Show FOREIGN TRADE convention james A farrell chairman of the national foreign trade council has issued the formal call for the fifth national foreign trade convention to meet at the gibson hotel cincinnati ohio thursday friday and saturday february and 1918 the theme of the convention will be the part martof of foreign trade in winning the war american in the war against germany says chairman farrell in his call has laid a new obligation upon the foreign trade enterprise of the united states an and at the same time presented it a new opportunity to consider that obligation and that opportunity to discuss what has been done by the different elements of foreign trade and to give serious thought to the demands and the problems of the future delegates from every part of the united states representing all phases of commercial and civic development will assemble for the three days sessions at cincinnati the war has added importance to the maintenance and development of foreign trade continues the chairman it has made clear and paramount the element of national service it is our duty as never before to see to it that the flow of overseas commerce proceeds with uninterrupted regularity and in the largest possible volume steadily bringing to us the products necessary to the life of the enterprise on which we are embarked and steadily carrying to our allies and to our neutral sources of supply the materials and manufactures that will enable them to maintain their efforts in the field or to continue to produce the food and raw materials so essential to our military success more than ever the foreign trade of the nation serves a vital national purpose in maintaining the gold reserve and sustaining the huge bulk of national credit upon which the necessities of war are making such enormous demands all americans engaged in or desirous of entering overseas commerce and especially all chambers of commerce boards of trade and other commercial and industrial organizations izat ions as well as firms and individuals are invited to take part in the convention individually or by appointment of delegates the discussion will be led by men who are foremost in the foreign trade experience of the united states approximately one half of the time of the convention will be given to fhe present prepared papers and reports dealing with one or another of the numerous phases of this great convention theme the remainder will be devoted to group sessions tor for the intensive discussion of single problems under the leadership of specially qualified experts |