Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1933-01-05
Our Government
= How 1t Operates
HUNTING THE MARKETS

L Id untlu NC " BAY dihi Soahhfc1t &C
L knows no barriers, yet II. must be
explained that 1t knows no barrier in
sofar as the age-old law of supply and
demand Is concerned. Where the de-
mand is sufficient. there commerce will
flow just as surely rs water seeks its
own level.
dustrial people. II they are TO remain
so. must be kept acquainted with
where that demand Is Unless they
are apprised. and appraised quickly of
the existence OF 4 market, there il Z
very real danger that some enferpris
Ing group elsewhere will become the
early bird that catches the worm
Without fear of contradiction l
think 1t 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 Commerce has centered
the work Of keeping q finger on the
worlds business pulse. 1t has knowa
the intimate heartbeat of many I lit
tle-known trade corner, 1t has been
informed by letter. by cable. by radio.
of what those needs are. Or r e1-
pected to be. The information Ii has
gained has been quickly spread 70 ali
interested parties in this country
For instance. regularly the bureau
makes public reports from the rubber
estates of Ceylon- With equal regu-
larjty. 1t receives and disseminafes the
latest details OF the Bradford wool
prices Again. 1t receives and passes
to the trade here the facts about the
newest tariff DEGREES OF every country
that occupies a position of Importance
In our export market. and that just
about covers the entire world
Taking things chronologically. Let MS
examine first into the methods EN-
ployed by the government In getting
this information. leaving to other arti-
cles later an exposition Of what Is
done with the facts by the bureau and
by the citizens of the nation for whom
they are gathered
There Is what Is called In a general
term, the foreign service of the United
States That corps comprises repre-
s~entatives OF the Department Of State
Ii well IS the Department Of Com
merce. The Department of Commerce
men, obviously. are trade men, Those
Of the State department may not be
SC classified, for some OF them-many
OF them, In fact-have other duties
that are more important to the execn-
tive department which they serve
In every important capital. there II
an official attached to the embassy or
legation who Is called a commercial
attache. In addition, there Is sta-
toned at same post 4 trade commits
sioner. The former Is = State depart
ment man. while the latter Is strictly
what his title implies Trade commits
sioners are assigned as well to nany
commercial and Industrial centers-
In addition to all OF those mentioned.
there are consnls and vice consuls
galore, literally scores OF them
Each of these individuals has been
trained to examine the economic ard
financIaI. conditions of the territory
under his supervision. each has sver-
looked no opportunity TO study the
trade needs. the market potentialities.
and appraise the problems related To
the selling OF American products and
buying for American consumption
They will know. for example, whefh-
er the railways of Brazil are going to
need additional rubber hose for pas
senger car cleansing. whether the land
tax In Spain Is going to work = hard
chip on holdings there OF American
corporations, whether the teak pro
duction OF Siam Is rising or declining.
or whether some nation In promoting
an industry of moment In the produc-
ton of carbon black or other chemi-
cal.
To show another phase OF their
work, let me call to attention !
specific instance. The Spanish throne
was ~tottering- American investments
In Spain. while not as large ~ they
are In some other countries. ap
preached $500. 100000. The question
In the mind Of every person interested
either through his own holdings on the
holdings OF a corporation In which he
was stakeholder was what effect that
political condition would have on his
money. The trade commissioner and
the consuls were sending daily dis
patches to Washington. relating every
development on which they could gain
Information. When the monarchy fell
and a de facto government was SET up.
those dispatches did not cease In
deed. they came faster than ever. The
result was that officials of the Depart
ment of Commerce knew almost In
stantly what difficulties faced the
American investor. the American ex-
porter or the American importer. and
let 1t be said here that they had q