The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1916-07-27


Many interesting stories are told of
the work that Is being done by Uncle
Sans "drummers," whose territories"
cover the greater part of the civilized
world. Uncle Sans "drummers" are
the members of the new corps of COM
| mercial attaches of the department of
eral for the United States in general
not only "dO" the biggest cities in the
largest nations of the world, but the
| greatest persOnageS in foreign capi-
tals-kings, princes, dukes, prime min
listers, ETC., down to the mere barOns
Of Oversea trade and industry-are
their particular meat
Don't forget it, thOugh-they are
drummers. They are more than that,
but such is the essential nature Of
their occupation. Their task is to
rustic up trade for the U. S. A. If
they go about it in silk hat, frOck coat
and white vest it's merely because the
unwritten rules of the game in which
nation jOstles nation involve punctili-
GUS regard for appearances. If it's
MAY it please your august highness,"
or II humbly beg to state, your excel
lency," instead of "Hello Bill; hows
the wife and kiddies ?"-the language
Of Officialdom and courts instead of the
language of the 'rOad" in the United
| States-that's merely matter of ge-
Ography and environment and a part
of the days work.
In fine, the commercial attaches are
both drummers and diplomats. You
find their names upon the state depart
ment roster, where they are ranked
well up as persons authorized to go
abroad as the personal representatives
Of Uncle Sam. Without this especial
status In many countries they could
not get closer than the curb during
a parade to the authorities and trade
nabObs those influence goes far to
control the course and dispense the
profits of international commerce
Given this especial position, the COM
mercial attaches are enabled to enter
the charmed circles and work from the
inside.
Ten Attaches Now.
There are now ten commercial at
taches, with offices at London, Paris
Berlin, Petrograd Lima, Peking, San
tiago, Rio de Janeiro, Melbourne and
Buenos Aires,
Prior to the organization of the at
tache service the bureau of foreign
and domestic commerce depended
wholly upon the consular service, COM
prising about three hundred consuls,
and travelling special agents, never ex-
ceeding ten in number. The bulk of
the information collected for the bu-
reau and distributed by it has been
furnished by American consuls.
But the consuls and special agents
cannot cover the whole field it was
found. A third type of representatives
was needed-one who would be resi-
dent business diplomat; one who
could keep in touch with what was
really developing in important busi-
ness, either in front of or behind the
scenes; one who could go right after
something big on a moments notice
and stay with it to the finish. These
are the commercial attaches, the drum
mer-diplomats.
For about a. year and a half the new
staff of statesmen in general for the
U. S. p has been steadily plugging
away. Judging from bulky files of cor
respondence with hundreds of Amerl-
can business houses, which are in the
possession of Secretary Redfield and
DR.. Edward e. Pratt, chief of the bu-
reau of foreign and domestic COM
merce, under whom the commercial at
taches are placed, the results have
earned unstinted approval in the
American business world.
There are distinctly notable achieve
ments" to the credit Of the drummer
diplomat. One of the most interesting
is the recent case of Commercial At
tache G. w. A. Veditz, King Alfonso,
and Spain's transportation tax'
against American coal.
Runs Down to See King.
The transportation tax" amounted
to $1.2O per ton, which, added to the
cost of the long water haul, gave
Welsh coal practically a monopoly of
the Spanish market. In Spain the
king has power to alter such tariffs.
Mr.. Vedltz is accredited to France,
but Spain is included in his terri
tory" It looked like a bully good
chance for drummer-diplomacy, so Mr..
Veditz was directed to run down to
Madrid and see the king about it.
Their talk lasted an hour and five
minutes. Interviews between kings
and representatives of our foreign
service, Of course, are sealed for all
time from public eyes and ears. In
substance, it appears, however, that
the king admitted that Welsh coal
had risen beyond all reason in price
and was getting very scarce in Spain,
He would be delighted to obtain Amer
lean coal on better terms-but, II
ships brought coal from the United
States to Spain, couldn't they take
something back to the United States
Being a very businesslike young king
he was interested to know where
Spain would get OF in the deal. Spain