me he arranged a passage for me- securing the best berth in the vessel. As result of his interest, when got to Montreal there was a con- gross there of the hardware men and manufacturers of hardware from all parts of Canada, to which was conducted and with whom I transacted much business.
 'The United States must have business men in their foreign service. as we'll as diplomats and statesmen. If either quail ity Is to be disregarded 1t should be tho statesmanship. With business men as the foreign representatives of your govern ment especially at this time. much busi- ness could be drawn to your home indus- tries which otherwise you are missing,
 You Americans also are too stubborn