Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-12-13
AMERICA GOING AFTER
THE FOREIGN A
Daily Letter by Frederic j. Haskin

Mr.. Hoover saw in the original
charter of the Department of Com
merce the authority to build that de-
partment into IN actual foreign
trade getting body. The logical 3u-
reau to handle such a task was the
Bureau of Foreign and Domestic
Com merce, and to this bureau the
task was entrusted. The results of
two years of effort have so trans
formed this bureau that it has be-
come virtually a new governmental
institution. Certainly it is one of the
most outstanding administrative de-
velopments in Washington since
President Harding took 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 twelve-story
Commerce Building in Washington.
Today it fills almost the entire build =
ing. 1t is it's spirit and character,
however, which are most changed.
The old bureau collected and pub
lished its statistics in a scholarly
and unhurried way. but the new ones
embodies pep, go-getter-ness. and all
the other qualities of modern Amer
lean business.
To bring about the Transformation
Secretary Hoover reached out to
Buenos Aires and took therefrom the
American commercial attache, JUL
ius Klein, and installed him as chief
of the bureau. Although Mr.. Klein
Is a Phi. D. from Harvard, a former
student in foreign universities and a
former assistant professor at Harv-
or1 la = NO ~ otria rah ha ttino vet To
celebrate his thirty-seventh birth
day. He Is an expert in Latin-Am-
erican economics. AS he has built up
the bureau he has put in men Of his
own type.
AT present the bureau consists of
two main parts: the foreign service
commercial attaches and trade
commissioners in % principal trade
centers-and domestic, with district
and cooperative offices of the bu-
eat in most of the chief American
cities. These divisions put together
form the information gathering and
distribution service.
But it is one thing to gather the
necessary information and put 1t at
the disposal of American business.
and quite another thing to got BUSH
ness to take advantage of the infor
nation. And here is where the chief
innovation of the present adminis-
tration of the bureau came in.
War Experience Valuable
The war organization Of the gov
eminent has shown the way. The
powerful War Industries Board,
which controlled all industry dur
! ing the war and vas only kept by
the armistice from extending it's die
| tatorial power over the War and
Navy Departments themselves found
out how to bring government in close
working contact with business. The
War industries Board created with
in itself the s~o-called Commodity
sections, each managed by experts
to deal with the branch of industry
| which produced a particular com-
modify. Then 1t fostered the organi-
zation by business of manufacturers
war service committees. each COM
mittee also representing the entire
| American production OF q single
commodity. Committees and sections
both worked together, and in this
way all of American industry was
brought under q single control.
| In exactly the same way our for
eign trade is nov being guided. DR..
Klein has created within his bureau
commodity divisions. each one con-
cerned with the trade in one p~articu-
lar commodity. More than 20 of
these divisions have already been
created, and new ones are constantly
being organized. They work with
| committees chosen to represent in
dustries. agriculture. and other busi-
ness interests. The Iiaison between
| government and business is made
complete by the caliber of the men
| chosen to head the commodity divf-
sions. These are not political ap-
pointments in any sense. Each in
dustry is asked to present the names
of two or three Of their men best
qualified to handle the job in Wash
iington, and one of these Is picked
by Secretary Hoover.
These are the main branches OF
this new trade organization. They
are assisted by several technical d.
visiohs. among which should be not
ed the newly created commercial
laws division. With 40 nations
changing their import tariffs thi,
year. and with a bewildering and
constantly shifting multitude o.
other trade regulations Throughout
the earth. 1t is highly importan'
that the latest information of .hi'
sort be on hand in Washington fcl
J the benefit Of exporters. Such in