THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: SEPTE5JBEH 24. 1911.
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Government Pushing Sale of American Goods Abroad
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COTTQir I7L02T SOUTH AFRICA
(Copyright, 1811, by Frank 0. Carpenter.)
ASHINOTON, D. C. Sept. 24. (Special
Correspondence of The Bee.) Sup
pose you had a buslneit which brought
in $4,000 for every minute of every
day and every night for the 300 work
ing daya of the yearl Would It not
pay to take care of it? Suppose you
old on every one of thoce days a total of about
$6,600,000, and the year something like $1,800,
000,0001 Would not you want to Increase it?
That is what Uncle Sam is doing as to our
foreign trade. His exports In 1908 sold for over
$1,800,000,000. They were almost as much last
year, and they will run close to the same amount
this. We are among the chief merchants in the
great market house of the world. We are still led
by Great Britain and Germany, but our foreign
trade is rapidly growing, and the day will come
when we shall be the biggest traders of the whole
world.
This letter will tell you some of the means by
which Uncle Sam, patriarch, is increasing that
trade. There are two departments which are espe
cially devoted to It. One is the agricultural branch
of the government, which has to do with our crop
exports, and the other is the Department of Com
merce and Labor, which deals with both manufac
tures and crops. The crops have always had a large
part In the business. The manufactures are of
more recent growth, but they promtse In time to
surpass all that which comes from the soil.
Our Biff Industrial Business
Have you any Idea how much our manufactur
ing business amounts to? I dislike to use figures;
they mean so little when they get into the millions.
I ha dan Interview not long ago with Mrs. Hetty
Green, the richest woman on earth, during which
she told me her mind refused to work on anything
over $1,000,000. My mind is tuned by $100,000,
and the word billion means nothing but "exceed
ingly large." The only way to realize such concep
tions is by homely comparisons.
Well, in figures the products we make an
nually in our factories are worth $16,000,000,000
or $16,000,000,000; they are so many that if every
man, woman and child on this big round earth
could have an equal share of them the amount held
by each would be Just $10. If they were all divided
among our own 100,000,000 population each of us
would have $150 worth, and the share of each
family would be $750 or more.
Again, look at the money Invested In our
manufacturing business! The capital is about equal
to the product, and the cost of the materials an
nually used Is somewhere between $9,000,000,000
and $10,000,000,000. The Industries here taken
Into account are only those confined to the factories,
and the men employed in them are 600,000 or 600,
000. The census divides our great Industries into
fourteen groups, and of them five are each making
products of more than $1,000,000,000 a year.
Moreover, the amounts are steadily increasing,
and we need more foreign trade to keep the hands
busy. Our foreign sales already foot up over $768,
000,000, and had we the markets we could eastly
make it a billion. They now amount to about 45
per cent more than they were In 1900, and over
double the amount of our exports of manufactures
In the year 1890. Indeed, we are rapidly climbing
to the top among the nations which are selling the
moat goods made by machine and by band. We
now rank third, being only exceeded by Great
Britain and Germany.
Uncle Sam's Export Bureau
All this Is preliminary to a talk which I have
just had with Mr. A. H. Baldwin, the chief of the
bureau of manufactures of the Department of
Commerce and Labor, and of the story of how
Uncle Sam la trying to push foreign trade. This
bureau was established to collect information as
to where and how the goods should be shipped. It
Is operated in conjunction with the consular service
and gathers all sorts of Information for our manu
facturers who would do business abroad. It pub
lishes a dally paper made up of the reports of the
consuls as they come In, and has on hand a vast
amount of confidential information which It for
wards to those factories which can supply foreign
needs.
This dally Is about the only paper published
by the United Btstes government. The copy Issued
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this morning now lies before me It contains twenty
pages and has reports from Japan, China, Germany,
England, Australia and Canada. Several pagea are
devotdd to foreign trade opportunities, including
the openings for American shoes In Germany, for
apples in England and for lard, flour and cotton
seed oil at Mediterranean ports. Another page sug
gests how our vacuum cleaners might be sold In
certain European cities, and others report business
firms in a number of countries which want certain
things, which the factories making them in the
United States, if they write to the bureau, can ar
range to supply. The paper has also an article on
industrial activity In Japan, one on an American
bank for China and one on the status of business
at the head of the Yukon in Alaska. It describes
the openings for our firearms in Asia, the recent
discovery of diamonds in Canada and some new
features of the street traffic of London; It treats
of the solar eclipse, which may he best seen at
Oporto, in Portugal, and of how winter apples are
selling at Windsqr, Ontario. It tells, how public
buildings are about to be erected in the new capital
of Australia and urges our architects to send on
designs for the houses of parliament and other
great structures.
