Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-13
HQskin Letter . , : Msss
GOING AFTER FOREIGN TRADE.

Washington, d. c.. Dec. 10.-Amer-
iea's position in world trade today is
largely due to an organization which
in Washington is becoming Familiarity
known rs .Klein's Young Men" Its
official name is the bureau, of for
eign and domestic mer of the de-
partment of commerce. The director
of this organization is Julius Klein;
hence its nickname.
The present bureau Of foreign and
1 domestic commerce was an outgrowth
of the old bureau of statistics, which
in turn was one OF the oldest Of all
governmental bureaus In Washington.
The government began to collect and
publish it's statistics of foreign trade
and navigation as early as 1890.
Throughout almost the whole of the
18th century this work was entrusted
to the bureau of statistics, which was
then an adjunct of the treasury de-
partment. In 1908 the department of
commerce and labor was created, and
the bureau of statistics was transfer
red to the new ministry. In 1912 it
was Joined to the bureau of manufac-
lures, and the coalition was called the
bureau Of foreign and domestic COM
merce.
The gathering of TRACE statistics
continued to be the chief function of
the bureau, but gradually it has been
taking on new duties calculated to
stimulate American foreign trade.
With the outbreak of the European
war in 1914 the eyes of American pro-
ducers turned more seriously toward
foreign commerce. The government
aa&tSlsrlnJ &h1 f,nN ~ ~ arnto I
attache at out principal embassies and
legations aboard. These attaches were
appointees OF the department of COM
merce, and they were directed from
the first by the bureau of foreign and
domestic commerce.
Still, until the time Herbert Hoover
become secretary of commerce. now
almost two years ago, the bureau had
contepted Itself with the collection of
trade information. This was useful to
the of the United States,
and it warranted the expense of col
I lection, but nevertheless it was not of
much value to the small manufacturer.
He could not afford to maintain the
export organization that was neces-
sary to enable him to take advantage
of the opportunities which the gov
eminent laid before him. What he
needed was actual expert help that not
only brough him the foreign business
together but enabled him to land it.
Almost a 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 entrusted.
The results of two years of effort
have so transformed this bureau that
it has become virtually a new govern
mental institution. Certainly 1t is
trative developments in Washington
since President Harding tool office.
For one thing, in size it is rapidly
eclipsing all other branches Of the
department of commerce. Two years
ago the bureau occupied only a suite
of offices in the 12-story commerce
building in Washington. Today 1t
fills almost the entire building. 1t is
| it's spirit and character. however,
which are most changed. The old bu-
reau collected and published it's sta
tistics in q scholarly and unhurried
way. but the new one embodies pep,
go-getter-ness and all the other quail
tiles of modern American business.
To bring about the transformation,
Secretary Hoover reached out to Bue-
nos Aires and took therefrom the
American commercial attache, julius
Klein, and installed him as chief of the
bureau. Although Mr.. Klein is q Phi. ID.
from Harvard, a former student IN
foreign universities and a former as
I ric+opt rrafaccnr or Harvard bn 10 no
patriarch, having yet to celebrate his
thirty-seventh birthday. He is an ex-
pert. in Latin-American economics. As
he has built up the bureau he has put
in men of his WI type.
At present the bureau consists of
two main parts: the foreign service
commercial attaches and trade commits
~sioneIs in 2S principal trade centers-
and domestic. with district and CO.
operative offices Of the bureau in most
of the chief American cities. These
divisions put together form the infor-
nation gathering and distribution serv-
ice.
But it is one thing to gather the
necessary information and put it at the
disposal of American business. and
quite another thing to get business TO
take advantage of the information. And
here is where the chief innovation Of
| the present administration of the bu-
reau came in.
War Experience Valuable
The war organization Of the govern
ment had shown the way. The power
full war industries board, which con-
trolled all industry during the war and
was only kept by the armistice from
extending its dictatorial power over
the war and navy departments them
selves. found out how to bring govern
in close working contact with
business. The war industries board
created within itself the so-called com
modify sections, each managed by ex-
perts competent to deal with the
branch Of industry which produced a
srlcular commodity. Then it fostered
the organization by business of manu-
~facturers' war service committees, each
committee also representing the entire
American production Of a single com
modify. Committees and sections both
worked together, and in this way all
1 American industry was brought I'M
der a single control.
In exactly the same way our foreign
trade is now being guided. DIR. Klein
s created within his bureau commo-
dity divisions. each one concerned with
the trade IN one particular commodity.
More than 20 of these divisions have
already been created, and new ones
nre constantly being Organized. They