Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-29
FORMING AN EXPERT TRADE STAFF

American business men. specially
trained in certain lines, as transporta-
ton experts and
Government Seeks as technolosists
Trade Experts. materials um are
| wanted by the United States govern
| ment to be stationed at embassies,
first in Europe and then throughout
the world, as expert advisers concern
States to do business in those mar
kets.
Young Americans. keen Of intellect
| and ambitious to win place in the
expanding foreign trade Of their
country, are wanted by the United
States government to take the place
OF clerks to commercial attaches
throughout the world. Examinations
| are to be held January II, and the
requirement of knowledge of one or
! more OF the Danish, Norwegian. Dutch,
French, German. Italian, Portuguese,
Russian, Spanish and Swedish languages
| indicates the scope Of the international
territory that such service may cover.
These two paragraphs show the
breadth Of the plans under which the
Department of Commerce is working
to develop foreign trade in a depend
| able way. Experts are being sent
abroad to advise as to prospects for in
creasing trade in certain sections and in
certain lines OF commerce. Young men
are being sent over-the pick of the
country-to grow up in the business, SO
| that the service rendered by the bureau
OF foreign and domestic commerce as
! the years go by may be Of increasing
value to the American business inter-
eSts.
The business experts are to be sent
first to the embassies in Paris, Lon
don, The Hague and
Ihe First Copenhagen, and to
Detachment. Of the Balkan s' s atu.
/ tion. probably from headquarters in
Athens. They will go overseas just
| as soon as the quality of men desired for
| this work can be secured by the federal
department.
FUNDS for this new work recon-
| mended by Secretary Redfeld were
| made available by a wireless message
| from President Wilson authorizing an
appropriation of 100000 from his
| personal fund.
This 100000 is in addition to $780,
600 which the Department of Com
! merce had previously asked for ex-
! tending activities abroad in aid of
American business
The wireless message from the Pres
ident on the very day that DR.. Wilbur
J. Carr. director Of the consular serv-
lce' explained to the members Of the
foreign affairs committee of the
House the State Departments plans
for cooperating with American BUSH
ness enterprises in seeking for the
United States its legitimate share of
the worlds commerce has impressed
| upon Congress and the country gener-
ally that the United States govern.
ment is heart and soul interested in
foreign trade promotion.
i
The Departments of Commerce and
State, with the backing of the Presi-
dent, are now pre-
Two Departments pared to assist
Cooperating. ef,cientIv RI e
American producers, manufacturers
and exporters. who are now forming
associations under the authority car
ried in the Webb-Pomerene act to CO.
operate in seeking foreign trade.
Scores Of industries are already or
ganizing under this act and have filed
their reports, as required, with the
Federal Trade Commission, which has
instituted a distinct division under it's
chief counsel to take charge of this
foreign trade campaign.
Secretary Redfield's plans for ex-
tending American business to COM
prehend worldwide trade have been
worked out in cooperation with
Vance Mccormick, chairman of the
War Trade Board, and with the CO.
operation Of the United States Ship
ping Board.
Burwell S. Cutler. chief of the
bureau of foreign and domestic COM
merce, has been working for some
time on this program. 1t is hoped
that suitable men can be found for
attache and trade commissioner force
may reach twenty additional coun-
tries in the near future.
* =
The first call is for commodity ex-
perts, as mentioned above. 1t is pro-
posed to send commercial
Other attaches to Athens, Rome.
a.- Madrid. Ottawa, Mexico
A6eAts' City and Santiago, Chile.
Resident trade commissioners are to
go forward to Great Britain, France,
Russia, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland,
Mexico, Bolivia, Uruguay, Brazil, CO.
lombia, Venezuela. Dutch East Indies,
China, Philippine Islands, British
India, Japan. the Malay peninsula,
Egypt, South Africa, Australia and
New Zealand.
The commodity experts about to be
sent to the embassies in European
capitals will be expert business men.
They will assist the present force OF
commercial attaches, each of whom
now has but one clerk and one
stenographer. Previously the attache
had to make all the commercial in
vestiga lions and write all the reports.
The business men who will be as
signed to the various embassies will
be selected with regard for the in
dustries and predominant trade Of
that particular district. Some raw
material men will be sent to offices
in districts where raw materials are
the outstanding trade Seature-as.
for example, to the Paris office prob
particularly well informed regarding
potash. so that the related indus
tries of the United States may get
the fullest possible benefit from the