New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-04-09
FOREIGN TRADE IS
TO GET ATTENTION
BUREAU OF EFFICIENCY RECON-.
MENDs REORGANIZATION
OF ACTIVITIES.
DRAFT BOARD DATA IS FILED
Records Contain 100000 Cubic Feet Of
Paper. Requiring Ten Acres Of Space
for Their Aeeommodation-To Amer
'eanixs Virgin Islands. -"
BY JAMES p.

~ SAWcS =. HOHNAOAH.
Washlngton.+The federal. bureau of
efficiency has recommended TO con-
gress that the governments activities
In the promotion of foreign trade be
recognized on the following basis:
i. That all resident foreign trade
agents of the United, States govern
meDt. stationed abroad shall be as
signed to the department of state.
2. That all departments contemplate
Ing sending trade Investigators or 9th
err trade agents abroad shall first con-
fer with the secretary of commerce,
who should be given full power to de-
termine the lines of all trade investi-
cations to be conducted in foreign
countries.
3. That all government agents
abroad whose work regularly or Incl
dentally results In the collection of
foreign trade information of any de-
scriptiOn. be required to send the data
thus collected to the department of
commerce, through the department of
state, for publication and dissemina-
ton by the department Of commerce
or for: transmission to other branches
of the government service for such use
as they may deem proper.
Large. Saving Assured. ..
While 1t Is impossible to estimate in
dollars and cents just what savings
would accrue to the government II the
recommendations made by the bureau
Of efficiency are put into effect, 1t Is
safe to, assume that they will amount
to many thousands Of dollars annual
ly. These savings would result from
lesser office expenses and overhead
charges by having all foreign resident
trade. agents under the control Of one
department OF the government rather
than being attached to several depart
ments with no centralized control as
Mt present, and by having the field and
scope Of all foreign trade investiga-
lions determined by one responsible
government official rather than by sew
eral without regard to what Is being
done by other branches of the service.
Under the existing arrangement the
department of state controls the con-
sular service and the foreign trade ad-
viser's office. The commercial attaches
are accredited to the embassies and le-
cations In the countries where they are
stationed, but are entirely under the
control Of the department of COM
merce, as are also the trade commits
s~ioners. The department Of state con
trolls the Information which Is sent
from the consular officers to the de-
partment Of commerce for publication.
There is accordingly some measure of
| co-ordinated control between the de-
partment of state and commerce, but
1t still leaves the supervision of these
two agencies virtually separate. The
control Of the other government de-
partments and establishments that
have to do with foreign trade is en-.
tirely separate, with the exception of
certain general supervisory functions
of the treasury department In cOnnec.
| tion with the activities of the interna.
| tional high commission. 1t would up.
pear that the various organizations
have separately obtained authority ia
proceed with their OWL programs and
that this policy. or lack Of a co-ordinat'
ed policy, has resulted In the present
many-headed control Of foreign trade
Guard Against Complications.
Has Record Of 24,00o,0 900 Men.
The records of the 4,640 local
boards that served under the selec'
tive draft law during the world war,
as well as the records Of the 15J
district boards, 1910 medical boards
and 48 state headquarters have finally
been assembled here. These records
relate to 24,OOO,O 900 men. Enoch II
Crowder, who served as provost mar
shall general during the war, and ad
ministered the selectlve draft act, sait
I'm commenting on these records
"Never In the history of this or an,
other nation has a more valuable ant
comprehensive accumulation of dat,
been assembled upon the physical. eco
nomic. Industrial and racial condition
of a people. 1t contains the first anC
only record Of the man power Of thii
nation. It will be of untold value {,
the physician, the economist, the so
biologist and the historian for man,
decades. 1t is not only worthy O
preservation. but this generation owe
It to posterity that It be preserved"
1t was necessary, before assembling
all these records, to bring about a uni
form system of filing them in order t.
avert certain confusion when the.
we're finally gathered en- masse. Wher
II is considered that these records. a
assembled, made up a file Of case
which, IL placed end to end, woul,
make a line so miles long. and con
tanned a volume of 100000 cubic fee
Of paper, requiring approximately tel
acres of floor space for their accom-
mediation, the magnitude Of the tasl
that confronted the department whel
II began their assembling can well b
envisioned.
The records as finally corrected an
filed contain many facts that will, o
course, become a part of the per1na
nent history Of the country's partici
patton In the war. Final and com
GREAT NATURAL SPECTACLE