Ultimate objective.

The foregoing represents the highlights of plans and projects under way. They point to the fact that the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce has laid the foundations for serving more effectively than ever before those it represents in Government-private enterprisers engaged in international trade.

STATES

The 26 field offices bring the Department of Commerce and its bureaus to the businessman in his own territory, providing easy access to the wealth of material prepared by the Bureaus of Foreign and Domestic Commerce and the Census. Personal service.

Staffs, while limited in size, are experienced in the application of data and statistics to the solution of specific marketing and distribution problems. Thus they give valuable personal aid in supplying pertinent information to meet the needs of individual businessmen.

In addition, the Field Service has always provided up-to-date reporting on the complex regulations and controls exercised abroad, as well as market prospects and information on establishing channels of distribution. Today the offices offer a service-exclusive in many ways-that those in international commerce constantly use.

The men and women in the field offices also perform a valuable service to the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce and other Government agencies by furnishing a first-hand picture of economic conditions in their areas. Maintaining close contact with foreign traders, they are in a position to report on the problems, needs, and plans of exporters and importers.

Published aids.

To keep those in international trade informed on important developments in exporting and importing, the field offices prepare and distribute:

Foreign Commerce News Bulletin.-A weekly letter which reports constantly changing regulations, tariffs, and other facts in the foreign trade field.

As the official representative of the Foreign Economic Administration, each field office has immediately available and can supply the following publications of the Foreign Economic Administration to those engaged in international trade: Comprehensive Export Schedule.-Covers all official regulations relating to export control that have been decreed and published by the Foreign Economic Administration.

Current Export Bulletin.-These bulletins supplement the Comprehensive Export Schedule and are issued for the guidance of all concerned with export control regulations and interpretations.

Sources of printed material.

Each field office serves as a convenient source of published material distributed by the Bureaus of Foreign and Domestic Commerce and the Census. Each is authorized to sell the publications for which charges are made, and to take subscriptions for the Department publications.

In addition, the offices keep in touch with the activities carried on by many private business agencies, and furnish information as to the services rendered by such groups along foreign, as well as domestic trade lines.

HOW BUREAU IS ORGANIZED TO SERVE INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Of the seven divisions in the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, four concern themselves with the international trade of the United States. These are the Divisions of International Economy, Industrial Economy, Commercial and Economic Information, and the Field Service.

To give the most efficient service, the above-mentioned divisions are organized as follows:

Director: Amos E. Taylor.

Assistant Directors: O. P. Hopkins, R. C. Miller.

Liaison officer, representing Bureau with State: Donald W. Smith.

Division of International Economy: James H. Edwards, chief.

Foreign law adviser.

Industrial property adviser.

International Economics and Statistics Unit:

Balance of Payments Section.

Consultant on Commercial Policy.

Foreign Country Trade Section.
United States Trade Section.

Comparative Statistics Section.

Trade Agreements Unit.

Trade Controls Unit.

Geographic Units:

American Republics Unit.

British Empire Unit.

European Unit.

Far Eastern Unit.

Russian Unit.

Machinery and Motive Products Unit.

Metals and Minerals Unit.

Motion-Picture Unit.

Pulp and Paper Unit.

Rubber Unit.

Specialties Unit.

Texile Unit.

Transportation Unit.

Division of Commercial and Economic Information: E. E. Schnellbacher, chief.

Commercial Intelligence Unit:

Foreign Sales Section.

Inquiry and Reference Section.

Publications Unit.

Trade Associations Unit.

Field Service, Director: Joseph A. Mack.

99579-45-pt. 4-38

Managers

C. Parker Parsons

Harold P. Smith
John J. Love

C. W. Martin
George C. Payne
Miss Emma Herrier
Frederic L. Roberts
Carl F. Bartz

Mrs. Elizabeth Pettus
Richard Stephenson
Thomas U. Purcell
William A. Dunlap
Frank P. Churchill
Walter Measday
Noland Fontaine
Will F. Kissick
Harold C. Jackson
John F. Sinnott
William M. Park
Charles A. Carpenter
Howard E. Waterbury
C. Roy Mundee
Clyde Miller

John J. Judge
Joseph G. Stovall
Philip M. Crawford

FOREIGN ECONOMIC ADMINISTRATION

OVERSEAS TRADE FUNCTIONS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM BOARD OF TRADE

I. The Department of Overseas Trade.

In the United Kingdom the Board of Trade bears the chief responsibility for overseas trade and foreign commercial relations. In order to get over difficulties about the division of function in foreign trade matters between the Board of Trade and the Foreign Office, a plan for dual control was devised in 1917 which has set an interesting precedent. In that year by statute a new department, known as the Department of Overseas Trade, was established which is jointly responsible to the Board of Trade and the Foreign Office.

According to the scheme joint control is centered in a single Minister who serves as Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade and Parliamentary Under Secretary to the Foreign Office. In the administration of overseas commercial services the Department of Overseas Trade acts as an agent of the Board of Trade on certain matters, as an agent of the Foreign Office on others, and as an agent of both on others.

