Evening star., 1900-11-27
MARKETS OF THE EAST
FUNCTION OF THE AMERICAN ORIEN-
TAI AGENCY IN CONsTANTINOPLE.
Places Goods on Sale In Turkey,
Egypt, Greece, the Balkans
and Southern Russia.

The markets Of the east are not waiting
for American goods, for they are already
occupied by English, German and French
trade, states Charles NJ. Dickinson, United
States consul general at Constantinople,
writing under recent date to the State
Department. The entering wedge Of Amer
lean commerce, he says, is not to be driven
into those markets without intelligent, per-
sistent and vigorous blows. Trade generally
must be exploited and built up by the
same means and methods used in other To-
calities where the field has been pre-empteo,
especially as those who have enjoyed a
monopoly Of these markets are shrewd
enough to be extremely jealous and ap-
prehensiIe of American rivals says Mr.
Dickinson.
The consul general states that some ap
prehension exists as to the aim and scope
of an exposition Of American goods and
products which was established last year
in Constantinople. That institution is
called the American oriental agency, and
serves to exploit a wide field of American
products 1t is not merely an exposition,
however, he says. but a business enterprise
conducted for profit. and it furnishes the
only method by which an individual Ameri-
car exporter can reach that foreign mar
ket. Any American manufacturer who
wishes to put his goods on the markets of
Turkey, Egypt Greece, the Balkans and
southern Russia can join the enterprise
without the payment of a single dollar,
and with the assurance that every reason
able effort will be made to find sale for
his line of goods.
Mr.. Dickinson emphasizes the fact that
neither the American firm at New York
nor the Constantinople banker, who repre-
sents the Turkish end of the combination
get any return for their labor eX-
pense except by selling the goods of the
parties they represent, and making profit
thereon. AS to the connection of his Of
flee with this enterprise, Consul General
Dickinson states that there is not a man
connected with it who derives one penny
of profit from the business, either directly
or indirectly. They are all employed and
paid by the United States government, he
says, and their interest in the work is due
to the fact that it is a part of their busi-
ness to advance and protect American COM
merce in every form. The agency already
represents nearly 200 American exporters,
and negotiations are pending with a num-
ber of others.
Vice Consul General Hanauer at Frank
fort, Germany, writing to the State De-
partment under recent date, calls atten-
tior to a statement in a recent German
puhlica ton regarding the growing American
trade in the Levant. The article says:
Lately two large firms in COnstantl-
noDle have for the first time received ex-
tensive shipments of American shoes. THIS
shows that the persistent efforts of the
Americans to gain a footing in the Levan-
tine markets have achieved success. Since
the establishment of a direct steamship
line between the United States and the
made marked progress. European manu-
facturers would do well to keep their eyes
on the actions of the Americans in these
markets.