tates are
constantly occupied, in assisting British immigrant working men and women
who are suffering hardships under the stringent provisions of the United
States immigration laws.

(2) The furthering of British trade. It is the duty of the whole Foreign
Office organisation, but especially of the Consuls, to give advice to the
representatives of commercial firms, to report openings for the sale of
British goods abroad, and generally to give assistance to British trade
in its competition with foreign trade. Enquiries will, for instance, be
received by a Consul at a Chinese port from a manufacturer of pottery or
harness or tin-tacks, asking what type of goods will be likely to find
a market in that locality. The Consul will then enquire and give such
information as his local knowledge enables him to supply. Or again,
a foreign country will sometimes make regulations which hinder the
importation of English products. English oats may, for instance, be
affected with a blight which Italy fears may infect her crops if she allows
their importation. It may then become the duty of the British Embassy at
Rome to make arrangements with the Italian Government in order that English
farmers may not suffer by losing the market for their produce. But one
important point must be remembered, because it is too often forgotten by
those who criticise the Foreign Office. There is one general restriction on
the activities of the Foreign Office in assisting British trade: no British
official is allowed to invite, or try to persuade, any foreign Government
to give orders to British firms, whether for war material or for any other
article.

What we have already said applies to the relations between civilised
countries. But the relations between civilised countries on the one hand,
and uncivilised or semi-civilised countries on the other hand, are very
much more difficult in many ways. Difficulties especially arise with regard
to commerce. Many of the less-developed countries of the world, such
as some South American countries and China, cannot, like their richer
neighbours, undertake the development of their own resources. They lack
money, scientific training, business ability, and so on. They therefore
give what are called "concessions" to foreign companies or capitalists;
that is, the Government of the country leases some industry for a term of
years to the foreign company. The Mexican Government, for instance, has
leased its oil-wells to Eng