THE CUBA REVIEW 



21 



all of the exports of Egyptian cotton to the United Kingdom as well as to the United 

 States. Therefore, when the new vessels of our merchant marine began plying into the 

 port of Alexandria they found the wharves filled with bales of cotton but all of them 

 invoiced to be shipped in British vessels. Consul Maynard undertook the task of getting 

 a share of this transportation for American vessels, and, after continued work for more 

 than a year, succeeded in making an arrangement whereby one-half of the Egyptian 

 cotton exported to the United States should be carried in American bottoms. The amount 

 of money which this gives into the hands of American interests for freight alone may 

 reach as high as half a million dollars, and in addition to this a profitable opportunity is 

 opened for American marine insurance companies and also to American banking interests. 

 These are some of the ordinary things that a Consul does. The extraordinary things 

 are beyond enumeration or prophecy. A Consul may be, and frequently is, called upon 

 to do anything conceivable that no one else has tried or been able to do. And the essence 

 of the matter is that he does it. 



American Consuls, serve practically every branch of our Government, every business 

 man and, either directly or indirectly, every private citizen. 



The chart on the page following shows how information gathered by them is con- 

 centrated in the Department of State and then distributed to the various governmental 

 agencies and to private concerns and individuals. 



A Consul's more important duties are shown, but by no means all of them. 



Partial List of Services Performed by American Consular Officers 

 During Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1921 



Protection and Welfare cases 48,078 



Deaths of Americans abroad 1,010 



Estates settled 607 



Registration of Americans 6,585 



Passport services (Americans) 150,117 



Passport visas (ah ens) 657,968 



Section Six Certificates (Chinese) . . 1 386 



Depositions and Commissions 500 



Extradition cases 80 



Marine protests 7,720 



Seamen shipped 33,464 



Seamen discharged 26,713 



Seamen deserted 3,129 



Seamen deceased 209 



Seamen relieved 5,197 



Voluntary trade reports 9,215 



Called-for trade reports 6,367 



Replies to trade inquiries 82,237 



Trade opportunities (about j 2,000 



Disinfection certificates 4,282 



Notarial services 235,194 



Consular invoices 546,239 



Landing Certificates 2,546 



Bills of health 39,366 



Sanitary reports 13,254 



American vessels entered 27,837 



American vessels cleared 27,838 



Miscellaneous correspondence: 



Letters received 756,824 



Letters sent 871,891 



Total fees collected for year 1920-21 $8,517,020.47 



Gross cost of Consular Service, 1920-21 4,405,598.85 



Net gain to the Government. 



,111,421.62 



