Record of highest amount of foreign trade.

The fiscal year ended June 30, 1911, shows great progress in the development of American trade.  It was noteworthy as marking the highest record of exports of American products to foreign countries, the valuation being in excess of $2,000,000,000.  These exports showed a gain over the preceding year of more than $300,000,000.

Facilities for foreign trade furnished by joint action of department of state and of commerce and labor.

There is widespread appreciation expressed by the business interests of the country as regards the practical value of the facilities now offered by the Department of State and the Department of Commerce and Labor for the furtherance of American commerce.  Conferences with their officers at Washington who have an expert knowledge of trade conditions in foreign countries and with consular officers and commercial agents of the Department of Commerce and Labor who, while on leave of absence, visit the principal industrial centers of the United States, have been found of great value.  These trade conferences are regarded as a particularly promising method of governmental aid in foreign trade promotion.  The Department of Commerce and Labor has arranged to give publicity to the expected arrival and the itinerary of consular officers and commercial agents while on leave in the United States, in order that trade organizations may arrange for conferences with them.

As I have indicated, it is increasingly clear that to obtain and maintain that equity and substantial equality of treatment essential to the flourishing foreign trade, which becomes year by year more important to the industrial and commercial welfare of the United States, we should have a flexibility of tariff sufficient for the give and take of negotiation by the Department of State on behalf of our commerce and industry.

Crying need for American merchant marine.

I need hardly reiterate the conviction that there should speedily be built up an American merchant marine.  This is necessary to assure favorable transportation facilities to our great ocean-borne commerce as well as to supplement the Navy with an adequate reserve of ships and men It would have the economic advantage of keeping at home part of the vast sums now paid foreign shipping for carrying American goods.  All the great commercial nations pay heavy subsidies to their merchant marine so that it is obvious that without some wise aid from the Congress the United States must lag behind in the matter of merchant marine in its present anomalous position.

Extension of American banking to foreign countries.

Legislation to facilitate the extension of American banks to foreign countries is another matter in which our foreign trade needs assistance.