Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-03-03
PHILADELPHIA IN
ALIEN TRADE FIGHT
Organizations Here Back Effort
to Restore Appropriation
for Service Attache
WARE FAV V0RS ACTION
BIZ a stag Correspondent

Washington, March 3.--Philadclphia
trade and commercial organizations are
backing the fight being made in Con
gress for the restoration Of appropria-
tions for the maintenance of the COM
mercial attache service for the Depart
ment of Commerce, stricken from the
legislative, judicial and executive appro.
priation bill in committee as an
economy measure.
Representatives Ware and Edmonds
were active in the group which sue
ceeded late yesterday in saving the
S1B5,00O appropriation in the House
for the pay of commercial attaches.
Another item of 1925, 900 for general
operation expenses of the service is be
fore the House today and probably will
reach a vote late this afternoon.
Petitions and urgent representations
Netting forth the value of the CONNER
eial attache service have been received
by members Of the Philadelphia delega
tion from Secretary William X. Tucker.
Of the Philadelphia Board of Trade
President Alba b. johnson, of the
Chamber of Commerce. and President
Charles S. Calwell, of the Corn Ex-
change National Bank, among others.
At their request, Representative Ware
urged the maintenance of the entire
staff of commercial attaches and COM
mercial agents acting in foreign
countries.
In a speech favoring the appropria
tiou Representative Ware said:
II would like very much to agree
with the chairman of the committee
having the bill in charge. but az |
look over the hearings on the question
of commercial agents and commercial
attaches l fail to find any testimony
which either justifes the charge of ex-
travagance he has made, or the charge
that there is an overlapping between
these two great departments of com
merce and state.
I'm the hearings on this bill, Mr..
Kennedy, director of foreign commerce,
in answer to question with respect
20 the duty of consul, who operates
under the Department of State, said
the consul deals with matters that are
more or less local. A little later, in
another part of his testimony, he said.
in answer to a question by Mr.. Sisson,
that the commercial attache gives none
of his time to the consul's work, and
that he is not necessarily tied down,
or bound, to any particular office; in
other words, the consuls remain in a
permanent Office and the commercial at
tdCueS OpSsINo bht slutc VI luuuSIi ,
and industrial conditions for the en-
tire country to which they are as
signed.
'.They keep American manufacturers
and American businessmen in close
touch with information as n result of
that investigation. If there ever was a
time in the history of our country
when the businessmen, and the shippers
should be assisted, it seems to me that
it is now.
1--WE are attempting to estblish a
local merchant marine and we talk
about expanding our commerce and en- =
coursgipg the maintenance of the local
merchant feet we now have. To do
what the committee wishes would be
TO take a step toward retrenchment in
the business of the country. 1t would
be an interference with the opportunities
which the American Shipper and the