Evening star., 1920-01-04
TUNE UP FOREIGN TRADE MOTOR

To get all the waste motion out of
foreign trade promotion. which is one
OF the big tasks
Finds Iitt1e engaging fourteen
n,I. government de-
~PAAe"sAoA' partments and es-
tablishments. the United States
bureau Of efficiency has prepared q
report and recommendations for Con-
gress, as directed by the legislative
appropriation act nine months ago.
1t is encouraging to American busi-
ness that the bureau of efficiency has
found very little real duplication of
labors among the various federal
agencies engaged more or less. in
developing foreign commerce and
making Investigations regarding tho
possible markets in which American
trade might be enlarged.
In emphasizing the extent to which
the United States government partici-
pates in foreign trade promotion the
bureau calls the attention Of Congress
to the fact that Uncle Sam has more
than 500 official representatives. sta
toned or travelling in all parts OF the
civilized world, engaged in making
Investigations or collecting informa-
ton. OF these sixty devote their en-
tire time. and the others perform
tions in addition to their commercial
activities. Besides these 500 represen-
tatives in foreign countries about 700
ship supercargoes make stops al ports
throughout the world and gather such
trade information as circumstances
permit This is merely the field force.
and cooperating with it is still
larger organization in this country
developing and promulgating the in
formation gathered by the field force
for the best advantage of the Ameri-
can business man.
During the present fiscal year Uncle
Sam will spend we'll over 100000
for such trade
Millions to promotion activ-
Promote Trade. ,aus. n.aar+-
ment Of Commerce. bureau of foreign
and domestic commerce. s1.o43.71o;
Department of State. foreign trade
advisers ONCE, $s5.ooo, and consular
service. 100000; Department of Agri-
culture. division of foreign marketing
and Investigations, $26.3S0; Pan
American Union, 100000: Interna-
tional High Commission. $4,000. and
the United States Tariff Commission.
$4,000. making a total of $2,065, ,090.
When it is considered that the for
eign trade of the United States for the
last fiscal year exceeded $10,250. .0OO,-
900. 1t will be seen that the expendi-
lures for the promotion and develop
ment of this great volume Of trade
was less than one-tenth of 1 per cent.
In addition to the above Congress
actually appropriates certain moneys
as the share OF the United States in
the maintenance of the following in
ternational organizations. the 1920 ap-
propriations being quoted:
International Institute of Agricul-
ture at Rome. $16,600.
International trade mark registra-
ton bureau at Havana. $41.450.
International bureau for the publi-
cation of customs tariffs at Brussels,
$500.
The fourteen government DEPART
ments and establishments engaged
directly in the
Fourteen Agencies promotion and
Associated. sev.,op"ens e. OF
in activities closely related to that
field Of work are: The departments Of
Commerce, State and Agriculture; the
United States Shipping Board, the
Pan American Union. the Interna-
tional High Commission, the Treasury
Department, United States Tariff Com
mission, Federal Trade Commission,
Interstate Commerce Commission.
United States Railroad Administra-
ton, Federal Reserve Board. War
Finance Corporation and the Depart
ment Of the Interior.
After a very careful and extensive
survey of all these activities the
United States Bureau of Efficiency
makes three brief recommendations
for closer coordination of this work
as follows:
First-That all resident foreign
trade agents Of the United States gov
ernment stationed abroad shall be ac-
credited to the Department of State
Second-That all departments con-
templating sending trade investigators
or other trade agents abroad shall first
confer with the Secretary of Com
merce in order to avoid duplication
in any line Of foreign trade work,
and that the Secretary of Commerce
be given full rower to determine the
lines Of all trade Investigations to be
conducted in foreign countries.
abroad whose work regularly or in
cidentally 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 dissemi-
nation by the Department of Com
merce or for transmission to other
branches of the government service
for such use as they may deem proper.
The examination made by the efd-
cheney bureau Of the work actually
performed by the
Five Apencies fourteen depart.
Work Directly. ] Hshments a,,' shows shows
that only nve are engaged directly in
the promotion and development Of
foreign trade to any considerable ex-
tent, departments of Commerce. State
and Agriculture, Pan-American Union
and the International High Commits
sion The Shipping Board and the
Railroad Administration are engaged
in foreign trade only in the actual
operation of carriers except that the
supercargoes of the Shipping Board
collect general trade information
when in foreign ports. The Interstate
Commerce Commission touches the
field of foreign trade only with ref
erence to freight rates on export and
import shipments in transit within
the territory Of the United States. The
Tariff Commission functioning as an