Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-15
COMMERCIAL ENJOYS
GETVASTTRADED DATA
Never Has American Business Obtained
So Much Information Regarding
Foreign Trade Conditions.

improperly and after exhausting all
other resources for adjustment, finally
called in the consul general. After
much negotiation. possibly only be-
cause OF his personal acquaintance.
, the consul general succeeded in get
ting relief from the tax. saving the
American firm more than $4,000.
Such instances are cited by the con-
sular bureau to show that the duties
OF its representatives abroad do not
consist alone of writing reports or
performing routine duties.
Trips to the Home Land.
1t is the hope of Director Wilbur
}. Carr. of the consular bureau. to
see legislation enacted that will al
low consular officers to return to
the United States every three or four
| years and spend a period of weeks
| In large manufacturing or producing
! districts. according to the class OF
trade American firms do with the
country in which the officer is sta
! toned. Thus he might acquaint him.
SELF with the needs of the shoe manu-
facturer seeking a foreign market, or
| the developments in the fabricated
steel industry, or farm products raised
! for export, and at the same time
might impart first hand Information
to those who were interested in for
eign markets
At present a consular officer has but
sixty days leave every two or three
years. and must pay his own travel.
ing expenses when he visits his ma.
tive land. But even now consuls on
| leave in the United States are re-
quired to hold as many personal con-
| ferences as possible with American
business men. chambers of commerce.
etc, the meetings being arranged By
the bureau of foreign and domestic
commerce or other government
agency. No expenses for such trips
may be paid by the government, but
| no objection is made to the payment
of the consuPs actual travelling ex-
penses by the firm seeking the in
! terviews.
Miscellaneous Reports.
| In addition to annual and monthly
reports, consuls general and consuls.
under the newer and wider policy,
now make reports for the Department
of the Interior. as to what new mines
have been opened in their respective
districts, what water power sites
have been developed. or what other
developments have been made that
might interest that department..
For the Department of Agriculture
they report on leading foreign crops
at the earliest possible moment, and
( also submit information as to live
stock. forestry. irrigation and fishery
activities abroad. Detailed financial
reports for the Treasury Department,
land transportation reports for the
| Interstate Commerce Commission;
shipping reports for the United States
Shipping Board; reports on trade
practices, monopolies, etc., for the
Federal Trade Commission, as well
as foreign statistics for the Depart
/ ment of Labor and the Post Office De-
! partment, are other duties that fall
to the consular officers.
With all the eagerness to extend
American trade, however, would be
consuls are impressed with the ne
| cessity for fair dealing all around,
and for building up genuine feeling
of friendship with other countries. A
part of the instruction given to those
studying for the service follows: =
THE fundamental underlying prin-
ciple that the essence of trade is mu-
| tual rather than one-sided benefit Is,
and must be, the basis of all legiti-
mate consular trade promotion work.
Only under the conviction that both
parties derive advantage from COM
merce-the buyers as well as the
sellers-is official governmental trade
promotion abroad tolerable. either
theoretically or practically; and con:
suls can only serve the interests of
the country without untoward in
cidents II they bear constantly in
mind and heart the realization that
economic intercourse must be ad-
vantageous to the inhabitants of
other lands as well as to our own
citizens" 81