The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-06-10
Fairuigl Girl Illli1as 500
in Essay Contest fed bzJ
Hutchinson Coal Company

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lucky, coal from Pennsylvania and
the Ohio Valley, minerals from tie
West and the Middle West and
lumber from both the East and the
West. These are products which
are largely necessities and for
which there was such an insistent
demand during the war.
We may have named them all but
one the other hand it is more like
" that we have missed very many
of the necessities of other coun-
triee- \; ..5
And herein lies very important
feature Of good commerce which
we dare not overlook We shor1I
ever be on theslookout for products:
which are needed and which we
can produce for profitable export:
II they are not being produced we
should endeavor to produce them.
The United Kingdom needs cotton,
wool, grain, flour, meats, fruit, coal,
quantities. These we can produce
in quantities sufficient for tleic
needs.
machinery and petroleum. Ger
many needs copper; breadstuffs, lard
and oils Spain calls for raw cot
ton. coal and coke, chemical prod
ucts. iron and steel manufactut IS,
machinery. wheat and timber. The
South American countries need iron
and steel products, locomotives and
cars, machinery of all kinds a5oye
all else.
Thus, the list Is practically un-
limited In each case; we, by viz
tue of our varied climate, resources
and facilities are able to satisfy
commercially, the needs of each
Like the good merchant, we must
endeavor to keep in stock what
our customers demand and request.
Must Study Carefully.
This brings us to another very
important feature in the question Of
our commercial extension. In or
der to meet their demands, We
must study their needs, languages.
customs and mode Of living. We
must have a comprehensive kaowl.
edge of their geography, products,
resources and of their popular at
titude toward American ideals.
Our own National Geographic
Society is taking care Of very
many of these essentials and is i'm
parting the results Of their discov
cries and the information they Sc.
cure on the above mentioned essen.
tials not only to individuals and TO
groups directly concerned but tc
the government as well.
They are doing a splendid work
along this line. One of their meth
DDS of securingr filing and making
permanent this information has
been through the camera. DR.. Gil
bert Grosvenor, editor Of the Ma
tional Geographic Magazine siccs
1889 says:
eve have collected ,photogrs phs
from every corner of the earth: un-
til today we have more than mil
lion, carefully indexed under mo-e
than one hundred thousand sub
ijects. Itfis the largest collection
of its Kind in existence
Another method Of distributing
knowledge of other countries has
been through the medium of bulle-
tins which are issued daily. This
method is very helpful and educa'
tional.
Bureau of Commerce
There is another and more
direct method which Uncle Sam
has found and which he will find,
as time goes on, a very efficient
help in promoting good commerce.
It is the Bureau of Foreign and
Domestic Commerce. Its purpose
is described as collecting infor-
nation about foreign markets and
distributing the inform alton to
American manufacturers and ex-
porters. 1t advertises in foreign
ports the produce of American eS-
porters. It distributes in foreign
countries propaganda favor1ns
American exporters. It distributes
in foreign countries propaganda
favorins American commerce
A few years ago this depart
ment created the post of CONNER
ciaI atache, who were the direct
representatives OF the department
in the country to which they Were
assigned. Most of them are APP.
pointed and are usually men OF
commercial knowledge and under
standing. The quality CT their
work, the merits of this particular
post may best be expressed by
illustration.
Mr.. Veditz who was assigned to
Paris in 1916, went to his post b;
way of Madrid. He stepped IN to
see the King of Spain one after
noon. During the course OF the
conversation he reminded the
King that ever since the Spanish
! American war there has peen an
Importation tax of s1.20 on coal
shipped from the United States
and that this prohibitive tex kept
us from competing with Great
Britain He suggested that now
would be a good time TO take IL
off. The King replied that he.
would think about it.
In a short time Mr.. Veditz was
Informed that the tax on coal had
been taken off. He Immediately
cabled this information, along
with the names some Spanish
firms who were willing to handle
American coal. to the Bureau Of
Foreign and Domestic Commerce.
This information was sent out
to a number of coal exporters,
and few days later one OF them
reported to the department that