Evening star., 1919-03-23
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.
THE trade map of the world is
being redrawn.

radically new lines, not at th'
peace conference, but right here il
Washington. 1t is being redrawn fol
efficiency of service and to allow thu
business interests of the United
States to get 100 per cent service ou
of the present opportunity of devel
oping American overseas interests. a.
well as to provide a thoroughly mod
ern scheme for classifying the sta
tistics of our foreign commerce.
In this remapping of commerct
every department. bureau, division
commission and board of the fedora
is asked to Cooperate and the indus.
tries Of the country are being con.
suited.
Trade Areas of the World.
The trade areas of the world have
been sketched Off into thirteen major
commercial divisions: Atlantic North
American. Pacific North American
middle American. east and west South
American. northern European, west
and east Mediterranean, west and
Souths African, Indian ocean, east
Asian and Australian divisions.
Inc cutting up OF tnS WOTlQ lntO
these thirteen major commercial divi-
sions has been done with four ideas
uppermost in mind: U) General
similarity of geographical conditions;
(2) relationship to the worlds ocean
highways. 90 general similarity in
the stage of Industrial development,
and (4) products running into the
Same great classes.
As each of these major commercial
divisions cover vast section of the
earth's surface, it is apparent that for
practical business purposes it will be
sion into number of trade regions,
each of which has similar climatic
conditions, natural resources, COM
mercia1 products and shipping serv-
ice.
Three Ways of Advantage.
This division of the world into
commercial divisions and trade re-
gions will be Of advantage to Ameri-
can overseas interests in at least
three ways:
1. It wiz show the regions in
which the trade can be commanded
by a single centrally located COM
mercial agency. Under the sanction
Of the Webb-Pomerene law it will
be possible for manufacturers and
exporters in non-competitive lines to
unite in support of such agencies.
This would make it possible to main
tain such high-grade. well trained
personnel at each agency that it can
supply the accurate, up-to-the- min
ute, specialized information regard
ing the lines of goods in demand in
the local markets, and the other busi-
ness information which is necessary
for the upbuilding of a foreign trade
Will be supplied to each business
house supporting the agency.
p If will Shov- tho chinnipo Snfor-
ests how to route, their ships and
also furnish accurate information as
to just how much tonnage is required,
or may be required for exports and
for imports.
g. II will show just how a special
agent should be educated to perform
his work efficiently in this territory.
Big Job OF Reclassifcation.
This new trade map is an out
growth Of the work started in No
vember, 1918. by the special COM
mittee appointed by Secretary Red
field Of the Department of Commerce
IL started in to reclassify all the ex-
port and import commodities on
which reports are made regularly by
the bureau of foreign and domestic
commerce. It has classified upward
Of 1000 items. It. has changed the
to a fiscal year basis to conform with
business practice. and for this Con-
gres4 passed special legislation re-
Gently. It then interested itself in
trying to draft reclassification by
geographical areas.
Cooperating in this forward move
ment have been the shipping board
the war trade board. the Depart
ments Of Commerce, Treasury and
Agriculture and the tariff commits
sion. 1t was largely through the in
huence Of DR.. W. s. Tower of the
former assistant chief Of the bureau
OF foreign and domestic commerce,
that steps were taken toward the
organization Of this work. The gen.
eraI direction Of the various efforts
has been by G. b. Roorbach, chair
cial expert in the division of plan
ming and statistics of the shipping
board since May, 1918. Previously
he was professor of commercial ge-
ography in the Wharton school Of
finance, University Of Pennsylvania
has been the special work Of Charles
c. Colby, also a special expert in the
division of planning and statistics.
who was professor Of commercial
geography at the University Of Chi
cago. The. co-ordination of this
. divisions with the new system Of
vocational education for foreign
trade and shipping has been given
particular attention by DR.. r. s.
McE1wee. assistant chief OF the bu-
reau of foreign and domestic COM
merce. formerly member of the Co
Iumbia University faculty, and now
eo-operating in the upbuilding of a
new school for foreign trade and
government service at Georgetown
University.
Others on Classification Committee.
The classification committee ape