The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-09-05
FIGHTING GERMANY IN
BUSINESS
THE TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORMATION BUREAU
By Frederic j. Haskin. Director.
Washington d. G.

not blinded the Germans to the fact
that after the struggle of arms there
is coming a struggle of dollars, a bus
mess battle for the trade of the world.
So the commercial high schools in
Berlin are offering special courses in
commercial geography, foreign Ian
guages; on the political and industrial
organizations growing out of the world
war; on economic conditions in Rus
STA.
Germany has been more successful
on organizing herself for foreign trade
than any other nation. This fact, in
the opinion of the department of COM
merce, must be recognized by Ameri-
cans, and they must study and apply
the German methods. Just as the al
lies have had to build artillery equal
to the German big guns. so the Unit
ed States must build a trade organi-
zation as strong as that of the Ger
mans if we are to make a creditable
showing in the trade competition that
will follow the war. Chauncey DeDew
Snow has just made a report to the
bureau of foreign and domestic COM
merce of the department of commerce
which shows how formidable and eff
fective thing the German foreign
trade organization is.
The World as His Field.
This organization has changed the
whole viewpoint of the German who
intends to go into business. He now
field of operations. He may BEGIN
as minor clerk in a great organiza-
ton, or by manufacturing some small
article. for local consumption, but al
ways he has the largert opportunity
in mind. He realizes that business is
no longer a thing of towns or coun-
ties or even nations. but embraces the
entire globe.
OF course, this cosmopolitan view
point is at once more necessary and
mr. %HA
the American Living in the center
of Europe, thu German is within easy
reach of many foreign markets. -an
go in person to arrange deal in a
foreign country more easily than an
American merchant can reach some
of the states in his own country. Then,
too, the German has no room at
home for the largest enterprise He
must go abroad, while the American
has opportunities at home large
enough to occupy the greatest abili-
ties and ambitions.
Nevertheless, this habit of mind
which causes the German to look
upon the whole world as his legitimate
field of operations is made effective
by his national organization. He
knows that there are German steam
boat lines to all far countries, and
German banks in them, and that Ger
man goods are not unknown there. He
knows. too. the geography. climate
he is especially interested, and he
knows or is learning the language;
for his country furnishes him with a
complete commercial education.
This German system Of education
for overseas trade is at once the most
interesting phase of the German or
ganization for foreign trade, and the
one from which Americans have most
to learn. In the German commercial
schools and commercial high schools.
which latter rank with universities, he
may learn, not only the theory, but
most of the practical details of his
chosen work. Commerce in Germany
is regarded as a learned profession,
like law or medicine. The American
who becomes an exporter simply en-
ters some business house and works
into the exporting end without any
special training. The German chooses
exporting as his life work and spends
years preparing for it. He may take
a doctors degree and be able to talk
as learnedly about the theory of world
commerce as any college professor, or
he may have merely learned some for
eign languages and a little CONNER
cial geography in school But the
| learned doctor will not be deficient in
practical knowledge, nor will the man
| of less training lack the COSMOPOLITAN
breadth of view.
What German Did for Business.
Il
are a thing of recent growth. Nearly
all of them date since 1880 and those
] of the highest type since 1898 They
| followed the growth of the Industrial
! schools. 1t became apparent that for
| Germany the knowledge how to make
| goods was not more necessary than
| the knowledge of how and where to
sell them. This led to the esta blish-
ment of a few commercial schools,
and their success caused them to null
tiply.
/ The growth of the higher CONNER
cial institutions was stimulated by a
social demand for the elevation of the
commercial profession. Higher educa-
ton, in Germany, carries with it a
great deal of social prestige, quite
| apart from tie personality of the man.
AS the commercial classes grew in
strength and Importance, they natur-
ally desired to gain this prestige, to
have their calling among those which
/ beStowal of impressive degrees. But
while this motive was important in
causing the higher commercial schools
to be founded, it was their success
which caused them to grow in both
J numbers and strength.
= The nature of the training which
these schools offer to the young man
who wants to fit himself for commerce
may best be appreciated by comparing
their curriculums with those of Ameri-
\
{ business The American schools, ac-
cording to Mr.. Snow, are chiefly of
| two classes. There are numerous So
called business schools or business
| colleges which teach stenography,
| bookkeeping, and perhaps one or two
allied lines, and many of the univer-
sites have courses in commerce
which are devoted largely to the
| theory of the matter. One or two uni
versities and some of the large mu-
nil h crh lie A-ir,
broader courses, but to the vast ma
| jority of Americans a business educa-
ton means stenography, accountancy
and perhaps French, German or
| Spanish
knowledge of Foreign Languages.
The Germans realize that knowledge
| of foreign languages is a fundamental
| In their commercial schools are taught
not only all of the we'll known foreign
| tongues, but the Bantu and other ne
! I.a,T -