Evening star., 1898-08-25
HUNT FOR FOREIGN MARKETS
1t Has Developed in Recent Times Into an
: Exact Science.
Wants and Convenience of the Pur-
r.
chaser Must BE Consulted and
n
Sabscrvcd.

regard to the systematic efforts being made
by the principal nations of Europe for the
extension of their export trade
THE search for foreign markets. he
says. may be justly said to have devel-
oped in recent times into an exact, special
lied science, in which not only individual
exporters and associations, but expert gov
ernmeut commissions, elaborately organ
lied, equipped and maintained, each play,
with constantly increasing efficiency, their
coordinate roles. From a notor1ousiy
backward position, the result or long ana
implicit reliance upon home markets, the
United States has now reached a position
from which the usefulness of export asso-
Citations and bureaus of information is gen.
orally recognized. although the complaint
is sometimes heard that these organizations
have been thus far rather too much in
the hands of theorists and unsuccessful
men, and are not sufficiently controlled by
merchants who have had successful expe-
rience and practical training in foreign
trade.
Meanwhile some of the leading Euro
pean nations have advanced one important
step further in the science of export, and
nave called into service the expert COM
mission organized for a. specific inquiry
ana sent out under government authority
TO gather precise technical informal ton for
the education of manufacturers and mer-
chants in special lines of production and
u i1de- lHe efforts OF Germany ana france
IN lnlS direction have established a new
record, to which the attention of American
manufacturers and exporters cannot be too
soon or too seriously directed. q
While the direct and immediate fruits
OF tnese Well-deViSed and scientific quests
!or foreign markets will fall naturally and
justly TO Germany and France, there are
certain general principles and facts which
are suggested by these proceedings which,
II rightly appreciated may be of value to
the exporters of the United States, who. as
Il class, with, of course, many conspicuous
exceptions, have SO much to learn of the
sciehce OF export trade.
Training of Experts.
he need of the period in our country is
a class of competent well-trained Young
men, with good manners a practical COM
mand OF French, German and Spanish-one
or all-combined with intimate practical
hho"iedse Of certain class of manufac-
tured goods and the commercial methods
currencles, weights, measures and customs
OF foreign countries The education of such
men requires certain specialized courses of
study which the commercial schools of
IeImany, and to some extent of Belgium
and England, furnish, but which those of
the United States, with perhaps some ex-
ceptions,. do not. The all-round education
provided by American colleges and high
scnools turns out young men more or less
fairiy equipped for successful careers at
nome; but the competition for export trade
mas now become so sharp as to require the
work of experts, which only specialized ed
ucauon, supplemented by practical expert
ehce, can provide. 1t will henceforth be
necessary that a largely increased class of
young men shall prepare themselves for
ana accept definitely as so many thous-
ands do in Great Britain and Germany the
career of mercantile employees in foreign
lands. in which social sacrifices and the dis
comforts and even dangers of alien cli-
mates are balanced by the material advan-
tages which such a career offers to energy,
perseverance and trained capacity.
Statesmen who frequently come to Ger
many with no knowledge of any language
but English are seriously handicapped and
this disadvantage is still further increased
When the traveller puts himself into the at
titude Of a peddler by attempting to sell
goods of wholly different classes and char
acter. as, for, instance, shoes, machinery
betting, lumber and bicycles. No man will
ing to accept the hard life of a commercial
traveller is likely to understand fully all
these diverse branches of trade, and his eff
forts to sell something concerning which he
is ignorant are generally and deservedly
abortive. Export syndicates have their dis
tinct and often very important uses but
their best results are accomplished when
they represent most fully different products
in one special line or department of trade.
Hints to Exporters.
american circulars and catalogues may
be useful here in the few instances where
they reach the hands of customer who
really wants machine or other article
which he knows something about: but for
this purpose they should be printed In the
German language, give values in marks
and pfennigS, and weights and measure
ment In metric units Above all the cata-
logues should state clearly the net price at
which the machine or other article will be
delivered at Hamburg, Bremen or at least
free on board at some leading American
seaport If this is not done and the buyer
is left to spend three fO1r alyS writ
ing to the American maker to ascertain his
best discount from list the chances are
that his order will go to a European manu-
facturer. who either sends a salesman to
take 1t or who has given a net price in his
advertisement.
1.-The unprecedented merchandise exports
of the past fiscal year have given to the
world a new and convincing proof of the
power of the United States in a vast and
varied field of manufactures The old the
ory that cheap production and high auali-
ty OF product are incompatible with pay
ment of just and liberal wages to labor has
been definitely exploded. 1t has been dem
onstrated that the modern struggle for life
which has brought into use more complex
and scientific machinery, SO far from de-
creasing, rather increases and emphasizes
the Importance of the individual The ad-
vantages of the United States consist not
only In its possession Of profuse and excel
lent materials, but in its uneaualed factory
organization and the remarkable efficiency
Of its skilled operatives In every important
line of manufacture.
Merchant of the Future.
The force of personal character-moral,
mental and physical-was never more po-
tent than today, when it is equipped with
the implements of modern invention. 1t is
not the machine. the gun alone, but the
man behind it. that wins the battles of to-
day on sea or land, in the hot conflict of
or the busy rivalries of peace. AS the
field Of American commercial activity
broadens and grows more complex and
difficult, the. attainments and enterprise
of exporters and their agents must keep
abreast of the new and more exacting re-
quirements. The merchant of the present
and coming generations must be. like the
diplomatic, the consular, or executive Off
Ger, broader, more highly trained and
educated man than his father or grand
father had need to be.
mo people. are. gifted with quicker ap-
prehension, a more ready and unerring
grasp Of the opportunities and require
ments of a. new situation, than those of
the United States. That they will master
the science of International commerce as
they have those Of cheap transportation
and effective production, is as certain as
that the closing years Of the century are
opening for the republic a new and mo-