ROORBACH OUTLINES COURSES IN FOREIGN TRADE POLICIES

That the interest aroused throughout this country in foreign trade is clearly indicated by the unusually large number of men who this year have enrolled in courses dealing with international commercial problems offered in the Graduate School of Business Administration, is the opinion of Professor George B. Roorbach, as expressed in an interview with a CRIMSON reporter. Professor Roorbach has come to the University to occupy the chair of Foreign Trade recently established in the Business School.

He explained in detail the policy of the school in training its students for this branch of commercial enterprise. There is a course in American foreign trade in which national trade policies, methods and developments will be considered; and lectures have also been arranged on trade conditions in Europe, South America and the Far East. Commerce with the Orient is becoming increasingly important and offers a wide field for enterprising business firms, said Professor Roorbach.

Co-operation with Export Houses.

An attempt to secure the co-operation of large business houses will also be made in the extension of the new courses. Export and import houses will be asked to submit specific trade problems for discussion in classes. If possible, men specializing in foreign trade will be given an opportunity to spend their summer vacations with such firms, in order to gain practical experience.

"The United States is a young country whose energies have been devoted quite rightly to expansion and development within its own borders," continued Professor Roorbach. "American industry has been occupied with supplying American demand. There has been little need to compete with foreign markets. Europe has sought our raw materials, and our manufactured goods for export have been limited. Hence our large export trade has grown without effort on our part. Now that manufactured goods are being produced in such large quantities, we must seek markets in competition with other manufacturing nations.

Volume of American Commerce Great.

"When an English merchant sends his goods forty miles across the channel into France, that is considered foreign trade. But when a New England manufacturer sends his products three thousand miles across the continent to California, it is merely interstate commerce. It is easy to see, therefore, that the volume of American commerce has been great, although it has not been specifically designated as foreign trade.

"American business methods have usually been successful, and when a real effort has been made to capture a foreign market, Americans have rarely failed. For example, Germany, France and other European countries are today flooded with American razors, cash registers and farming implements of all sorts.

"The United States has now reached a stage in its development in which its industries are growing and finding new markets necessary. This is one of the most important causes for the intense interest now being shown in foreign trade throughout the United States, and the desire of American business to invade the foreign market."