Evening star., 1916-01-04
Referendum for Cooperation
With Government Adopted by
Large Majority.
DESIRE STRENGTHENING
OF CONSULAR SERVICE
Increase in Staff and Appropriations
for Bureau of Foreign and Do
mestic Commerce Desired.

An extension of the governments
foreign commercial service is strongly
| recommended by the Chamber of COM
merce of the United States, as shown
by referendum vote, the result OF
which was made public today The
vote was taken on report of the COM
mittee of the chamber on the exten-
sion and Improvement of the govern
ments commercial service abroad.
Three hundred and seven commercial
organizations. chambers of commerce,
boards of trade in forty-two states.
the District of Columbia, Hawaii and
the American Chambers of Commerce
in Berlin and Milan took part in the
balloting. Each organization was en-
titled to from one to ten votes. ac-
cording to the size of its membership.
The vote resulted as follows: 119 IN
favor of the committees findings and
6 against them.
As a result of the affirmative vote the
national chamber now stands COM
mitted to and will work for changes
which, if effected, are expected TO pc
of benefit to business men through the
strengthening of the consular service,
of which Wilbur J. Carr is director, IN
the Department of State, and the bu-
reau of foreign and domestic com
merce, of which DR.. Edward Il. Fralt
Is chief, in the Department of Com
merce.
Want Increase of Staff.
An increase in staff and appropria-
tions for the Washington headquarters
of the bureau Of foreign and domestic
commerce was favored by vote of SIS
to 19. There was almost the same in
dorsement for the appointment of a
director of the field service and sepa-
rate appropriations for collection and
exploitation of samples, the d1strlDu-
tion of American literature abroad, and
more liberal travelling expenses. The
national chamber organizations IA
yored increased appropriations for i'm
mediate and special Investigations.
A vote of S4S to % advocated the ap-
pointment of five new commercial at
taches and distinction between attaches
and trade commissioners. Commercial
attaches and trade commissioners would
perform substantially the same func-
tions. but attaches should be sent only
to the more important countries IN
which the United States maintains en-
bassies and legations. while trade COM
missioners are advocated for smaller
countries or group OF countries ana
for the subordinate dominlons ana Colo
MES of the great commercial nations.
The new commercial attaches, along
with one recommended to be trans
ferred from Australia, are intended to
cover Italy, Scandinavia, Spain, Austria,
Japan and Turkey. The creation OF the
new position of foreign trade commits
sioner and the appointment Of commits
sioners to at least six countries abroad
was favored by even larger vote. The
countries in mind for trade commission
ers were Australia. where trade COM
missioner would replace a commercial at
rache; New Zealand, South Africa, Brit
ish india, Greece, the Balkan states.
East Indies and Central America.
Service in Latin America.
Special Endorsement was given to the
matter of promoting commerce In Lat
in America. 1t is generally believed
that with the close of the European
war we may be able to hold against
European competitors goodly propor-
tion of the markets for American
products which we have now gained in
Latin American countries. The COM
mittee report which the national cham
ber has just adopted urges that the
appropriation of $4,000 for 1916 should
be substantially increased.
Evidently business sentiment was In
favor Of the continuance of the present
eight branch district offices of the bu-
reau of foreign and domestic commerce
under separate appropriation and not
as at present out Of the limited appro-
priation for the promotion of COM
merce. The committee recommended
against the establishment of additional
branch district Offices, believing them
to be unnece ssary. The vote on this
question was 847 in favor. and 3s op-
posed. There was an Endorsement OF
members of the field service in accord
ance with the civil service law.
Largest Vote Ever Cast.
The largest vote was cast in favor of
the Americanization OF the consular
service, adequate clerical assistance,
elevation of eleven consular agencies
to consulates and establishment Of
fifteen consulates where there are now
no American consular Representatives
of any sort. and more adequate and
frequent inspection of consular offices.
Eight hundred and seventy-seven votes
were tabulated for the affirmative and
only eight against the proposition. The
committee report in respect to the con-
sular service, which the national cham
Der Endorsed, advocated better salaries
for certain commercial attaches and
consuls. There was a striking ma
publication of statistics of internal
commerce by the bureau of foreign
and domestic commerce.
The members Of the committee whose
report was adopted are: A. w. Shaw of
Chicago, chairman: Walter H. Cotting-
worcester, Mass; Philip B. Fouke, st.
Louis; r. oliver Fowlkes, Mobile; Ed
win F. Gay, Cambridge, Mass: Charles
C, jerks, Detroit: Charles A. McCor-
MulIiken. Chicago; Lewis W. Parker.
Greenvilie. s. C.; Calvin M. Smyth.
Philadelphia, and A. A. Young. Ithaca,
N. Y.