The Coolidge examiner., 1933-01-06
Our Government
How 1t Operates
HUNTING THE MARKETS
By William Bruckart

/ explained tnat IL knows no barriers
insofar as the age-old law Of supply
and demand Is concerned. Where
the demand is sufficient, there COM
merce will flow just as surely as
water seeks its own level.
Hence, a great commercial and
Industrial people, If they are to re-
main so, must be kept acquainted
with where that demand is. Unless
they are apprised, and apprised
quickly of the existence of a mar
ket, there is a very real danger that
some enterprising group elsewhere
will become the early bird that
catches the worm.
Without fear of contradiction, l
think it can be said, the fact that
American export trade has captured
so much of the world trade has been
attributable to the ever watchful
eye of the bureau of foreign and
| domestic commerce. In this unit
of the great Department Of Com
merce has centered the work of
keeping a finger on the worlds busi-
ness pulse.
For instance, regularly the bureau
makes public reports from the rub
Der estates of Ceylon. With equal
regularity, it receives and dissem-
mates the latest details of the Brad
| ford wool prices. Again, it re-
ceives and passes to the trade here
the facts about the newest tariff
DEGREES of every country that occu-
pies a position of Importance in our
export market, and that just about
covers the entire world.
Taking things chronologically, let
us examine first into the methods
employed by the government in get
ting this information.
There is what is called in gen.
eral term, the foreign service of the
United States. That corps COM
prises representatives of the Depart
ment of State as well as the De-
partment Of Commerce. The De
partment Of Commerce men, obvi-
ously, are trade men. Those of the
State department may not be so
classified, for some of them-many
of them, In fact-have other duties
that are more important to the ex-
ecutive department which they
serve.
In every important capital, there
Is an official attached to the en-
bassy or legation who Is called a
commercial attache. In addition,
there Is stationed at the same post a
trade commissioner. The former Is
State department man, while the
latter Is strictly what his title I'M
plies. Trade commissioners are as
signed as well to many commercial
and industrial circles.
In addition to all Of those men,
toned, there are consuls and vice
consuls galore, literally scores Of
them.
Each Of these individuals has been
trained to examine the economic and
financial conditions of the territory
under his supervision; each has
overlooked no opportunity to study
the trade needs, the market poten-
tilities, and appraise the problems
related to the selling Of American
products and buying for American
consumption.
They will know. for example,
whether the railways of Brazil are
going to need additional rubber hose
for their passenger car cleansing.
whether the land tax in Spain is 60
ing to work a hardship on holdings
there of American corporations,
whether the teak production of
Siam is rising or declining, or
whether some nation is promot-
ing an industry of moment in the
production of carbon black or other
chemicals.
To show another phase OF their
work, let me call to attention
specific instance. The Spanish
throne was tottering. American in
vestments In Spain, while not as
large as they are in some other
countries, approached $2OO,OOO,OOO.
The question in the mind of every
person interested either through his
own holdings or the holdings of a
corporation in which he was stock
holder was what effect that political
condition would have on his money.
The trade commissioner and the con-
sui were sending daily dispatches
to Washington, relating every de-
velopment on which they could gain
information. When the monarchy
fell and a de facto government was
set up, those dispatches did not
cease. Indeed, they came faster
than ever. The result was that Off
cials of the Department of Com
merce knew almost instantly what
difficulties faced the American in
vestor. the American exporter or
the American importer, and let 1t
be said here that they had a ver-
liable deluge of inquiries concern
Ing them.
Not all of the facts thus gathered
are handled with that celerity.
More often the information is as
Semhled slowly. methodically, care