Concurrently with the extension of French territory in West Africa, great efforts are being made in high quarters to develop trade with foreign countries. President Faure excited some attention by his reception of the Lyons commercial representatives just back from China. He followed up his remarks on this occasion by speech at the banquet given him by the representatives of Paris commerce and industry in recognition of his services during his journey to Russia. M. Felix Faure urged his hearers to seek for fresh markets, and told them that if they did not put forth more effort they would beaten by foreign competition. It would action of the State would be substituted. be Utopian, he added, to suppose that the for private enterprise. These remarks, it, appears were elicited by complaints that French trade was deriving no benefit from the alliance with Russia. Apparently French manufacturers expected a stream of orders from the nation amic, and were disagreeably disappointed. The fact is that the French have made no real effort to profit by the favourable situation created for them in Russia. They fail to understand the requirements of their customers, they will not depart from routine, they never-give more than 90 days' credit, and, worst of all, they will not employ efficient travellers acquainted with the language. The enterprising and patient German beats. them hollow. As a first step to remedying this state of things M. Hanotaux has appointed a commercial attache to reside at Moscow. When anything goes wrong in this country it is customary to create more officials to see that the trouble does not occur again, but the national prosperity does not seem to benefit very greatly. Another sign of the attention paid to
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