86 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 



In October Professor G. F. Warren of Cornell and Mr. W. F. 

 Callander of the Bureau of Markets were sent to Europe to study 

 sources of information, as well as public and private statistical in- 

 formation on economic conditions, to arrange with the various 

 officials for the prompt interchange of crop reports by mail and cable, 

 and to formulate a systematic plan for the regular flow of agricultural 

 statistics and economic data to the Department of Agriculture to 

 supplement the information of the International Institute. Both 

 Professor Warren and Mr. Callander report that the commercial 

 attaches are not qualified to obtain information on agriculture because 

 of their limited commercial viewpoint. 



In November Mr. Michaels, formerly with the Food Admin- 

 istration in Russia, was employed and sent to Southeastern Europe 

 to collect and report upon agricultural conditions. During the past 

 summer arrangements have been made to have the commercial 

 attaches and American consuls in foreign countries supply certain 

 kinds of information under a set of instructions prepared by the 

 Bureau of Markets. 



At present the program of the Department of Agriculture is to 

 utilize all existing agencies, such as the International Institute of 

 Agriculture, the commercial attaches and the consul officers of the 

 State Department so far as practicable, and to supplement these 

 agencies with agricultural attaches in the principal countries. The 

 object is to collect information concerning stocks on hand ; consump- 

 tion requirements ; surpluses and deficits ; economic situations affect- 

 ing production, consumption and purchasing power; farm prices and 

 agricultural credit; cooperation; the presence of plant and animal 

 diseases and insect pests ; and to cable this information to the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture together with important crop reports and notice 

 of material changes in crop conditions occurring in the interval 

 between official crop reports. 



With the latest and best information of this kind available, the 

 Department of Agriculture will arrange for the prompt and wide- 

 spread dissemination of the essential facts through the press and 

 through regular and special printed reports. If we had at least fifty 

 well trained men in foreign fields to assist foreign nations in establish- 

 ing a reliable crop reporting service, and to assist in introducing 

 American agricultural products to the people of the nations where 

 they are stationed as well as to keep American agriculture advised as 

 to crop conditions, it would go a long way toward creating an outlet 

 for the great surpluses we have on hand at the present time. 



