New-York tribune., 1918-12-11
Redfield Plans
ToHOld Trade
After the War
Proposes Expansion of Bu-
reau to Aid U. S. Mer-
chants in World Trade

-
of the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic
Commerce to enable it to give effective
aid to American manufacturers and
merchants in taking full advantage of
atter-the-war world trade opportunities
is the chief recommendation of Secre-
tary Redtield in his annual report made
public to-day.
The Secretary also reiterates his ap-
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 Do
mestlc Commerce can play, the report
emphasizes especially the need for ad-
dltlonal commercial attaches and trade
commissioners. The balance of trade
in favor of the United States for the
fiscal year 1918 was S2,982.226,23S; the
total of the merchandise export trade
was S5,92S, ,2S5,641, and of the import
trade s2.946,059,403.
Measured by the economic needs Of
the country and by the grave respon-
slbltles of postwar competition" the
report says, "the bureau should be ex-
panded substantially in every branch of
service.
More Attaches Needed
"New attaches should be assigned to
number of important capitals, es-
pecially Athens, Rome Madrid, Ottawa.
Mexico City and Santiago, Chile. We
should also establish at the earliest
possible moment resident trade COM
missioners in Sweden, Norway, Great
Britain, France, Greece, Switzerland,
Russia, Mexico. Bolivia. Uruguay,
Cn1o
East Indies, China, Philippine Islands,
British India, Japan, Malay Peninsula,
Egypt, South Africa, Australia and New
Zealand. The value of resident repre-
sentatives is too obvious to require any
argument for the extension of this feat
ure of our service.
"Our country is looking to the
Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Com
merce to do its share in preparing the
country for economic security and
prosperity after the war, when the
IN both hemispheres will be ready to
launch great organizations on the com
mercial seas in quest of trade. The
instinct of commercial self preserva-
tlon demands organized action. This
is not the time for short rt-sighted thrift.
Other countries are looking ahead and
spending money to organize for their
commercial security
Importance of Waterways
Of the inland waterways Secretary
Redfeld says:
can important step forward, which
will be of great advantage to our COM
merce, was taken when the Director
General of Railroads assumed, on be-
half of the government for the period
of the war, the operation of the Cape
Cod and the Delaware and Raritan
canals, the latter being operated in con-
nection with the New York State Barge
Canals. Every economic, military and
naval argument points to the impor-
tance of the earliest possible develop
ment of a governmental waterway
corresponding with what is commonly
known as the Atlantic intracoastal
waterway, connecting all the great cities
of our Atlantic seaboard with one an
other, with the New York State water
ways, reaching to the Great Lakes and
Lake Champain, and with all the rail
road terminals along our eastern
coast
Legislation to provide for the estab-
lishment of standards for all lines Of
industry with The bureau as the deter
mining and classifying agent is sug-
gested by Secretary Redtield.
War work accomplished by the Bu-
reau OF Standards is extensively re-
viewed in the report. Scientific prob
lens in nearly all branches of aero
nautics have been investigated by the
bureau during the year. and much as
sistance given on airplane motor prob
lens. Munitions gauges were stand
ardiZed and methods of producing op-
tical glass developed.
Urgent needs of the department for
the future enumerated by Secretary
Redfield are:
Two sea-going vessels and wire drag
launches for the Coast and Geodetic
Survey, and officers and crews for
them.
Larger clerical force in the field SER
vice of the Steamboat Inspection Ser
vice and in the office of the Coast and
Geodetic Survey, together with more
draughtsmen and computers at more
adequate salaries in the latter service.
Provision for housing the army of
clerks needed during the three-year
period of handling the census of 1920.
which will be in full swing by next
July.
! A laboratory aquarium for the Bu-
reau of Fisheries.
A government owned commerce build,
ing to house all services except the
Bureau of Standards and the laboratory
aquarium
An assistant to the Secretary of
Commerce to aid in the greatly IN
creased volume of work.
Estimates for the fiscal year of 1920
aggregate $39. 1877 TAO. A large part OF
the increase over the current year OF
S21.571.675 is for the Bureau of, the
4oir q