The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-12-22

uons Suner-Germ0ny Most Prom
fnent COmmerciaIly--Engl at
Standstfll The American
Tradesman Who Took Hot Air
Furnaces to Bnhin-IIow England
and Bolivia Became Strangers.
BY Doctor William p. Wilson.
Director Philadelphia Commercial Mu-
seums and Commercial Delegate of
the United States to the Parliament
can Congress in Mexico.
Copyright, 1901, by William p WILSON,
The average American who has pic
tured the United States in control of
the worlds commerce and waiting only
for inter-planet communication in
order to monopolize the Exports to
Mars, win probably suffer shock
when brought face to face with the
fact that in our own continent the
countries from over the seas are sur
passing us in trade relations. North
American enterprises fail in South
American countries, and, though we
have hedged that hemisphere around
with political barriers which no for
eign country has dared to assail,
there is scarcely a European power of
Importance which has not established
a closer commercial affinity with the
South American republics than has
the United States.
The United States lacks, in COM
merce with South America, what Eu-
fePeaR countries lack In politics. The
link between South American trade
and the industries of the world is to
be found in direct banking facilities.
IL German manufacturer sells
purchaser in Buenos Ayres a bill of
goods, he does not extend credit for
the bill, and yet the purchaser secures
the credit. The German manufactures
in Berlin merely takes his invoice
across the street to any one of half a
dozen South American banks, guaran-
tees the transaction, and receives his
cash. The banks finance the operation
at either end, and earn a legitimate
profit. Throughout the entire CONT
nent of South America there are to be
found English, German, French Ital-
ian, Spanish and Portuguese banks
and not one American concern.
Our manufacturers are, therefore
handicapped from the start. They must
either break their rule of receiving
cash before the goods leave this coun-
try, or compel the purchaser in South
America to break his rule of having
his goods in hand before he makes
payment. The chances of error are
too great on either SIDE and the re-
suit is no business at all. Whatever
trade does exist has been built up by
those few firms that were in a posi-
ton to finance their own operation,
and the results are shown in the fig
ures which have been gone over so
frequently in connection with the Pan
American Congress at Mexico. Last
year the United Statesc made pur-
chases from South America amounting
to $102, zoe, $500; it sold only Sal, 247,-
$4,000. There are no independent lines
of steamers plying regularly between
the ports of the republics of the two
continents and we must await the
construction of the canal--Nicaraguan
or Isthmian-to make the favorable
change. < &
The American, hampered by the lack
of banks, by the lack of knowledge Of
the language, and above ALL by tie
lack of previous inquiry, jumps into
Buenos Ayres as he would into Des
Moines and expects his good lucK and
his good nature to carry him through
in a round of joyous pleasure. lie be-
comes str anded, after a little Mile;
hciT. and speeds home again with ITO
word il his mouth too vigorous for -
nunciation of South America, its
works and it's ways. There was one
man from Indiana who decided-in
Indiana-that Uruguay was suffering
for the lack of Corliss engines. He
showed some photographs IN his pocket
and sped by rail and steamer to Mon
tevideo. When he reached the city he
xuo1 int hn .tA
marked:
Now gentlemen. what part of this
country needs Corllss eugines?"
At the outset they were only half
certain that he was crazy. Before the
day was over they were sure. SO, one
after another, they took him out iRto
the main street and told him to go
and explode Uruguay, and TO discover
that the entire country did nothing but
raise cattle and revolutions.
A Michigan builder OF ranges and
furnaces, stirred by the impulse to
capture South American trade, sent
his son to Bahia, in Brazil, with
couple of hot air furnaces and sew
eral huge kitchen ranges. When the
young man landed, the Brazillians in
quired solicitously into the nature of
the dark and awful mysteries he put
ashore.
Another Yankee lunatic," reflected
the Brazillians. Then with gentle
irony, "They are not wanted her; you
had better go to Perambuco. 1t is
nearer"
The visitor did not stop to inquire
what Pernambuco was nearer to; he
had the furnaces and the ranges
promptly transferred to ID waiting
steamer and was off for another voy-
age. The weather seemed a good deal
warmer at Pernambuco than at Bahia.
He discussed 1T with fresh Brazillians,
while the furnaces and ranges were
being transferred to a lighter.
They told me-" he remarked, up in
Bahia that Pernambuco was nearer to
something or other. Say, what 1t is
nearer to?"
"The equator" was the reply
That young man is home in Michi-
gan. The furnaces and ranges are
among the Pernambuco reefs.
The German salesman, within a day
after he ernbarks on the steamer at
Panama, knows every passenger on
board, and has not missed a glass of
beer with one Of them. Within two
weeks after he has landed in any
South American country he speaks the
language. There never was a German
yet who did not escape from the Ger
man language at the first opportunity.
He does not enter business house un-
less he makes 1t rule TO invite the
clerk to lunch, and to entertain the
proprietor at a formal dinner. While
the Englishrnan is at the English
Club. spending his money with the
English middlemen, the German Is the
guest and intimate friend OF the South
= H.