The Washington herald., 1918-09-02
TRADE.
LOOMS LARGE
Preparation Of Statesmen for
After War Vital.
Says Holland.

successful competition with the in
dustries Of other nations. A few,
weeks ago Walter Clark Teagle.
president of the Standard OIL Com
pany Of New Jersey, said that one of
the organizations identified by. the
Standard Oil name had invested s75,-
10000 for the purpose Of creating and
maintaining trade in the Far East for
the products Of this company. That
investment undoubtedly represents In
part the training which was given TO
the statesmen who now represent or
have represented this company in the
Far East.
This training involved SO far. as
possible the mastery. Of the language
Of the different countries to which
representatives were sent. 1t also
involved the training of these repre-
sentatives in the racial. political and
geographic characteristics of other
nations, and especially the familiariz-
ing of the statesmen win trade Gus.
toms and the particular kind of COM
modities as well as the packages in
which commodities are placed which
suits the various markets.
Large Export Trade Now.
BY reason OF this training a very
large export trade in the products of
TINS company was secured. so large
That at one time when there was a
panic in the United States the COM
pany was able by means Of its foreign
exchange facilities materially TO Ie-
lieve the financial distress that then
prevailed.
As soon as possible after the organ
ization Of the United States Steel
Corporation a foreign sales depart
ment was created at the head OF which
James A. Farrel, now president Of the
corportion, was placed. The training
which those who were to act as sales
men for the corporation in other lands
received was almost like a university
course. These statesmen were ex-
pected to learn the language OF the
country to which they were to be
sent and many of them did as speed
lily as possible master the foreign
language. They were taught The
geography and the natural character
istics of each nation and was es-
pecially urged after arriving at the
places TO which they were SEM to be-
come familiar with racial as well as
social customs, not seeking by the So
called 'hustling" methods which have
characterized American domestic
saiesmen to command trade but in
stead Of that to act with due sense
OF the manners and-c customs which
various markets abroad.
There followed within q remark
ably short time most gratifying re-
suits. Whereas at the time of the
organization Of this foreign sales
department our manufacturers of
steel and iron products were not
exporting in any large amount their
products to foreign lands, it was
possible within a few years to re-
port that the export trade of the
corporation had increased by a
s10o.o00,00o with promise of still
greater increase.
Some eight or nine years ago the
late James Stillman. after his re-
turn to New York from a visit to
Great Britain and France. spoke
with earnestness OF the opportu-
mites that were opening In South
America for American trade. He
said. however. that this could not be
secured until statesmen were WELL
trained. who had lived for two or
three years in South America and
who had become familiar with the
social as. well as the trade methods
of South American people.
Now an organization has been
perfected for the purpose of prepar-
ing young Americans to take sue
cessful part in the great world trade
which will begin after the war Is
over. The organization will act un-
der the authority OF the United
States Bureau Of Education. A
committee Of fifteen members has
been appointed. and its character is
demonstrated by the fact that Cyrus
II. Mccormick is a member OF the
committee as we'll as Charles n.
Schwab and John Hays Hammond
and some of the leading educators
of the United States. This is the
beginning of a nationwide attempt
to secure as soon as the war Is
over competent young men who will
be able to aid the United States In
the competition for the markets Of
the world.
Struggle After War.
President Farrell and others have
at the recent meetings OF the For
eign Trade Associations spoken with
great earnestness of the fact that
after the war Is ended there is to
be a world covering struggle. peace
able. vet severe, for command Of
the markets. The pleas OF Mr.. Far
rell and OF others have been heard
by Congress and the government.
American exporters are now permit
ted to make combinations. trade
agreements and to establish CO.
operation and coordination so far as
foreign markets are concerned. Amer
ican bankers have already estab-
lished branch banks in other nations
are are likely speedily to increase the
number of them. There is no longer
any doubt but that the United
States will have shipping in abund-
apce for transporting our commodi-
ties to other lands. t
There remains, therefore, only
the establishment under govern
ment prestige and influence Of a
sort of voluntary institution wher-
in the young men may be taught
those things which are necessary
for the attainment of adequate
salesmanship in foreign lands. The
appointment Of this committee and
the probable speedy working out of
its plans are spoken of here as
gratifying evidence that notwith-
standing the overwhelming de-
mands of the war, nevertheless the
United States is not overlooking
those great. demands which will