Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-15

of nations broke out six
years ago this month,
among the hundred other extensive
programs that it halted was that OF
the United States consular service.
which had just begun the task OIL
building up for the promotion OF for
eign trade an organization such as
this country had never seen.
Now, although eastern Europe still
smolders and the debris of war has
not been cleared away, the consular
bureau has picked up the tangled
skeins of it's pre-war plan and pro-
ceeded SO far with it's work that not
in the history of Americas CONNER
cial development has it been possible
for the business men of this country
to get Information in regard to trade
conditions abroad SO quickly or SO
much in detail as today.
At present, consular officers are
making trade reports to the Depart
ment of State at the rate of 10000
year, and these are Immediately for
warded to the bureau of foreign and
domestic commerce and to the Depart
ment of Commerce, through which
they are distributed to the business
world. These reports coming at the
rate of 100 day directly or Indirect
ly affect every field of Americas COM
mercial or financial activity.
In addition to this work, consular
officers abroad are receiving specific
inquiries from individuals or firms ct
the rate of $4,000 a year and each OF
these is answered in detail.
World Trade Directory.
It is through the cooperation of the
consular bureau that the Department
of Commerce is compiling a World
Trade Directory" which when COM
pleted will be the greatest compen-
dunn of trade ever made in this or
any other country. Every business
firm in the world is being listed in
|, this directory, with its location, the
kind of business it handles, its CAPT
talization, financial standing, etc.
Part of the information will be open
to the public and part will be treated
as confidential.
During the war little or nothing
could be done in the way of trade
encouragement, and the United States
consuls had their hands full hand.
+! ling , affairs between belligeren'
countries during the period before
America entered the conflict, while
after that occasion their energies
were all bent toward the winning
of the struggle. Within the last
eighteen months, however. the ser
vice has grown until it includes
j1,525 persons, only about IS of whom
are in the bureau headquarters in
Washington. Consuls general. con-
suls, vice consuls, consular assistants,
interpreters and student interpreters
now number 46S.
1t took years to educate Congress
to the fact that the ability of consuls
to serve the business interests of the
country depended largely on the ex-
tent to which they were furnished
with capable subordinates, educate ed
young men with some knowledge of
foreign languages, who were capable
of being trained to take posts of great
responsibility. But the increasing
interest of Congress in this respect
is shown by comparison with the
81. 115,400 consular appropriation in
1914 with the s5,413,2S0 appropria-
ated for the current fiscal year.
How Business Ii Aided.
While consular officers are very
careful to avoid favoritism in acting
for American interests, they are
ready to aid in every possible way
the American importer or exporter
who asks their cooperation. For
example, a shipment of merchandise
was purchased recently for firm in
Penang by an American house, which
shortly thereafter went bankrupt.
The payment was still due the manu-
facturer. and it was through the
consul at Penang that the deal was
finally completed, involving a pay
ment of $4,000.
An American firm purchasing hides
abroad encountered an export tax
there which it claimed was levied