In addition to these there are other articles in
this day's copy of the paper. The government
Issues a Journal like this every morning. The pub
lication now amounts to 16,000 copies and It goes
to the boards of trade, chambers of commerce and
the newspapers all over the country. The most of
the articles are republished by the papers, so that
the news gets to all who are Interested.
The Confidential Service '
Uncle Sam's daily is carefully watched by our
foreign competitors, and the exporters of Germany,
England and France Jump at all of its suggestions
of value to them. For this reason the government
is not giving the names of foreign business men
who make inquiries, but it keeps such addresses
and supplies them only confidentially to those of
our factories as could make the goods needed. This
plan Is found to be a profitable one and has led to
the sale of many American products. Last year
about 1,500 such opportunities ,were published,
and, since the bureau began this work, more than
6.000 separate items, each of which represented an
opening for the sale of certain machines, have been
given to the American manufacturers.
In addition the government is sending out a
great deal of confidential Information.. It has its
experts scattered over the world looking up trade
opportunities and is sending forth confidential sug
gestions for the special pushing of certain manufac
tures. Among those recently sent here are some
as to warshipsfor the Argentine government, rifles
and ammunition for the Servian government, cold
storage openings in Italy and as to building ma
terials and machinery for Canada. The letters on
warships eventually brought orders amounting to
$20,000,000, and other circulars have led to an
enormous Increase in certain branches of ,our for
eign trade.
I have before me a list of some of these con
fidential communications which show the recent
openings for our goods. A few are as follows:
Grain seeds for Argentina, cotton goods for Turkey,
corrugated Iron for Abyssinia, automobiles- for
Australia, public works In Slam, machinery and
equipment for Mexico, opportunities for American
goods In Chile, potato diggers for Scotland and the
kind of motor cars wanted for Russia,
Among other confidential circulars are those
which describe the demand for artesian wells in
Tripoli, bids for irrigation dams at Bagdad, shoes
for the Greek army, dyeing materials for Almerla,
lubricating oil for Bulgaria, sewerage material for
Cairo, plows for Slam, steel rails for Ireland, sugar
for Tripoli, training vessels for the Chinese gov
ernment, electric lighting plants for Barbados, lob
sters for Russia, peanuts for Germany, sine ma
chinrey for Tasmania, bridges for Guatemala and
cottonseed for the Netherlands. These are only a
few of several pages of titles. They show the
range of the work.
Uncle Sam's Drummers
In talking with the chief of the bureau of
manufacturers I gathered soma information as to
Uncle Sam's drummers, as his traveling commer
cial agents might be called. In addition to our
consuls at the chief cities and ports the world over
the bureau has Us own commercial agents who are
sent abroad to investigate the margets for special
manufactures and to report upon trade conditions.
These men are specialists along the line which they
investigate; they know all about the Industries at
home and what In required for pushing them
abroad; they are paid fixed salaries and their trav
eling expenses, and they devote their entire time
to going over the world looking up openings for
American trade. By the time this letter Is pub
lished there will be about a dozen of them on the
road. There are nine or ten at work now, some In
Europe, some in Asia and some in South America
and Australia. Among them are Major J. M. Car
son, former chief of the bureau, and a trade expert
from Seattle who Is devoting himself especially to
trade between our Pacific coast and the orient.
Chances for American Cotton
The work done by these agents, is valuable;
they send back full Information as to how goods
should be made for the various markets and how
packed and shipped. W. A. Graham Clark, for In
stance, has recently returned from South America,
where he has been investigating cotton goods, and
shows the enormous market which the United
8tates might have there if its manufactures were
properly pushed. He reports that the European
trade In these goods is increasing and that it is
much greater than that of the United States. In
1910 we shipped to Latin America less than
$8,000,000 worth of cotton piece goods, while the
United Kingdom sold something like $40,000,000
worth that year. The trade of Germany In such
goods 1b more than twice as much as ours, and
Italy is selling more to 8outh America than we sell
to Central America, the West Indies and So'uth
America combined. Great Britain sells more than
twice as much cotton goods to Argentina as we
sell to the whole of Latin America, and to Argen
tina and Brazil more cotton than we sell to all the
world outside the United States.
