New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-11
The Metropolitan Telephone & Telegraph Company
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requisites for admission into the diplomatic or
consular career From the graduates OF ms ms
school who have distinguished themselves the
Chamber selects those whom II sends on special
missions to foreign countries for the purpose OF
securing exhaustive reports on the commercial
held. The same university character or the
studies in this school is found In those of the
Higher Institute Of Commerce at Antwerp. 1t Is
not that the students Of such schools VIII sue
coed better In the mere pushing Of some article
of trade. What they can do Is to obtain that
general knowledge of foreign field OF commerce
which requires this liberal education and Is quite
above any special business experience. ana on
which the success OF special branches OF trade
may frequently depend.
Thus in Prussia frankly invidious laws may
he expected against any foreign company wnich
aims at corporate existence in competition
with native enterprise. In France more than one
company. English or American, has been
squeezed out without process OF law. All their
calculations were perfect. except on this one
head Perhaps a properly trained consul might
have warned them what to expect. But 1t should
seem TO belong to that general information about
country which sound enterprise would require
before beginning operations. In Russia there is
also fitness In selling through houses already
established In the country. In Spain there Is a
special difficulty from the insecurity OF credit
And so on for any number OF varying conditions
Of commerce. which are above the head or the
mere business man. Even the most expert COM
mercial traveller will not succeed In forcing the
morning "oatmeal" on a Frenchman who has
never taken anything but bread with his cafe
au-lat.
Inc tn4TI lcfNcTsSDrSS, Which Is p''uiidl 10
Americans. is the acme of this reliance on the
"lrummer.' Many OF the firms which have made
the experiment and failed - put their wares on
the foreign market. and which now throw the
burden OF blame our defective consular ser
vice. intrusted their work 10 some ono who had
been an accredited travelling salesman at
home He sent TO Europe without Ian
Ruages but with more money at his dis
posal than the Paris Chamber of Commerce
ever gave for its most difficult expeditions.
After obtaining a very superficial knowledge
Of no compptifipu already existing, ne tried
the methods which had never failed In his
past experience. But winning and dining would
not convince the bengh,ed foreigner OF the su-
perior;ty Of his machines. which often ne could
not explain himself-being a salesman and Dot "A
mechanic. He could not understand any objec-
ton made to this or that part OF the machine.
which was not fitted for European work. and still
less could ne explain the objection to the factory
at home and secured reformed model When
there were no difficulties OF this nature. he was
unable 10 arrange matters Of credit and the Ike
Meanwhile the pleasures II European travel
which We're regularly new - such man TOOK
up more and more Of his dnys-and nights. Nheni
his money was gone. he went home and reported
that the foreign market was closed 10 American
Industry. The impression left on Europeans was
that American commercial agents ana American
business firms are alike impracticable.
l. IS scarcely too much - say thnt mis- was
the history of 4 whole generation now happiy
passing away Of would-be representatives, or
American trade abroad. Even now American
manufacturers and merchants ID not seem To
understand the need ~ the two classes ~ agents
one who starts with "A technical knowl"dg" or
what h. has 10 sell and is competent 10 study IN"
foreign neld In detail. the other who should hav"
prcceIed him a man II liberal education VINO
can report generally on The commercial! gepsra-
ply ~ region. IN" customs. laws aimihS'ta-
tive vcNttions. tarin responsibilities ana pt'ha-
biliies - sudden change. security Of credit. and
especially ON the methods actually employed by
successful foreign competitors
THIS latter work which is ~ most genera! I'M
portancc. is what the American Chambers Of
commerce seem - b. asking ~ the consular
service In reality. II belongs TO agents more
specially equipped than consuls could b" IN any
81, -i.r, These would have ~ be sent out by the
chamber - Commerce or National Board OF
Trade or low private associations ~ meTchlhts
or manufacturers among themselves Ihey
would Do n ne orders - cacn member ot the
association f1r any Information h" might re-
quirr concerning his own business previous -
scudiag UT special representative"
The reason why this general work ought not 10
D. expected Il consuis may be- gathered from
the experience u other nations. VIII n depend
their prosperity something the United states
have ncver vet donc-on surc"ssful eNportaUoh
81 their manufactured products.
France IA. long hal one u NE most IN n
oughiv organized consular services. II IS sepa-
rate from tn" diplomatic serve i u''' ts
education Is required IL is candidates. ana b"iol"
they are received 10 regular salar'"d pace
they have 70 spend AT least on" year III iore,sn
cot,ntry and another In the office work ~ the
Ministry Of Commerce. Their assistance 10
French merchants IL constant. and OF late prin-
cipai consus have been recalled from America
China and other countries ana b"en SEM io' d
number OF davs To each ~ the commercial cen
tres ~ Franc. 10 be at the disposition or pusl
ness men requiring Information. rms Is III ahui
ion :, mo r.pnrts continually making To IN"
chambers - Commerce from their special agents
and the fr.uucuf missions sent out by IN" hiH-
ster ~ Commerce himself rms consular ~
formation especially bears on lh'r'a'''H 10 '"'''
and questions 81 local credit a..
In spite o. ALI these SO. vices rendered %! wv
existing consus an agitation has been Kept Wy
for many years TO obtain a sI"clai sf'n r ~
merchant consuls" distinct from the present
political service. The tentative steps maze 10y
England in this matter do not encourage sucn
measure. a. IN" French Minister "t r"''S"
Affairs has just explained IN Pdriia"rht. -
Belgium IN still better "NRiupl" OF tH' IT'S
sltv ~ relying on the cntcrDris" ~ associations
Of merchants In this matter IN" S'A'' n'S AN u
the greatest pains 10 hav" It's consular dS'h,9
secure samples and details - every p"SSl"' 90
iccf II Ra,uion commerce In their respective MS
ir!cts Thcse. fully catalogued ana d's'rlp'u
form the National Museum 81 Commerce W'lvh
is open - the study Of every merchant 90 manu-
facturer The Higher Institute 81 commerce. nt
Antwerp was founded forty years aE'' parry
with the idea OF training dp bodE 81 'n'S' M
chant cousils But AT present ther" are o.'H
,vo - ts graduates I'm the whole service This
is made n matter Of complain, In Relglan po''u'S'
But i'm reality. this real University oi '"'''h'.
has boon turning out th"s" hb'rnHy ''", , a'' =
business men who have pushed h"'g IN u'ue
into quarters most seemingly hopeless rom rue
lsh competition And their actual position Is
much more brilliant than could nave pe'n IN
pccied from a Government service
All this does not mean that the REFORM o' tne
American consular service Is not hlshiy u'Sita"'c
I'm the interests Of American commerce IT u"c'
moan that American manufacturers ana net +
chants have the same efficient means Tor eNtenu-
inp their foreign trade which are enp"Ern ny
English and French ana German tu',l' ,
such means an be used only by private enter
prise Bu: the result might be constant IN
crease OF work for our factory laborers-hhu tne
elevation Of commercial studies to something
like n liberal education
CUaRGED WITH STEALING Ola hONDS.
Samuel Hamburger was rcmarded to Police
Headquarters by Justice Grady on SATURDAY an"
Justice Mcmahon yesterday. both sitting IN the
Tombs polio. Court. and ut III" request Oh VIZ
fertv and Price OF Headquarters. VINO atra,S,eo
him The prisoner Is said to have robbed oro'h 1
n-aw OF Nathan Strnus OF @~ worth o' "a-
AicCarrerty and Price stated In their an,nav,, q,