Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-12-13
Washington, ID. c., Dec. 1o.-Amer.

llcaS position IN world trade today Is
largely due to an organization which
in Washington is becoming Familiarity
known as ."Klein's Young Men. Its
Official name Is the Bureau Of For
eign and Domestic Commerce of the
Department OF Commerce. The direc-
tor Of this organization is Julius
Klein; hence It's nickname.
The present bureau of foreign and
domestic commerce was an outgrowth
of the old; bureau of, statistics, which
in turn was n of the Oldest of all
governmental bureaus in Washington.
The government began to collect and
publish its statistics Of foreign trade
and navigation as early as 1890.
Throughout almost.the whole of the
nineteenth century this work was en-
trusted to the bureau of statistics;
which was then an adjunct Of the
treasury department. 4Ins19O3 the de-
partment Of commerce and labor was
created, and.the bureau Of statistics
was transferred to the new ministry.
In 1912 it was. Joined to the bureau
OF manufactures, and the coalition was
called the bureau of foreign and do
nestle commerce. Z,
The gathering of trade statistics
continued to be the chief function of
the bureau, but gradually it has beer
taking on new duties calculated to
stimulate American foreign trade.
With the outbreak of the European
war in 1914 the eyes of American
n~od"cers turned more seriously to-
ward foreign commerce. The govern
ment established the office Of COM
mercial attache at our principal en-
bassies and legations abroad These
attaches were appointees of the de-
partment of commerce, and they were
directed from the first by the bureau
or foreign and domestic commerce.
Still, until the time Herbert Hoover
become secretary of commerce. now
almost two years ago, the bureau had
contented itself with the collection
Of trade information. This was use
ful to the commerce of the United
States. and 1t warranted the expense
OF collection, but nevertheless. It was
not OF much value to the small man
ufacthrer. He could not afford ITO
maintain the export organization that
was necessary to enable him to take
advantage. of the opportunities which
the government laid before him,
What he needed was actual expert
help that, not only brought him and
the foreign business together but en-
abled him to land it.
Almost q New Institution.
Mr.. Hoover saw, in the original
charter of. the department of com
merce the authority to build that de-
partment into an actual foreign-trade-
getting body. The logical bureau to
handle such a task was the bureau OF
foreign and domestic commerce, and
to this bureau the task, was entrust-
ed The results Of two a Of ef-
fort have SO transformed this bureau
that 1t has become virtually a new
governmental institution. Certainly
1t is one OF the most outstanding ad-
ministrative developments In wash
ington since President Harding took
Office. #6lt
For one thing. in size It Is rapidly
eclipsing all otherlbranches Of the de-
partment of commerce. Two years
ago the bureau occupied only 4 suite
Fof offices in the twelve STORY COM
merce building in Washington. Today
1t fills almost the entire building. II
is its spirit and character, however,
which are most changed. The old
bureau collected and published its
statistics in a scholarly ana unhurrfed
way, but the new one sembodies pep,
goSgetter-ness. and all the other
EquaHtdes OF modern American bust
To bring about the Transformation
Secretary Hoover reached out Ia
|Blenost AiresF ind took therefrom the
American COMMERCIAL attache,4 Julius
Klein. and installed him ali chief 81
|the bureau. Although Mr.. Klein n
xPh.> d.. from Harvard, q former
student In Sforeigna universities and 4
FORMER assistant professor At HaA
Yard, he y no patriarch having vet 70