New-York tribune., 1898-11-10
by Lord Salisbury. and any recession from It, if
such shall he made, may be reckoned conces-
sion or a gratuity to France.
HOW TO BUILD UP FOREIGN TRADE.

| HOW TO BUILD UP FORklGN TRADE.
! Few Americans even those most interested In
! the matter realize the value Of the commercial
| reports OF our ccnsuls. which are regularly pub
| lishcd by the Government. These reports give
| "A careful resume OF the commerce. trade and In
dustrles OF the city anl district which each con-
sui represents and make suggestions as TO how
| American manufacturers and producers cGn best
capture part OF the market Much Is being
| said Just now for and against the idea Of terri
! tora expansion an aid to trade expansion;
| hut American business men need not walt for
decision on this question. important as it un-
d)ubtedly is. They can. If they desire. bring
about an enormous expansion Of foreign
trade at once and under present conditions.
They can do so by taking pains to find out the
kind Of goods that foreigners want and the par
tlcular way in which they prefer to do business.
That American business men have been
strangely Indifferent to this matter is a we'll
known fact. and explains why tho English and
the Germans have been able to capture the mar
ket in countries like those in Central and South
America, which might just easily have been
ours. Some South American countries, for in
stance prefer cheap grade OF cottons with
gaudy patterns. And instead of one case con-
tanning a single pattern only. they likc to have
| 1t contain n large assortment Of different pat
terms. 1t is said that by catering to this desire
| the English are easily able to hold the cotton
market in those countries. and the American
manufacturers. by failing to do so, hnd them
selves at n Disadvantages This Is q single Illus
traton Of a fact that has hitherto operated scri-
ously against American foreign trade. No man
ufacturer to-day who refuses study tho local
conditions and needs of the foreign market can
hope to compete with those who do.
Here is China for example. with It's great
trade possibilities. While our trade with that
country is large and increasing yearly, 1t
is not what it ought to be. and might be II our
business men were fully alive to the opportunity
before them. In recent report. James w.
Ragsdale the United States Consul at Tien-
Tsin. China, says:
II ts unfortunate that most agents for American
Americans the clerks nearly all foreigners. IL
our az IIds Hng sRanghai ana Tien-s.n and
send good live md responsible Americans 10 man
age the same. they would be aStonlshed ht me m
crease In ther exports. The GctmanS are pIG-
pairing to adop this method ana Hmi%SS % m GhcCK cox
have. Thcy ale also getting ready 10 puDHSh Il
paper IN the Chinese language especially 10 adNcr-
tise their products
Many American manufacturers have relied on
circulars and correspondence to build up trade
in foreign markets. But al the consus unite
in pronouncing this method absolutely useless
What Is needed is on intelligent representative
on the spot who will establish an agency where
the goods can be actually seen. and who will
personally call on the local dealers. Sidney g.
Everett. our late consul in Java. told how
certain American bicycle firm actually did this
with great success The country had been
flooded with cheap German bicycles, hut before
the American bicycle man had been in the
Cd IN Qptti
fourths of the bicycle trade. though previously
his firm had sold hardly any wheels.
While am always glad TO answer questions and
be o. service said Nj. Everett 1ish here to rri-
crate the uselcssncss % wiring me letters asking
do not want catalogues; thoy have hocn fooled too
often. What they want IS bcycos hnd mcn 10 INK
10 who can do business WIN mem race 20 lace
and explain the merits OF their wheels. Those COM
had better put Java out OF ;hoir minds and be con-
tent with markets nearer home J. may ald mat
this advice applies to other things besides bicycles
Testimony like this could be multiplied In
definitely. and it proves that while American
business men have been culpaby backward in
reaching out for the foreign market, it Is not
We, too late for them to do 40 country in
the world can compare with the United States
In the extent and variety of It's natural and
manufactured products To dominate the mar
kcts of tn. world. however. It must do three
foreign competitors First. it must develop
something equivalent TO the commercial schools
that are u be found in England and Germany.
In these schools the needs and conditions OF the
foreign markets are scientifically studied so
that a graduate from them can go as business
representative to some foreign market. fully
qualified 10 deal with the conditions which there
exist 1t is idle to suppose that mn unframed
American business man. knowing nothing of the
market or the idOsyncrasies OF the people,
compete with such man who s on the spot by
mailing n lot of flaming circulars to the local
dealers Yet that is what is being done in
many cases. Secondly in the absence Of such
commercial training schools. American business
men should take the trouble to adapt their
goods 10 the desires and even to the whims of
FOREIGNERS with whom they would like to deal.
And thirdly, they should remember that thing
worth doing at all Is worth doing well. and send
TO the market they hope to capture an able and
trained business man who will establish an
agency or exhibition Of tho goods they desire to
sell Such a method viii cost more at the out
set but & will lead to certain success. while the
smaller amount Of money spent In the ignorant
and haphazard way often adopted might as
well be thrown away. Territorial expansion IS
already fact: but even territorial expansion
VIII not bring about trade expansion unless an
intelligent and painstaking effort IS made to
meet the complex conditions Of the foreign mar
ket.
|
Croker's men blame Hin. and Hills friends