The Cordova daily times., 1922-12-08
AMERICAN GIRL IN U. 5. CHINA
 TRADE POST

SmitA, 8 young woman from CaltfOr- mia, who has served as clerk to the United States Trade Commissioner in China for the past two years, has been appointed Assistant Trade Commits sioner in the United States Depart ment of Commerce, thereby winning the distinction of being the first Amer fcan woman to hold this office.
 When Miss Smith, backed by the United States Trade Commissioner and the United States Commercial Attaehe in Shanghai, applied for per mission to take the examinations for the office she bumped into stone wall of opposition. No woman had ever held the post of United States Assistant. Trade Commissioner! How ever, Miss Smith was undaunted and made a second application for per mission to take the examinations, which, if she passed, would secure her appointment Because of her splendid work in the Government service and the recommendations of her chiefs in Shanghai the questions were forward ed her from Washington.
 Made High Marks 7
 Miss Smith came through with col ors flying, and her appointment as the first woman Assistant Trade Commits sioner was cabled to the office of the Commercial Attacbe at Shanghai.
 The young woman is well qualified to fill this office, as she has made a careful study of exports and imports during the last seven years Part or this time she spent in universities in study and part in practical work in large import and export firms in America.
 S Miss Smith, who comes from Cali fornia, is a graduate of the Washing ton College of Law Following her college work she was employed by the United States Department of Labor at Washington. After three years Of work in this department she was ap- rointed confidential clerk to the As s;stant Secretary of Labor and in 1918 as assistant to the Chief Of Wo- mans Division United States Elm n,oyment Service.
 Two years ago Miss Simth came to China in the United States Department of Commerce, and during this time she made a study of trade promotion work in all it's ramifications. She has found her work fascinating and reyeled in the trade problems which the average woman would find Of lit tle interest and which would stump many men.
 Has Much Trade Data
 She has investigated the opportuni- ties for American trade along many lines and can supply information as to whether China is in the market for sewing machines, baby buggies' blows, airplanes, cotton mills, or pianos.
 During the winter Miss Simth made a survey of the building boom now taking place in Shanghai and com piled statistics of value to the local business firms. Along this line Miss Smith declares that, aside from se' curing actual building contracts American capital should find an ex cellent opportunity for investment ID nroiects such as new hotels, steel ana sash factories, door and blaming mills brick and tile works, plumbing sup plies and heating and ventilating ap paratus.
 Miss Smith believes that more courses in foreign trade, with stress laid on imports and exports and ex change, should be given in the cor leges and universities of America ano that these courses should be open te the fair co-eds. According to Miss Smith, foreign trade is a new fieio for women, and she believes that other women would find the work as ful of interest as she does.