A COUNCIL OF COMMERCE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1090, 31 March 1911, Page 6

A COUNCIL OF COMMERCE.

4 . PETITION TO MR. ASQUITH. By Telegraph—Pres3 Association—Copyricht London, March 21). A petition recommending the establishment of an Imperial Council of Commerce has been presented to tho I'rimo Minister., Tho petition bears 2SO signatures. IS BRITAIN LOSING GROUND? Lord Furness, in a letter published in "Tho Times" last month, writing as a convinced Free-trader, gave it as his deliberate opinion "that unless we apply ourselves assiduously and nationally to develop our commercial, methods on the highest possible plane wo cannot hope to hold our own—it would be a natural impossibility." Commenting on this in a special article, "The Times" said-.—"Wo have, in Germany and in the United States alike, a policy of commercial education than which it is difficult to conceive anything better calculated to attain the end desired—namely, the extension of knowledge of the requirements of markets' and the capturing of foreign trade by adaptation to local demands. And it may be added that, in tho opinion of Americans well qualified to judge, Germany is regarded as America's chief competitor in Europe. Mr. Dunning, the American Consul at Havre, who was summoned last year to Chicago to help fonrnra tnc proposed Consular reforms, paid a high tribute to the success of the German system of working through living representatives instead of through catalogues. The rapid growth of German trade, indeed, is very largely attributable to the great pains taken by the young Germans entering on a commercial career to master foreign languages. Not content with the spoken word, the Germans take care to bring before their- prospective customers the merits of their wares by means of publications in (he languages of the countries in which they seek to do business. One of these, the latest issue of which lies before us, is published fortnightly in Berlin. Edited by a German Consul, this periodical, which is printed in KnglWi throughout, claims to circulate over the whole, globe, and it is a very effective means of making known tho merits of German productions of every description. "This is but an illustration of the intelligence with which our German neighbours are setting about their business— an entirely legitimate one —of increasing their trade. A thousand more could bo adduwxl, but there is no need to labour the point. While Gorman thoroughness has long been proverbial, it is only recently that we have come to realise that the Japanese are, if possible, in this respect more German than the Germans. Here, again, we are confronted with tho necessity for serious searchings of heart in regard to our methods of fostering and promoting our trade. With such rivals in the field there can be no marking time. Wo must either go forward or be left bellind in the race; and we should do well to listen to the urgent and disinterested plea of men like Lord Furness io equip ourselves for the contest while there is yet time."