Evening star., 1920-02-24
BLOW TO AMERICAN
ExPORT|NCFEAR
Secretary Alexander De.
pIores Cut in Fund for
Its Promotion.

"A body blow at American export trade
development Is threatened by cutting OF
the appropriations for promoting foreign
trade, Secretary of Commerce Alexan-
der said today In statement
'It will mean the dismantling OF the
most essential part of our foreign
trade promotion machinery at the very
moment when England, Japan, Germany
and France are leaving no stone un-
turned to increase the volume of their
export business" the Secretary said.
II do not believe the members of the
subcommittee, which decided to cut our
appropriations for promoting foreign
trade had any intention of crippling
American commerce." Secretary Alex
ander said.
Sure They Did Not Know.
1.-THE explanation of their action. 1
feel sure, Is that they did not fully
realize the part the bureau of foreign
and domestic has come to play in pro-
noting trade. Our manufacturers and
exporters take this help from the de-
partment almost as a matter of course.
Had the committee known the attitude
of the business community it would have
looked upon the matter in an entirely
different light. Even the feeling that
the work now carried on 80 efficiently
by the commercial attaches could be
taken over by the consular service of
the State Department, would not have
prevailed. I am sure the committee did
not know that the business men. by
means of referendum. by the Chamber
of Commerce of the United States, de-
cided by an overwhelming majority that
a commercial attache service should be
established in the Department of Com
merce to carry on trade-promotion work
hof hn rpIo
handle.
What Result VIII Be.
Consider what this drastic cut in
appropriations will mean. Twelve
commercial attaches men trained
and experienced in commercial and
economic matters-who are at pres
ent attached to embassies and lega-
tions in dozen important foreign
capitals where they are charged spe-
officially and wholly with the promo
tion of American buSiSneSS interests
at this critical period in the world 8
!;.story will be withdrawn peremp-
torily within three months time. At
least fifteen trade commissioners who
are reporting on rapidly changing
commercial conditions in European
countries from Denmark to Austria
will have to be recalled by the 1st Of
May.
"A deliberate sacrificing of the fin-
est foreign trade promotion machine
any country has ever built up-one
which half a dozen of our keenest
competitors have sought to use as a
model. The spending of several hun
dred thousand dollars a year on con-
structive export trade promotion work
such as this bureau is accomplish
cannot be considered as an outright
expenditure in any sense of the word.
1t should q regarded as n invest
ment. 1t is so regarded by the Cham
Der of Commerce of the United States,
by the National Foreign Trade Coun-
Gil, by the American Manufacturers
Export Association and by hundreds
of national and local associations of
business men.
I'm the same way the threatened
abolishment of the bureaus fifteen
district and cooperative Offices in
New York, Chicago. Boston, New Or
leans, San Francisco, ST. Louis,
Seattle. Cleveland, Philadelphia and