There are two points of view, however, well illustrated in the attitude of the British and the United States Government, respectively, as to the direction in which governmental efforts may be extended in the furtherance of foreign trade. The British Government pays great attention to the diplomatic end of the business, and lets private enterprise follow up any advantage gained. The United States Government spends vastly more money and effort upon the details of trade, but in many cases unfortunately attempts to build upon a shifting and insecure foundation, in that the relations of the two countries may be weak diplomatically, or there may be lack of knowledge or understanding as to the general conditions to be met. For some American consul to inform American manufacturers through the State Department of great openings for the sale of goods does not mean necessarily that these goods can be sold; for in some cases American competition would find itself hopelessly handicapped by the superior trade diplomacy and knowledge of its adversary, thus nullifying any possible superiority in goods or prices. From a practical point of view, to analyze American foreign trade in detail would be an endless and useless task. It has grown to be what it is through exports of food-stuffs and raw materials, followed naturally by the surplus products of manufacturing. Of imports the same may be said, reversing the order of the progression. The land furnished the material, and labor came at its call from all parts of the world. The logical result of plenty of material, a constantly increasing supply of labor, combined with national ingenuity and a climate conducive to the development of nervous energy, is the production of more or less finished merchandise in such quantities as to keep half the ships of the world in daily use carrying it to and fro. Whether governmental intervention has helped or hindered has been the subject of controversy since this commerce began, and will continue until commerce ends; but out of it all must come a certain amount of wisdom, gained through experience, which should be of practical benefit to those on whom rests the responsibility of official coöperation with private adventure in foreign lands. The three great foreign trading nations of the world are England, Germany, and the United States, in the order named. In 1912 the foreign commerce of England amounted to a little less than $6,000,000,000, that of Germany to more than $4,600,000,000, and that of the United States to nearly $4,200,000,000. The total foreign trade of these three countries is proportioned approximately between imports and exports as follows: England Germany United States Imports 60 per cent. 54 per cent. 43 per cent. Exports 40 “ “ 46 “ “ 57 “ “