Another special agent has Just sent In a re
port on the shoe and leather trade In which he
shows that our exports of these goods have In
creased about $10,000,000 during the last year.
Of the shoes $7,000,000 or $8,000,000 worth went
National Prison Reform Association
(Continued from Page One.)
In order to select congenial occupation; (e) His
spiritual culture; (f) Keeping in touch.
Address on "Som Facts Concerning Prisoners'
Dependents," by Joseph P. Byers, general sec
retary; address on "Prison Reform In Nebraska"
(speaker to be announced later); paper on "Com
pensation to the Families of Prisoners," by Hon.
William H. De Lacy, Judge of the Juvenile court,
Washington, D. C; paper on "Payments to Prison
ers and Their Families In Michigan," by William
H. Venn, parol officer for Michigan, Detroit.
Discussion will be opened by Rev. F. Emory Lyon,
superintendent Minnesota State Reformatory, St.
Cloud, Minn.
The Omaha general committee handling the
arrangements for this convention is worthy, in its
numbers and personnel, of the important body to
u. un.riamea. me committee is made
follows:
Judge Lee Estelle,
chairman
A. W. Clark. Min t m n..n
E. V. Parriah, assistant Frank Keogh
secretary c. C. Rosewater
Bishop Arthur L. Wil- Victor Rosewater
lm,r . W. R. Watson
Bishop John L. Nuelson Mel Uhl
Bishop Richard Scannell Joseph Polcar
enaior - M. Hitchcock A. F. Stryker
Dr. 8. W. Stookey a. E. Haverstick
Ex-Senator J. H. Millard Clement Chase
L. Kennedy Henry R. Oerlng
.1111 Vm I r m A xr . . . .... . V
y " . ",u veneay natpn Kitcben
A-ee csteue
Judge A. L. Sutton
Judge A. C. Troup
Judge George A. Day
juorrii ievy
Samuel Katx
J. A. Monroe
O. W. Wattles
BenJ. Rosenthal
Philip Sher, M. D.
Mogy Bersteln
Congressman C. O. Lo-
beck
Robert Smith
Father John Williams
E. U. Graff
N. M. Graham
Charles Harding
Mayor James C. Dahlman
Dr. Ralph Connell
Ed P. Berryman
Jeff W. Bedford
Mrs. Thomas Kimball
Miss Louise McPheraon
F. L. Haller
C. C. George
Mrs. E. W. Nash
Mrs. Thomas Kllpatrick Mrs. M. D. Cameron
Mrs. Luther Kountze Mrs. Clara Burbank
Mrs. Felix J. McShane. sr.E. W. Dixon
up as
Rev. Eugene A. Magev-
ney
Mrs. J. H. Dumont
Mrs. Edward Johnson
Mrs. F. H. Cole
Mrs. George Tilden
Mrs. A. B. Somers
Mrs. Hugo Brandels
Mrs. Charles
Mrs. Albert Edholm
Mrs. W. R. Adams
Mra. F. J. Btrss
Mrs. C. W. Hayes
Miss Edith Tobitt
Miss Nan Dorsey
Miss Ida V. Jonts
Miss Lillle M. Strong
E. F. Denlson
Alfred Millard
Rev. J. M. Kersey
Charles Donohue
Rome Miller
Rev. Frederick T. Rouse
Rev. Edwin H. Jenks
Rosewater K. C. Barton
W. S. Wright
George F. Gilmore
J. J. Donahue
Mrs. Wm. P. Harford
Alfred Sorenson
Mrs. I. S. Leavltt
Miss Victoria Anderson
Rev. J. Alexander Jenkins
Arthur D. Brandels
C. T. Kountze
Robert Cowell
Isaac Carpenter
Joseph Hayden
T. J. Mahoney
Rev. E. R. Curry
Miss Belle Ryan
Judge Bryce Crawford
Judge Charles Leslie
Prof. J. F. Woolery
Miss Kate McHugh
Miss Margaret McCarthy
Miss Effle Reed
Miss Ann E. Hutchlns
Miss Mary Raid
Rev. D, E, Jenkins
Subcommittees to handle various details have
been named in the following order:
Finance Committee G. W. Wattles, chairman;
Frank Keogh, Arthur D. Brandels, John L. Ken
nedy, C. T. Kountze, Arthur C. Smith, F. A. Nash.
