Through a peculiar misuse of the term, the foreign policy of the United States has been termed “dollar diplomacy,” whereas, partly because of national tradition and partly through lack of skill and experience, the diplomacy of America has less relation to the extension of foreign commerce than that of any other great modern nation. American diplomacy has been governed more by altruistic ideas, the protection of foreign peoples against themselves and others, the elimination of money tributes and indemnities, the recognition of new governments without conditions, and arbitration of international troubles as a neutral nation. In these and in many other ways America has played her part in various international controversies; but in the general scramble for selfish advantage in all these affairs she has taken little or no successful part. Yet American diplomacy has been called that of the “dollar,” and has been credited in the minds of many of her own citizens, as well as by foreigners, with a mercenary basis. The people of a nation have it within their power to advance the interests of their foreign commerce in two ways: one by intelligent legislation at home, and the other by intelligent diplomacy abroad. The shipment of merchandise from one country to another means to the selling nation a foreign market for the raw material, the employment of labor to the extent of from thirty to ninety per cent. of the selling value of the goods, and the payment for this material and labor by foreigners in money or its equivalent. It is a clear gain in every phase of the transaction. There is an old frontier adage, which originated in the early days of the Western boom, to the effect that “outside money makes the camp.” It is a homely expression that summarizes the advantages of an export of two billion dollars’ worth of goods with a comprehensiveness equal to its original application. It is not too much to say that anything in the shape of legislation or of increased facilities which assists the outward flow of the products of labor is of unquestioned advantage to the producing nation. An unnatural, though perhaps comprehensible, attitude of suspicion toward successful export has come about in the United States. This has led to hostility toward special rail and water-rates for export, lower prices for bulk foreign business, niggardliness of national expenditures for diplomatic representation and for the work of the Department of Commerce and its foreign-trade bureau. It might almost be said that the great and growing figures of foreign trade, issued triumphantly every year by the government statisticians, have been achieved despite the obstructions placed in the path of their progress.