Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-02-06
TRADE BODIES FEAR
LOSS OF MARKETS
Deluge Congress With Protests Against
Reduced Allowances for the Con-
sular Service.

member Of the foreign AFFAIRS COM
mittee Of the House has been in close
touch with the aims and work OF tho
consular service. is friendly to tho
policy Of adequate representation In
the worlds markets, but that no was
held down by the economy and re-
trenchment demands Of the republican
steering committee.
In the Senate the bill has been
referred to the committee on foreign
relations. which, on account OF Its
familiarity with the needs OF the con-
sular service, will, it is expected. en-
large the appropriations to about the
same figures as in the current meas
ure. It is on the Senate committee
that the drive is being made most
insistently. Secretary Of State Colby,
who was in South America when the
bill was being framed in the House.
will appear before the Senate COM
mittee this week, insisting that the
appropriations must be increased.
While on his trip to South America
he observed especially the value of
the service rendered to American
business by the consular agents. Will
bur J. Carr. chief Of the consular
service. will also appear before the
Senate committee and among other
alarming facts will show that within
the last year thirty-four Of these
trade scouts have left the service be-
cause they could not live on their
salaries and were offered several
times those salaries by private BUSH
ness enterprises.
Consuls Not Provided For.
One cause of complaint against the
reduced appropriations is found in the
fact that it allows no funds for con-
suls who must be sent to such coun-
tries as Germany. Austria and Turkey
as soon as accredited officials can be
assigned.
The estimates submitted by the
State Department contemplated such
appointments, but the bill has
whitfield the amount down to where
the consular service as now organized
cannot operate.
Inconsistency on the part Of Con-
gress is emphasized in the kilograms
of protest, the business interests
pointing out that the report Of the
committee while saying that "along
consular lines the duties imposed are
very greatly enhanced as a result Of
the increased. volume of our world
trade. shipping and commercial in
yet the funds for doing
this work have been reduced.
In this connection stress is again
laid on the fact that six years ago
the total volume Of exports and Inn
ports was, less than $4,500. zoo, 900.
while for the calendar year 1920 the
total volume Of United States trade
was $13.500.ooo.o0o, or more than
three times the amount In 1915. The
increase, especially in import trade,
which jumped from $1,000. 900. 900 to
$4,000, 100000. has multiplied the work
Of the consular agents. Tho business
point out that this
work Is essential to the orderly
progress Of American trade and pros
perity. and the House appropriations
committee. in its report on the bill,
agreed to this.
The action Of a few men in the
House in hacking out the post al
lowance fund Is believed to be help
full to the drive Of the business men.
As it now stands no one IL sponsor
for the bill. and SO If and when the
Senate makea amendmenfa boating
the funds. the real friends Of tho for
eign service in the House, like Rep
resentative Rogers. chairman Of the
subcommittee that framed the bill,
will be moro ready to Cooperate in
having the House agree to tho Senate