Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-12-21
j, s. is HEART OF
WORLD BUSINESS
Foreign Outlets Necessary to Con-
tinued Domestic Prosperity,
Saws Commerce Report
nv Associated Press to Every Evening.

nv Associated Press to Every Evening
Washington, Dec Gothic. United
States has been made the heart OF the
worlds business by the westward trend oi
commercial affairs and has reached the
stage in IT'S industrial and commercial
deveIopment where the maintenance OF
foreign outlets is necessary to continue
domestic prosperity, Director X. ;:
MacElwee of the bureau of foreign ana
domestic commerce of the Department OF
CONNER ce, announced today IN his an
nual report.
Declaring that the present stagnation
in the business world was only passing
phase insofar as this country was con-
rerned Director MacElwee urged that
the development of foreign markets be
taken up with renewed vigor.
Our foreign trade in the fiscal year ot
1920. with a total value of Sl3, ,349, ,66l,-
4OI. was larger than in any previous year,
he said. 1T exceeded by S3 900, ,OOQ,OO0
the former high record in 1919, and was
more than three times the value OF the
combined imports and exports IN 1914, the
last wear before the war.
Many people are more interested now
than they were a year ago IN foreign
commerce. There were a few firms who
L,d the foresight to take out life insur
ancc while they were in good health
OTHERS now wish thcv had done SO. The
only real insurance that will spread the
RISKS of depression between the crcstS OF
the waves of domestic demand Is the allot-
ing of substantial quota OF the tlrmS
product for foreign commerce and the
building up in the worlds markets OF a
selling organization and clientele that VIII
not necessarily fiuctuate with the waves
OF demand AT home.
y depression regularly follows great
war. and lis time Of occurrence may hc
c,tlnatcd, from historical analogies, rs
about two To three years after the close
~ hnstIltics We are not going TO have
!. pan,r IN the United States but we Ger
taInlN feel tho kind OF reaction that the
surgeon, call shock after an operation.
To meet the increased demands OF husl-
nc;~ and carry on the work of the Bureau
~ Foreign and Domestic Commerce
81 iqS 20 wa, asked of Congress for the
ncNt fiscal wear That is an increase o!
more than half q million dollars over tht
present wears appropriations. OF the tota
Tor next wear 81 I.l01000 would he spent
trrcommercial attaches abroad and FOR th,
promotion of commerce.
II l. proposed Ia double the number O
commercial attaches making p, and q
increase the number OF trade commlSslon-
~ abroad by Il. making total OF % while
commercial agents would hc trIpled with 3
total ri 53.
Estimates include s30O.O00 for com
mercIal attaches. $500 600 for promotnl
commerce in general. Sl50.0OO for pro
noting commerce in Central and Souti
NmcriCa and S1S0 600 for promoting
commerce in the Ear East The increases
appropriations would permit greatly IN
tensitcd development Of markets 70
american goods in Latin America and tht
Far East which are considered the most
promising fields for American commercial
effort at this time. the report stated.
Gong back three thousand wears, Direc
tor Mach wee traced the center Of com
mercia supremacy from Phocnicia west
ward London where il had been since
between 1861 and 100 and said the last
war had moved the center of commerce
westward again. the predominant interest
Al the present time being on the Pacific
IN addition to the Atlantic. AnalvSc
show nc SAID. the reason for the rise o
nations that succeSsIvclv dominated tn
worlds commerce to be that they were
situated al the crossroads Of transpoTta
1Ion that they developed their merch2n
marine and navy 10 protect il hat they
possed the raw materials needed 70 suppl,
the wants Of man. and developed In
artesanS tosha2e these raw materials int
the form in which man could use them.
We are spread out across the paths O
the westerly movement 10 tho destiny &