The Department of Overseas Trade is primarily concerned with the machinery of trade rather than commercial policy and is set up to give service to traders. One of its major functions is to collect and disseminate commercial intelligence regarding:

1. Rates of duty.

2. Foreign competition abroad.

3. Openings for trade.

4. Public instructions.

5. Conditions of local trade and credit.

Until recently the Department of Overseas Trade administered the three groups of commercial services:

(a) Trade Commission Service (Dominion and Colonial).

(b) Comercial Diplomatic Service.

(c) Consular Service.

Groups (b) and (c) are now being fused in a joint Foreign Service under the Foreign Office. The Board of Trade and the Department of Overseas Trade

1

will be represented on the Promotions Board of the Personnel Department of the Foreign Office when appointments to commercial diplomatic posts are under consideration.

II. Commercial Relations and Treaties Department.

In contrast to the Department of Overseas Trade, the Board of Trade, through it Commercial Relations and Treaties Department, is concerned with commercial policy. The President of the Board of Trade is the Cabinet minister responsible to Parliament for commercial policy.

Though the actual negotiation of trade agreements is the responsibility of the Foreign Office, usually the initiation comes from the Commercial Relations and Treaties Department. Officers of the Commercial Relations and Treaties Department frequently act as negotiators for the Foreign Office as well as advisers. Problems arising under the operation of agreements are handled by the Department as well as matters of unfair trade competition abroad, representations to foreign and Empire governments on all trade matters and communications to other government departments as to the effect on overseas trade of existing or contemplated legislation and administration. The Department publishes summaries of foreign tariffs and other trade regulations and legislation. The Commercial Relations and Treaties Department has three divisions: the General Division, which deals with over-all commercial policy matters; a Country Division; and a Commodity Division. The Country Division maintains close liaison with the country desks in the Foreign Office and consults particularly on such problems as the effect of political considerations on export policy.

All formal approaches to foreign countries on commercial matters have to be made through the Foreign Office, which is also the channel through which instructions are sent to British diplomatic representatives in foreign countries. The Dominions Office acts in a similar way vis-à-vis countries within the British Commonwealth. In general it can be said that the Foreign Office is staffed primarily to handle political matters and uses' the staffs of the Department of Overseas Trade and the Commercial Relations and Treaties Department for advice, trade information, and assistance in negotiation.

III. Other functions concerning overseas trade.

In addition to the work of the two departments discussed above, the Board of Trade carries on the following activities related to overseas trade:

1. Industrial and Export Council (1940).-The Council consists of 18 members drawn from industry, labor, and government, including for the government the Treasury, Ministry of War Transport, Ministry of Economic Warfare, the Raw Materials Department of the Ministry of Supply, and the Ministry of Labour. A representative of the Foreign Office attends. The President of the Board of Trade is the chairman and the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department is vice chairman. The business members of the Council undertake the execution of policy decisions within the trade.

An executive committee of four members has been appointed with authority to organize British exporters into export groups.

2. Committee of Export Groups.-The export groups were organized in 1940. In 1942 a Central Committee of Export Groups was appointed, which is attached to the Industrial and Export Council. During the war the export groups have been used (a) to transmit to the Government applications for licenses to import certain machinery and supplies; (b) to allocate raw materials among members for export orders; (c) to keep track of permitted exports; and (d) to make preparations to regain lost markets after the war and to consider post-war trade plans.

The groups serve as a link between the export trade and the Government by providing an opportunity to the Government to present its point of view to the trade and affording the trade an opportunity to present its point of view to the Government. As business bodies the export groups are able to offer practical guidance arising out of business experience.

3. Export Credits Guarantee Department. This Department administers the Export Guarantees Act which provides Government credit facilities for exports. 4. Post-War Export Trade Committee.-This committee is attached to the office of the Parliamentary Secretary of the Board of Trade-Parliamentary Under Secretary to the Foreign Office. It consists of 11 members, 7 officials of the Board of Trade and Department of Overseas Trade and 4 businessmen. The Secretary of the Department of Overseas Trade is the chairman. Its terms of reference are to make a comprehensive study of special problems which will confront British exports after the war.

5. Export and import control.-Export control for designated strategic supplies and import control have been established as war procedures. The Export Licens ing Department is attached to the Commercial Relations and Treaties Department, and the Import Licensing Department for private trade is attached to the Industries and Manufacturers Department. The range of goods handled by the Import Licensing Department is very limited because the principal imports are procured by the Government.

IV. Relations with Business.

The role of the British businessman within the Board of Trade is significant. Businessmen sit upon the Industrial and Export Council, the Export Trade Committee, and the Advisory Council of the Export Credits Guarantee Department. The old trade associations have been organized into export groups and a Committee of Export Groups has been established under the Industries and Export Council to perform a two-way function of bringing the businessmen's point of view to the Government and the Government's point of view to the businessmen.