San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-05-26
IN MEXICO.
THE BUSINESS JEAL0USIES WITH
WHICH OUR MERCHANTS
HAVE TO CONTEND.
The German, French and English
Do their Best to Keep the Yankee
Merchant Out of the Country.
They Stand in Dread of His
Shrewd Business Methods.
Especial Correspondence SUNDAY LIGHT.

of establishing themselves in bust
ness there, why they are received
with such evident signs of dis
pleasure? The strangers mission
is one OF the first things inquired
after. If he has money to place in
the development OF raw materials,
the building of manufactures or
the like, no end of courtesies are
shown him. However, should the
nature of his mission be given out,
or possibly leak out, to be the es-
Establishment of a business, he is
left, not only to look after his af-
fairs without the least assistance,
but oftentimes is actually discour-
aged, no matter whether he has
hundreds or thousands of dollars
to invest. This displeasure over his
prospective location in the place is
noticeable on all sides, resident
Americans alone offering their
countryman helping hand, but
sometimes even these stand aloof
from rendering him any material
service.
The cause OF this strange be-
havior in a country where the
people, otherwise, are remarkable
for their politeness and hospital
ity, is directly traceable to the
trade antagonism and jealousy OF
the old established European bust
ness firms, who dread anything in
the line of American competition.
The Germans, together with the
French, English and Spanish, have
controlled the Mexican trade for
many decades past, and lucrative
one 1t has been for them. AS re-
suit of extensive dealings in that
country the wealthy Hamburg,
Bremen, London, Paris and Madrid
concerns have established branch
houses in the principal Mexican
cities, all of which have proven
veritable bonanzas. With the
trade of the country safely in their
hands the Europeans were not
slow to jobo manufacture cheap
grade of goods, which they used
for export to Mexico, and which
they are still bringing into the
country.
In the last few years American
manufacturers have begun to pay
considerable attention to the Next
can trade, introducing goods far
superior to the European wares and
az prices that successfully met the
figures Of all competitors. The first
general attempt on the part OF the
Americans to introduce their
goods into the country gave
the Europeans a fair taste OF
American competition and they
soon began to realize that this
competition might assume very
serious proportions. Therefore
when American merchants began
to look to Mexico as a field for
their investments, and prosper
GUS American firms established
branches in the larger Mexican
cities, the i'll will Of the Europeans
grew into poem antagonism, in
which the Germans who were
most concerned in the matter,
showed themselves foremost. Par.
TALLY through the influence exert
ed by the old established German
houses, and partially to shield
themselves from a common rival,
the English, the French, the Span
ish and in some cases the native
Mexican dealers adopted a policy
of antagonism towards the Ameri-
can merchants, though with more
medication and fairer show of
courtesy than characterized that
of the German. These actions do
not necessarily signify fear on
the part of the Europeans that
they connot meet the American
competitors, but rather an object
dread at the prospects of having to
give up their slow and easy going
business methods for the more
progressive ones of the "wonderful
Yankee" as the Mexicans are wont
to call any enterprising American
1t is not an unusual thing now
to see an American, who embarks
in business with a mere thousand
or two, become in the course Of a
few years, il he is anything Of a
business man, an extensive dealer
with a large and profitable trade,
From the retail he soon aspires to
the wholesale, and manages that
department Of business with the
same vigor and bold financiering
that characterized his efforts as a
retailer. He CANDLES on this and
that; what he loses on one transac-
ton he is quite certain to make up
on another. His clear, sound, bust
ness sense often enables him to see
an opportunity long before his
competitors do, and with his bold
speculative tendencies, to grasp 1t
as soon as it manifests itself. He is
the man of whom the European
dealers stand in dread. They be-
iIiave the United States to be filled