South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-10-05
AME RIGA READY
TO PLUNGE INTO
WORLD TRADE
Governmental Agencies Pre-
pared for Action Immediately
After Peace Treaty is Signed.

wAsHINGTON. D. C.. oct. A.
while the business interest Of the
United states are necessarily in
doubt as to the scope and detail OF
their future foreign policy because
OF the delay OF the senate in ratify-
ing the peace treaty the government
70 laying plans so that American com
merce can plunge into active world
competition when the war is off,
cially at an end. With ships 20
transport American goods. statistical
facts 20 guide the salesman in for
eign fields and the industrial ability
10 supply the greater part Of the
world. the United states Is In the best
possible position. could prompt rati-
hcation OF the peace treaty be OBJ
tanned.
The work Of creating. or rather
Of building a foreign trade for the
United States Will fall on the de-
partment of state and commerce in
conjunction With the work Of the
shipping board. The bureau of for
eign domestic commerce OF the de-
partment OF commerce will act
through its special agents and in
vestigators throughout the world in
acquainting the producers OF this
country with opportunities abroad. /
while at the same time they Will
carry on the work of advertising
American goods 10 the foreign mar
kets. In the state department the
foreign trade adviser and the con
suiar service will form the llaison
between the foreign consumer and
the American producer.
COnsuls Active Agents.
The consuls of the consular serv-
ice are. Of course. the active agents
of the commerce department IN
many countries in matters involving
foreign trade opportunities To these
two services will fall the lot Of re-
opening such countries as Russia, /
Turkey. the Balkans. Germany and I
Austria and of digging in" in the |
hitherto little cultivated monarchies
and republics Of Africa and Asia. /
BESIDES there will be thousands of 3
opportunities in South America /
many of whose markets formerly 7
patronized German producers, and /
most OF whom are in recent years
turning with a marked degree of /
preference TO goods from the United
states
The consular service has been
greatly expanded during the past few
Years to meet the demands of war
conditions There has been no in
crease of personnel in the number
OF principal officers. as they are
called. but the vast amount of work /
Co be done abroad during the war
has necessitated the taking on OF
numerous assistants and large Cleri- I
cal forces. About fifty of the prin-
cipal officers or consuls Withdrawn
from posts within the Central Pow
ers during the war have been scat
tered elsewhere in the last two years,
and this in itself amounts TO an eX-
pansion OF personnel in the enlarge
fnent OF the foreign field covered.
In addition TO this the state de
partment has secured the consent of
the last congress 10 the creation of
the new posts of vice-consUls of
career. These are berths 20 be filled
in out OF the way places by younger
men, who are willing 10 start at
minimum salaries 10 learn the work
az the diplomatic and consular serv-
ices as "a career.
IL Is possible this new branch of
the service viii result in the appoint
ment OF probably "a half-hundred adj
ditional consular officers. whose
status wili be similar 10 that OF priu-
cipal officers. except that they will
act in states and communities of les
ser importance. These men Will fll
a need that has been long felt 10y the
United states in its interests abroad,
Heretofore their work has been
largely attended 90 by foreigners ma
tives Of the states TO which they
we're attached, who were employed
very much as though they were for
eiEn attorneys