Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-12-17

ana Domestic Commerce sent out i,
nation wide call tor ten men to in
vcstiSate various branches Of foreign
trade. Announcement of the cNami-
nation to select the best men had been
published broadcast The salaries to
be earned by these men. including their
expense allowances will total about
$1,000 u year. Besides this. their trans
portation will be paid into ten far
quarters OF the globe. Here is surely
very attractive opportunity. Yet
now that the examination is over. the
bureau is still doubtful whether ten
suitable men will be Forthcoming.
II is not often. nor does ii occur
in many branches OF work. that po-
sitions paying $1,000 "A year go beg
Sing. so 10 speak. II is true in this
particular branch Of foreign trade in
vcstigation. because properly trained
men are scarce as hens teeth. Cam
didates for the positions were fairly
numerous. though not nearly so nu-
mcrous as the attractiNcncss of the
opportunity would seem 10 Justify.
And OF the candidates who offered
themselves. only small proportion
succeeded in qualifying.
This incident is only one sign Of a
wide and growing national need of
the hour. Men qualified to go abroad
and handle the foreign trade prob
lens OF the nation are going to he in
strong demand for the next decade at
least. not only by the government. but
more especially by private corpora
tions. Training enough men TO meet
the demand is one OF the problems the
nation has to face in the immediate
future.
|, would bc easy to multiply cx-
amplcs Of the need. and the difficulty
Of filling it. The largcs, and most
powerful bank III the United states is
VOW opening up chain OF branch
banks In South Amcr'c:. TO facilitate
inter- american commerce. An Official
of this back admitted recently that
his institution would open additional
branches if it could ge, mcn quail
fed 10 serve in them This is an
other case where the opportunity Of
getting start with n corporation of
international fame and Importance is
ono that most young men interested
III banking would go 4 long way 10
seize II they We're property trained to
take advantage or IL
Qualified Men Hard TO Get
rho Bursau OF Foreign and DO
nestle Commerce has had several cn-
Dericuccs Ia the difficulty OF getting
men qualified Tor work in tho foreign
trade field. Recently the burcmu was
searching Tor nuNlb't pl men 10
study ard rcport on the chances for
American trade In various lines IN
various countries. Among tn. men
needed was ono to study tn. fancy
grocery lines .broed The bureau held
TWO examinations without finding
man properly qualified. although the
need was published. so far "a possible.
over all the nation.
Another call was sent ont ro- men
10 study the chances for American lum-
her interests in Europe. On. hundred
ana forty men applied FOR the half
dozen positions open. showing which
the bureau considered most satisfac-
tory. But when the i4o had been OK
nm'ncd. II was found that barely the
requisite number succeeded in qualify
ing. The bureau recently sent out
representative to visit various leading
American universities and urge the
students to specialize in Work that
would qualify them for foreign SER
vice The rcprcscntativ" found that
lac had been preceded by another man
engaged in tho same task. sent out by
the Standard Oil Company.
This lack OF properly trained men is
due - the fact that III the past -Arncri-
can business has devoted ITS attention
I" foreign trade only in a ca Sual and
secondary way. THAT this stat" Of ar
fairs will be greatly changed after the
war. that foreign trade viii then pc
com. n much wider and important
field that II Is ALREADY widening and
increasing In Importance. has been
brought home to Americans I'm d thous-
and ways This call for trained mon
is one OF the first practical results of
the change 10 come /" the front;
Training. school. Needed.
The man 10 hold the foreign trade
petition needs peculiar qualifications.
which our educational and business
systems in the past nave not been de-
yised with y view 10 giving. Accord
ing 10 Or. Edward Ewing Pratt. chief
OF the Bureau OF Foreign and Domestic
the necessary qualifications
fall into four divisions. There seems
TO bc no reason why AN ambitious and
Intelligent young man should not be
able TO quality In all OF them. even
without college education. The ma
lion viii have 10 ito its part. however,
hy organizing the proper training
schools. We are behind the great com
incrcial nations OF Europe in this re-
spect, because necessity has forced
them TO study and develop foreign
business. and TO train the men to get
and hold IT,
In tho matter Of language for in
stance, the FIRST anf most essential
qualification. our geographical isola
ton is Il handicap. The young German.
for example. has excellent oprortuni-
tics 10 learn and practice French and
Russian and English. Tho great Ian
OF ;hc world are clustered on
the little European Continent. and in
structor5 arc comparatively easy 10 sc
cure, as yell AS opportunities TO prac-
ticc the various tongues with natives.
l:Gt this handicap is not so severe AS
il "ecins. The example OF the German
INVASION OF The Chinese electrical basi-
ness shows what system and dctcrrni-
nation can 40 in conquerinc = h"Id
and "a language utterly foreign.
When German manufa cturcrS OF
electrical apparatus considered enter
ing the Chinese feld. they Hrst sent
a SrcCia! commission to Investigate tho
situation. Tic commission rcportc,.
that the Chinese electrical husiu, -
MAS worth getting. Th.n the German
proceeded TO train young
electrical engineers while still in the
technical schools for the Chinese mar
kct. They taught these men the pc
Guitar technical problems II China. aud
they taught them % speak Chinese
The we're able 10 send :, corps of
Young German engineers 20 China to
talk to tho Chimes" IN their own
tongue Thcr. is probably not an
American electrical engineer IN China
who speaks the language The Ger
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