Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-12
URGES MORE CONSULS
TO PUSH j. S. TRADE
Secretary of Commerce Re-empha-
sizes Government Should Take
Over Inland Waterways.
BY Associated Press to Every Evening

Washington, Dec. 12.-Expansion of
the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic
Commerce to enable it to give effective
aid to American manufacturers and mer-
chants in taking full advantage of after
the-war world trade opportunities is the
chief recommendation of Secretary Red
field in his. annual report.
The Secretary also reiterates his APP
proval of the proposed development of
a government owned intracoastal water
way to link up the great cities of the east,
from the lakes to the coast and down the
Atlantic seaboard.
Dealing with postwar trade and the
part the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic
Commerce can play, the report en-
phasizes especially the need for additional
commercial attaches and trade com
missioners. The balance of trade in
favor of the United States for the fiscal
year 1918 was s., $50 ,226 23S; the total
of the merchandise export trade was
s. ,92S, ,2S5, Gal and of the import trade
s. ,946, 059, ,4O3
Measured bv the economic needs of
the country and by the grave responsible
tiles of postwar competition, the report
says, "the bureau should be expanded
substantially in every branch OF service.
POINTS FOR NEW ATTACHES.
New attaches should be assigned to
a number of important capitals, especially
Athens, Rome. Madrid, Ottawa, Mexico
City and Santiago, Chile We should
also establish at the earliest possible
moment resident trade commissioners in
Sweden, Norway, Great Britain, France.
Greece, Switzerland, Russia, Mexico,
Bolivia. Uruguay, Brazil, Colombia and
Venezuela, Dutch East Indies, China,
Philippine Islands, British India, Japan
Malay Peninsula Egypt, South Africa,
Australia and New Zealand. The value
of resident representatives. is too obvious
to require any argument for the extension
OF this feature of our service.
The field for European investigations
by special agents immediately upon the
conclusion Of the war will be so extensive
that the bureau will require greatly in
creased funds. American concerns have
a tremendous field for service to our
allies in helping them rebuild and for
future business.
Too much emphasis can not be placed
on the desirability Of employing trained
economists, statIstlcians, and experts on
banking, shipping, etc, in excess of the
bureaus present force. These types OF
economic authority are constantly needed
that performed bv the great Federal
commissions in Washington.
ORGANIZED ACTION DEMANDED.
Our country is looking TO the Bureau
Of Foreign and Domestic Commerce to
do its share in preparing the country for
economic security and prosperity after the
war, when the chief industrial and COM
mcrcial forces in botn hcmiSpheres will
ne ready to launch great organi cations
on the commercial seas III quest Of trade
The instinct of commercial self-preServa-
tion demands organized action. This is
noy the time for short-sighted thrift
Other countries arc looking anead and
spending money to organize for their
commercial security.
"A wisely liberal preparation now will
mean millions OF income some day 10
this country, will mean industrial pros
perty for our labor, and viii mean
strength for our economic structure
against adverse conditions or sharper
competition from any quarter No
country has excellcd Us in the type of
commercial service which we nave for
six wears past rendered n the business
community, and this position should be
maintained by US regardless Of our tempo
rary absorption IN military defense
VALUE OF INLAND WATERWAYS.
Of the inland waterways Secretary
Rediieli SAYS
An important step forward, which
viii bc Of great advantage 10 our com
rperce. was taken when the Director
General Of Railroads assumed, on be-