The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-03-28
EXPORT BUREAU
 GIVEN INCEPTION.
 THURSDAY NIGHT
U. s. Experts Address
 Session At Tutwiler Fol- ! lowing Banquet

 United States department of foreign and domestic commerce and local in dustrial leaders, the Birmingham bu- reau, of the department was formally organized at a banquet attended by exporters and importers aud Chamber of Commerce officials in. the Tutwiler hotel Thursday night a :.
 The bureau will be-. open for busi- ness Friday, in charge of w. II. Wells. Headquarters will be at the Chamber of Commerce, with Manager o. l.. Bum exercising supervision over the bureaus work. F
 Edward T. Pickard, chief of the textile division of the department of commerce; Alfred P. Dennis, special European agricultural trade commits sioner; Eugene s., Gregg, chief of the transportation department Luther Becker, chief of the iron and steel di- vision, and {, B. c. Getsinger, south eastern manager of the department, were honor guests. s44sS.
 Crawford Speaks #
 George Gordon Crawford, president of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Rail- road company, and Mir. Bunn.. as sthe representative of the Chamber of Commerce, also made speeches.
 MT. Becker said Birmingham, in 1922, exported approximately 8fs per cent of the iron and steel products that were shipped fro mthis country. With the formation of the local bureau this percentage soon will reach 20 per cent, he, predicted.
 .sNature has blessed BirIningham. ? he said, "and you also are blessed by one of the, most efficient Chambers of Commerce in the United States, Your bureau will be able at all times to help you with your export prob lens and put you in touch with for eign firms who need and want your products."
 Mir. Becker declared that this conn try has almost reached its limit for the present in internal demand for steel and iron, and that, therefore, the pro- ducers must give greater attention to foreign trade. Greater markets is the crying need of the day, he said While conditions in this country are healthy, the export business should be pushed most vigorously, he added. To Support Underwood
 Mir. Dennis, who. recently returned to the United States after five years in Europe, opened his address by pre- dieting that Maryland, his home state, will declare for Senator Oscar Underwood in the presidential cam paign. He next expressed araasement at the industrial progress of the south, particularly in this district. He gave high praise to the Chamber of Commerce and declared the branch ex- port bureau appeared to be everything this city needs at this time.
 Mir. Dennis analysed European con ditions and told of the state, of mind now prevailing overseas.
 Principal topics of conversation in Europe, he said, are: Exchange, a '.bread and. butter" subject the vn. employment situation the state of af- fairs of the Ruhr district, and pro hibition.
 European liquor has deteriorated dreadfully since the war;" he said ''Yet, it costs Parisian four times as much to get 'soused' now as for. merly. s
 "England frankly admits that if America persists in it's prohibition amendment, it will wipe England off the map industrially in 50 years. Nov seven Americans are doing the same work 10 or more >Britains are doing
 The Ruhr situation is a menace to world trade, Mir. Dennis continued. He said bias and a feeling of calamity and uncertainty prevails in Europe, mak. ing it difficult to trade with the conti- mental countries. t. :.
 However" he concluded, "the situ- ation is clearing rapidly and things are looking. better every day"
 President Crawford of the T. o. | operations, told the exporters that Bir. mingham is dependent, in large meas. ure, on foreign trade.
 Quantity Production Y
 Quantity production, he asserted lis the American way of reducing costs. It follows that our domestic demand must be supplemented by for eign orders for us to be successful This must be cooperative movement None of us can stand alone. The bankers can help out great deal. In. creased foreign business is essential to the Mobile port development program
 Birmingham manufactures mostly heavy, products. Atlanta and other southern cities necessarily make light CT products. The right proportion oi manufacture of these commodities will tend to balance properly the shir loadings and result in more frequent sailings from our ports. This, oi course, will greatly aid the export movement" Sa
 MT. Crawford, concluding his talk revealed that his company, in January and February, shipped 2000O tons oi rails to Japan for use in the recon struetion of cities torn by the earth quake last year. ,s
 Mir. Getsinger, southeastern manager of the commerce department, urged ex porters to line up behind the Birming ham branch and submit their prob lems. This will quickly lead to in creased efficiency and a greater vol ume of foreign trade, he said.
 "We can always give you gooG line on all foreigners who are in tht market for American products, ht said. ,'tr
 Secretary Bum welcomed the wis itors to the city and urged them tt come back often. At his suggestion the 50 business leaders present gave the guests rising vote of thanks fol the information they brought Regis tration in the local bureau is free.
 --4-i-s------ cOndemning t'the bad faith shown the people of Arkansas by HugA L. Coop.