Pulpit Supply Rev. J. Alexander Jenkins,
chairman; Edwin II. Jenks, Rev. John Williams.
Transportation E. Buckingham, C. C. Rose
water, J. A. Monroe.
Entertainment Gould Dietz, Penn P. Fodrca,
Rome Miller, Judge A. L. Sutton, Mrs. J. II. Du
mont, Mrs. Hugo Brandels, Mrs. M. D. Cameron.
Reception Bishop George A. Beecher, Rev. P.
A. McGovern, Rabbi Frederick Cohn, Judge Lee
Estelle, Mrs. Albert Edholm, Miss Ida V, Jontz,
Mrs. Draper Smith,
to Latin America and more than $5,000,000 to
Mexico.
Congress has made an appropriation of $60,
000 for these commercial travelers this year, and
the time will come when the scope of their work
will be much wider than it is now; they are doing
so much that their number will be Increased, and
it Is the Intention of the department to have each
of them spend a part of his time in the United
States, coming in actual contact with our exporters
and manufacturers and giving them suggestions
as to our foreign trade and how to develop it. The
experts on cotton will visit the cotton centers, and
those on steel will go to the steel mills and steel
shippers. It will be the same with every branch
of business. Each Industry will be told where and
how it can ship Its goods to the best advantage and
the faults which now prevail as to our dealings
with foreigners will be pointed out and corrected.
Late Information as to Packing
Among the Important things which the bureau
of manufactures has been recently doing la the
gathering fresh information as to how goods
should be packed. About a year ago a pamphlet
of this kind was published and it created a great
deal of comment; since then I am told that our
shipments have been Improved and that something
like 80 per cent of the goods. now sent abroad are
properly packed. The worst work Is that done in
the export of raw cotton. The bales are poorly
' put up; the burlap is iron and a great deal of cot
ton Is wasted. Our consuls say that the Russians.
Egyptians and East Indians have much better cot
ton bales than we have. It is claimed that alto
gether something like $20,000,000 worth of dam
ages is lost to railroads through improper packing.
From the consular reports which have recently
come I find many comments as to the improve
ments in packing. Consul General Mason, at
Paris, says our French exports are very much bet
ter put up than they have been In the past, but that
our packages are often too heavy, and that the
gooda should be so arranged that they cannot move
inside the boxes. Consul General Skinner, at
Hamburg, says that our packing is as good as that
of any In the world, and that bad packing usually
comes from sew firms that do not understand the
market.
Other consuls, and especially those of Asia
and South America, urge that the goods be packed
in waterproof boxes or bales, and that they be so
fastened that pilfering is not easy. The Chines
consuls say that the knot holes in boxes should be
covered .by pieces of tin nailed on the Inside and
that all packages for the interior should be mad
so that they could be carried on wheelbarrows or
by porters.
Animal Transport
Many of the consuls urge the packing of goods
In small parcels. In Arabia and Africa, much of
our exports go inland on camels, and the ordinary
beast will carry only about 400 pounds, so that the
boxes should be of 200 pounds, one to fit on each
side of the bump. In Interior Bolivia American
goods are carried on llamas, the loads of which are
restricted to 100 pounds, but there the load is
fastened upon the back so that there can be that
much in one package. A donkey will carry from
60 to 100 pounds, a mule about 200 pounds, while
from fifty to seventy-five pounds is a good load
for a man, if be has to make a long Journey. In
Siberia all boxes which weigh over 500 pounds
should be fitted with skids, as there is no way of
handling freight In the eastern part of that coun
try, and the marks on the packages should be
Kagllsb and Russian, metallic paint being used.
In my talk with Mr. Baldwin he referred to
ness men in the leading cities and ports outside
the Trade Directory which has Just been issued
by his bureau. This Is a volume as big as a dic
tionary which contains the names of 125,000 bust
th eUnlted States. These names have been sent
in by the consuls and they should be of value to
all those who sell goods abroad. The book Is for
sale at $5, which was about the cost of publication.
